Traditional✓ Culturally verified
“Yuh caan drown fish.”
You can't drown a fish.
What does “Yuh caan drown fish” mean?
You can't overwhelm someone with the very thing they are made for; a person's own nature or vice won't defeat them.
English translation
You can't drown a fish.
Understanding the expression
Water is a fish's home — threatening it with water is useless.
When to use it: an illustrative example
"Yuh tink extra work a go break her?" — "Yuh caan drown fish. She live fi dat."
Partner proverb
Every proverb has its partner
“Yuh caan drown fish.”
“If yu bawn fi heng, yu caan drown.”
If you were born to hang, you can't drown.
Shared wisdom: A person can't be undone in any way other than the one destined; nor can their own nature be used to overwhelm them.
View partner proverb →Topics
Explore more Jamaican sayings
Attribution and review
Traditional Jamaican proverb