Igbo proverbs are used mostly by the elderly to make a point when they are talking or admonishing someone.
We will look at 42 of them here.
Were ehihie chọọ ewu ojii.
Literal meaning:
Use the afternoon to look for the black goat.
Actual meaning:
Make hay while the sun shines.
Ọ chụ nwa ọkụkọ nwe ada.
Literal meaning:
The one chasing the chick is the one to fall.
Actual meaning:
The one trying to get the innocent will fail.
Agbịsị gbaa otule, ọ mụrụ akọ.
Literal meaning:
When the black soldier ant stings the buttocks, the buttocks learn wisdom.
Actual meaning:
Once bitten, twice shy.
Ọkụkọ nyụọ ahụụ, ala achụwa ya ọsọ.
Literal meaning:
When the chicken farts, the ground pursues it.
Actual meaning:
When one does wrong, he flees when no one is pursuing.
Eziokwu bụ ndụ.
Literal meaning:
Truth is life.
Actual meaning:
Honesty is the best policy.
Aṅụla ngwọ na nkwụ na-abịa
Literal meaning:
Don’t drink the 2nd-grade wine, the 1st-grade one is coming.
Actual meaning:
Do not settle for 2nd best.
Onye ndidi na-eri azụ ukpo.
Literal meaning:
The patient one eats the ‘ukpo’ fish.
Actual meaning:
The patient dog eats the fattest bone.
Anụ bu ụzọ na-aṅụ mmiri ọma.
Literal meaning:
The first animal to get to the stream drinks the clear water.
Actual meaning:
Being early is beneficial.
The early bird catches the worm.
Oge anaghị eche mmadụ.
Literal meaning:
Time waits for no one.
Actual meaning:
To do things timely is beneficial.
A naghị ekpuchi afọ ime aka.
Literal meaning:
One does not hide a pregnancy.
Actual meaning:
The things done in secret will eventually be known.
Otu mkpịsị aka rụta mmanụ, o zuo ọha.
Literal meaning:
When one finger is stained with oil, it stains the rest.
Actual meaning:
One bad apple spoils the whole barrel.
What we do usually has a domino effect.
A nyụkọ mamịrị ọnụ, ọ gbaa ụfụfụ.
Literal meaning:
When people urinate in one place, it forms a foam.
Actual meaning:
Unity is strength.
E mee ngwa ngwa e meghara ọdachi.
Literal meaning:
When one hurries, danger is averted.
Actual meaning:
A stitch in time saves nine.
Aka nri kwọọ aka ekpe, aka ekpe akwọọ aka nri.
Literal meaning:
When the right hand washes the left, the left hand also washes the right.
Actual meaning:
One good turn deserves another.
Ụkwa ruo oge ya, ọ daa.
Literal meaning:
When the ụkwa fruit reaches its season, it falls.
Actual meaning:
There is time for everything.
Ihe agwọ mụrụ aghaghị ito ogologo.
Literal meaning:
What the snake gives birth to will not fail to be long.
Actual meaning:
The apple does not fall far from the tree.
Ahịa ọma na-ere onwe ya.
Literal meaning:
A good product sells itself.
Actual meaning:
A good product sells itself.
Akwụkwọ juru n’ọhịa, ma a baa, a chọwa ọkazị.
Literal meaning:
There are many leaves in the forest but when one enters, he looks for the ‘ọkazị’ leaf.
Actual meaning:
There are many options, but one looks for the best.
Eze pụọ, eze anọchie.
Literal meaning:
When one king leaves, another takes his place.
Actual meaning:
No vacuum in life.
Aka aja aja na-ebute ọnụ mmanụ mmanụ.
Literal meaning:
The dirty hand makes for an oily mouth.
Actual meaning:
When you work, you eat.
Isi kote ebu, ọ gbaa ya.
Literal meaning:
When the head/hair hooks the ‘ebu’, the ebu stings it.*
Actual meaning:
Do not stir up a hornet’s nest.
One reaps what he sows.
Ihe onye metara, o buru.
Literal meaning:
What one does, he carries.
Actual meaning:
One reaps what he sows.
A ma ka mmiri si baa n’opi ụgbọgịrị?
Literal meaning:
Does one know how the water entered the stalk of the pumpkin?
Actual meaning:
There are things we do not know.
Nwata etoghị eto wara ọgọdọ, ikuku bịa, o buru nwata buru ọgọdọ ya.
