un sac vide ne tient pas debout

You can't function without basic necessities

This Haitian proverb teaches that a person cannot work or think properly without food and basic resources, just as an empty sack cannot stand on its own.

Tu n'as pas mangé depuis hier ? Un sac vide ne tient pas debout, va manger quelque chose.

You haven't eaten since yesterday? An empty sack can't stand upright, go eat something.

A widely known Haitian proverb ('sak vid pa kanpe' in Creole) rooted in the daily reality of a country where food scarcity has shaped popular wisdom. The image of a limp, empty sack is universally understood.

Haiti