Over 100 Igbo Proverbs Everyone Should Know by Heart!
One of the best ways to learn or master the Igbo language is to learn its idioms, axioms and aphorisms (ilulu). Okwu Igbo/uke bu n’ilu n’ilu: the Igbo language/cult communication is expressed through aphorisms. In this post we’ve compiled a list of over 100 of our favorite proverbs in alphabetical order with good translations. Feel free to interpret them in ways that personally resonate with you.
Please note that while translations may offer valuable insights, they might not always accurately convey the true essence of the Ilu which is left open for discovery through interpretations. This is because by linguistic design, no single translation or interpretation of an Igbo proverb can be conclusive. Each interpretation is merely one possible perspective, and it is essential to approach them with a nuanced understanding of the cultural and historical contexts in which they were produced. In other words, it is important to remain open to multiple interpretations and perspectives when engaging ilulu (Igbo idioms, axioms, proverbs and aphorisms).
Disclaimer: The Igbo (written) language is rich in diacritical marks and accents that convey specific meanings and nuances. However, the Igbo texts highlighted in this post do not include such diacritical marks. It is important to note that the absence of these marks may affect the proper interpretation of the texts (for those literate in Igbo langugage).
We will continue to update this list. Enjoy!
Abanyeghi otu mmadu mara, o nweghi ike i li onwe ya: No matter how much a person knows, they can never bury themselves.
A chuo aja ma ahughi udele, mara na ihe mere na be ndi mmuo: If the vulture fails to hover at the end of a sacrifice, then you know that something has happened in the land of spirits.
A gbachaa afa, a chikoo uche: Deliberation must follow the afa divination session.
Agadi nwaanyi a naghi aka nka na egwu o mara aba: An old woman does not forget the dance steps she knows how to dance just because she is old.
Agwo emeghi nke o jiri buru agwo umuaka achiri ya hie nku: If a snake fails to show its venom or display the actions that make it a snake, little kids will use it in tying firewood.
Agwu adighi mmadu agwu: Mankind cannot exist without the manifest spirit of God.
Aha onye kporo nkita ya ka o ga za: The name one calls their dog is what it answers.
Aka nri kwuo aka ekpe, aka ekpe akwo aka nri: When the right hand washes the left hand, the left hand equally washes the right hand.
Aka oru mmadu ka eji ama ya: A person is known by their handwork.
Ako bu ije: Wisdom is the way.
Aku bu iro, nwata kpata aku o kpata iro: Wealth is enimity, when a child gains wealth they gain enemies.
Aku fechaa odara awo: After flying the termite will fall to be eaten by the toad.
Aku na-esi obi ike: Wealth makes the heart strong.
Aku ruo ulo amalu onye kpatara ya: When wealth reaches home the wealthy person will be known.
Anaghi agwa okenye puta na anwu: An elder is not told to come out from under the sun.
Anaghi eji maka mgbaghu aghara ogu: One does not abandon a battle because of fear of being killed.
Anaghi ekpuchi afo ime aka: A pregnant stomach cannot be covered with the hand.
Anya huru njo ekpughi isi ga-ahu mma: The eyes that sees bad but does not lose faith will equally see good.
Anyammiri okenye na-acha nzu nzu: The tears of an old man appears in the colour of nzu (the sacred white chalk).
Anyanwu rie asaa kwuru, ala ejiri edeuli kwado ya: If the sun consumes seven cycles and stands, the earth will back it with uli expressions.
Arusi wakaria anya egosi ya osisi eji were tuo ya: If an oracle foments too much trouble, it will be shown the wood it was carved from.
Atulu na-acho ipu mpi jee jua ebune ka ekwo di ya: A sheep that wants to grow horns should ask the ram how its neck feels.
Atulu si na o bu eziokwu na o maghi agba egwu ma akuru egwu gafeta n’ama nna ya, o maghi ihe o ga-eme, o wulibe elu: The sheep said that in as much as it does not know how to dance, if musicians pass in front of its fathers house and it does not know what to do, it will start jumping.
Azu ite siri oku na okenye adighi mma ile ihe di oji oge niile: The back of cooking pot tells the fire that it is not good for an old man to mope at a black object all the time.
Chi onye adighi n’izu ihe anaghi eme ya: A person whose Chi did not conspire against them has no reason to fear anything.
Chọọ ewu ojii mgbe chi ka di: Look for a black goat while it is still daytime.
Ebe ihe mere uwa wu n’ukwu ukpaka: All the world's ordeal began at an oil bean tree.
Ebe onye dara ka chi ya kwaturu ya: Where a person falls is where their Chi pushed them down.
Ebe onye oso ruru onye ije ga-eru ya: Where a person who runs reaches, a person walking will also reach.
Egbe belu, ugo belu, nke si na ibe ya agaghi ebe ka nku gbajie ya: Let the kite perch and let the eagle perch too, if one says the other cannot, let its wing break.
Ejighi enyo ele ife agba n’aka: A mirror is not used to look at something worn on the hand.
Ejiri nnukwu kwaa uzo obere bia ogafe, mana ejiri obere kwaa uzo nnukwu bia oto: If abundance is used to make a path when little comes it will pass, but if little is used to make a path when abundance comes it will get stuck.
