Igbo proverbs
21
Echi di ime. Onye ma ihe ọ ga amụ?
- Literal translation
- Tomorrow is pregnant. Who knows what it will bear?
- Meaning
- The future is unpredictable
22
Edebeghi n'elu ụlọ maka oké, edebeghi na-ala maka ewu keduzi ebe aga edebezi
- Literal translation
- Can't keep on a high place because of the rat. Can't keep on the ground because of the goat. Where would one now keep (foodstuff)?
- Meaning
- Life is full of challenges. You can't avoid risks in life
23
Ejide ibe ji na aka, asaa agụụ okwu
- Literal translation
- When you have a piece of yam in your hands, you can then reply hunger
- Meaning
- Challenges can only be effectively attacked when you have the resources you will need
24
Esoro ụtọ ọgbọnọ arahụ n'ihu ukwu adọ
- Literal translation
- Going by the sweetness of the ogbono, one may sleep under its tree
- Meaning
- Too much of everything is bad. There is time for everything. Used to end gatherings which have been interesting and people don't feel like leaving
25
Ihe ehi hụrụ gbalaba oso ka okuku huru na-atụ onu
- Literal translation
- The thing that the cow saw and ran away, the cock saw it and continued picking for food
- Meaning
- Fools rush where angels fear to thread. Foolishness makes one ignorant of dangers
26
Ihe na esi nkakwụ isi dị ya na ọkpụkpụ
- Literal translation
- The source of the skunk's pungent smell is in his bones
- Meaning
- Someone's bad behaviour is very unlikely to change
27
Ihe nwoke meere ibe ya bụ ngaa jiderem
- Literal translation
- A favour done for a fellow man is like giving someone something to keep for you
- Meaning
- One good turn deserves another
28
Ihe okenye nọ ala hu nwata anaghi ahu ya na enu osisi.
- Literal translation
- What an elder sees sitting down, a young child cannot see it even if he climbs a tree
- Meaning
- experience matters
29
Ikwo aka tiri ọkụkọ akị
- Literal translation
- To wash hands only to crack nuts for the cock
- Meaning
- To engage in a futile endeavour
30
kama ehim ga agbanarim, m gbubiri ya ọdụdụ
- Literal translation
- Rather than have my cow run away intoto, I'd cut out its tail
- Meaning
- Half bread is better than none
31
Kama mmanya ga esetara enyi na abọ okwu ka ite mmanya a hu, kuwa na ụzọ.
- Literal translation
- It is preferable that the wine pot rather break on the way, rather than the wine becoming an object of strife between
- Meaning
- Better a 'good thing' be lost than that it causes division between brothers or friends
32
Makana anụ ji eze arị elu maara osisi na eli ilu
- Literal translation
- The animal that climbs using its teeth knows the bitter trees
- Meaning
- Experience gives insight
33
Mbe na mbe gaa ahịa, uru anaghị adị ya
- Literal translation
- When two tortoises transact a business, both of them lose
- Meaning
- Too much is self detrimental
34
Mbekwu sịrị na nkụzi na agụ ya mana aka ya agaghị eruzi na ebe edemede
- Literal translation
- The tortoise said he desires to be a teacher, only that his hands are too short to reach the blackboard
- Meaning
- Everyone has a valid reason why they cannot do what they desire to do
35
Mberede yiri dike, mana ọ bu mberedé ka eji ama dike.
- Literal translation
- An unforseen circumstance defies a warrior. Yet warriors are proven by unforseen circumstances
- Meaning
- Strong people are known in tough times
36
Mgbe amụrụ dike na mba ka amụrụ ibe ya
- Literal translation
- The day a warrior was born in one land, another warrior was born in another
- Meaning
- No one is without equal
37
Mgbe nne amụbeghị ọchịagha ọkwa ndị ọgụ na agarị?
- Literal translation
- When the warlord was not yet born, people still went to wars, didn't they?
- Meaning
- No one is indispensible
38
Mgbe ụtaba apụtebee o nwere onye azụzụ gburu?
- Literal translation
- When the snuff had not yet existed, did catarrh kill anyone?
- Meaning
- Nothing is indispensible
39
Mụ bụ ịba anaghị ala nzuzo
- Literal translation
- I, agama lizard, don’t mate in secret
- Meaning
- Live an open life and not that of hide and seek
40
ndu dị na ntị
- Literal translation
- There is life in the ear
- Meaning
- It is very good to listen to advice