YuriArcursPeopleimages8/Envato Elements
Lave men siye atè
Meaning
Wasting your effort by doing something that is pointless
For example, wearing sunglasses in the dark.
Translation: Wash your hands, wipe them on the ground.
Literal Meaning: Wash hands wipe floor.
Example 1
M pa ka kwè li mete linèt solèy nan fènwa pou l ka wè pi byen. Lave men siye atè!
I can't believe she wears sunglasses in the dark to see better. This is pointless!
Example 2
Mikwo a pa bon. Poukisa li toujou ap pale? Lave men siye atè.
The microphone is not working. Why is he still speaking? It's pointless.
Fun Facts
You are also able to use this proverb to say what you're doing is making the situation even worse instead of helping.
As shown in the first example, someone wearing sunglasses at night to see better would actually make seeing harder