Literal meaning:
The child that wears a wrapper before he is old enough, the wind will carry both him and the wrapper.
Actual meaning:
It’s best to do things when one is mature. (Time for everything)
Agwọ emeghị nke o ji bụrụ agwọ, ụmụaka achịrị ya hie nkụ.
Literal meaning:
If a snake does not show that it is a snake, children will use it to tie a bunch of firewood.
Actual meaning:
If one fails to respect himself or carry himself well, he will be looked down upon.
Wepụ aka enwe n’ofe tupu ọ ghọọ aka mmadụ.
Literal meaning:
Remove the monkey’s hand from the soup before it turns to a human hand.
Actual meaning:
Deal with a molehill before it becomes a mountain.
Oke soro ngwere maa mmiri, ọ kọọ ngwere, ọ gaghị akọ oke.
Literal meaning:
When the rat follows the lizard to the water, the lizard will get dry, but not the rat.
Actual meaning:
Don’t just follow or copy someone without thinking of the consequences.
Ijiji na-enweghị onye ndụmọdụ na-eso ozu ala n’ili.
Literal meaning:
The housefly that does not have an adviser follows the corpse to the grave.
Actual meaning:
When one refuses to seek good counsel, he’s likely to make mistakes.
Agadi nwaanyị anaghị aka nka n’egwu ọ maa agba.
Literal meaning:
The old woman’s skill in a dance she knows does not grow old.
Actual meaning:
One does not grow old in a skill he has mastered.
Gidi gidi bụ ugwu eze.
Literal meaning:
The sound of heavy boots on the ground is the honour of a king.
Actual meaning:
Unity is strength.
Onye nwere mmadụ ka onye nwere ego.
Literal meaning:
He who has people is greater than one who has money.
Actual meaning:
Relationships with people are more important and will yield more than money.
Ụwa na-eme ntụgharị.
Literal meaning:
The world turns around.
Actual meaning:
Circumstances change. No condition is permanent.
Ọ kwọrọ aka tiere ọkụkọ akụ.
Literal meaning:
He washed his hands to open the palm kernel for the chicken, with a stone.
Actual meaning:
He wasted his time. (This is because opening palm kernels with a stone makes your hand dirty, and traditionally, you would throw the kernel on the ground for the chicken.)
Ụra ga-eju onye nwụrụ anwụ afọ.
Literal meaning:
The dead person will have enough sleep.
Actual meaning:
Do not sleep away your destiny/life. Do not be lazy.
Otu onye tuo izu, o gbuo ọchụ.
Literal meaning:
When one person deliberates on a matter himself, he commits murder.
Actual meaning:
Two heads are better than one.
Agụ bata, mgbada awara ọsọ.
Literal meaning:
When the tiger enters, the deer flees.
Actual meaning:
The less makes way for the greater.
A lụta agbọghọ, a chụfụ agadi.
Literal meaning:
When one marries a young maiden, he lets go of the older wife.
Actual meaning:
The old makes way for the new.
A tụọrọ ọmara, ọ mara, a tụọrọ ofeke, o fenye isi n’ọhịa.
Literal meaning:
When a wise person is rebuked, he takes correction, when a foolish person is rebuked, he pokes his head in the bush.
Actual meaning:
When a wise person is rebuked, he takes correction, when a foolish person is rebuked, he does not take correction.
Sị kele onye ntị chiri, elu anụghị, ala anụ.
Literal meaning:
Greet the deaf, if the heavens don’t hear, the earth will hear.
Actual meaning:
Give counsel to the stubborn, if he doesn’t hear, at least someone will bear witness that you did your part (or your conscience at least will bear witness).
Ihe ehi hụrụ gbaa ọsọ, ka ọkụkọ hụrụ na-atụ ọnụ.
Literal meaning:
What the cow saw and ran, the chicken saw and pecked on it.
Actual meaning:
Fools rush in where the wise do not dare go.
Mbe sị na ihe ya ji achịrị ihe egwu ya aga njem bụ maka ya ezu ndị egwu.
Literal meaning:
The tortoise said that he carries his dancing shoes on his journeys, in case he meets the musicians(so he is ready to dance).
Actual meaning:
Be prepared. The person who is well prepared has already won half the battle.
A sị nwata wụba ahụ, ọ saba afọ ya.
Literal meaning:
When a child is told to take a bath, they bathe their belly.
Actual meaning:
One acts up to the extent of their knowledge.
Sources: igboguide.org, legit.ng