Ekele dike na nke omere, omekwa ozo: When the mighty is praised for what they have done, they will do more.
Eme ngwa ngwa emeputa odachi: A hasty climber will make a sudden fall in the end.
Enu uwa bu olili, onye nosia onaba: The world is a grand vacation experience, after enjoying it, we return home.
Eriri ma ngwugwu ngwugwu ma onye kere ya: The rope knows the parcel and the parcel knows the person who wrapped it.
E were otu okuko chuoro arusi abuo aja, ha egbuo mmadu mezuo ya: When a fowl is sacrificed to two deities, they will kill a human to complete it.
Ewu wuru n’oba ji obughi agu gburu ya: A goat that dies in a barn was not killed by hunger.
Eze puo eze anochie: When a king leaves another king will replace him.
Eze mbe si na nsogbu bu nke ya, ya jiri kworo ya n'azu: The tortoise said that trouble is its own, that's why it carries trouble on its back.
Gbanu gbanu rie ede n’ihi na ede bu oke mmuo: Eat cocoyam with caution because it is a great spirit.
Ife amulu amu ka ife agwolu agwo: What is learned is greater than what is concocted.
Ife kwulu, ife akwudobe ya: Wherever something stands, something else will stand beside it.
Ife lie asaa o naa: When a thing consumes seven cycles it leaves.
Ife okenye dono ana fu, nwata ligolu enu ochie o ma-afu ya: What an elder sees while siting down, if a child climbs on a chair they won’t see it.
Ife na-azo azo na-egbu egbu, ife na-egbu egbu na-azo azo: What saves also kills and what kills also saves.
Ife welu mbido g’enwe njedebe: Whatever that has a beginning will have an end.
Igbo n’asu n’onu n’onu mana anyi bu ofu: Igbo people might speak in different tongues or dialects but we are one people.
Ihe agu ji eme ire di ya na mbo: What makes a leopard scary is in its claws.
Ihe anyi biara n’uwa wu ize mmiri, o mmiri tuo awuru onye no nga ya alaa: We are in this world like water escapees residing on land that belongs to the waters, thus when the waters throw forth waves in our directions, whoever is caught up in the waves returns to the source.
Ihe e zutere n’ohi na-ala n’ohi: Whatever one obtains by crooked means leaves ones possession by crooked means.
Ihe onye metara o buru: Whatsoever one's actions are, they must be prepared to face the consequences.
Ije nwa nkita aburo ogu: The quick pace of the dog does not mean battle.
Ijiji na-enweghi onye ndumodu na-eso ozu ala n’inyi: A fly that has no adviser follows the corpse to the grave.
Iko ka ofeke ji anu mmanya, mpi atu bu ihe e chiri echi: The uninitiated drinks with an ordinary cup, but a buffalo’s horn is earned.
Ikwe na aka gafee nku-aka ya aghoo ihe ozo: If you allow a handshake to wander past your elbow, it becomes an invitation for something else.
Ilu bu mmanu ndi Igbo ji eri okwu: Idioms are the oil Igbo people use to lubricate their speech.
Isi kota ebu o gbaa ya: The head that disturbs the wasp will be stinged.
Ka ana achu aja, ka ikpe n’amah ndi mmuo: Let's keep making sacrifices, let the gods take the blame.
Mgbe onye ji teta ura bu ututu ya: Whenever one wakes up from sleep is their own morning.
Mberede nyiri dike mana mberede ka eji ama dike: Difficulties constrain a warrior, but overcoming those difficulties is what makes them a warrior.
Mmadu anaghi akari chi ya: A person cannot be greater than their Chi.
Mmadu bu chi ibe ya: Humans are (Chi) destiny helpers to each other.
Mmadu bu oku na mmiri: A human being (the enlightened one) is a synthesis of fire and water.
Mmadu jiri ukwu ya zotoo akpana, ihe ato mebiri. Ukwu ya zotoro akpana, aka ya o jiri mete akpana ahu wee sie na imi, nke ikpe azu bu imi ya: When someone steps on chicken feaces, three things have been smeared. The foot that stepped on it, the fingers they used to touch the feaces to smell, and the nose that smelt the feaces.
Mmiri mara ugo sara ya ahu: The rain that falls on the eagle also washes its body.
Mmuo na mmadu na-azu afia mana ofeke amaroo: Spirit and human beings are in constant communication, but the ignorant one does not know.
Ndidi nwe mmeri: There is pleasure in patience.
Ngwere niile na ama afo na-ala mana iweghi ike ikwu nke afo na-afu ya: All lizards lie on their stomach but you cannot tell which one has a stomach ache.
Nke onye chiri ya zere: What a person earns let them face it.
Nkita siri onye o turu oche weletara ya ego ya na ntukwu amarala ya abu: The dog asked the person it sent to buy a chair to bring back its money because it is used to squatting.
Nku di na mba n’eghelu mba nni: The fire wood in a land will be enough to provide food for all its inhabitants.
Nwata erughi eru juwa ihe mere nna ya, ihe mere nna ya emee ya: When a child who is not mature inquires about what happened to their father, what happened to their father will happen to them.
Nwata etoghi eto wara ogodo, ikuku kue, o bulu ya na ogodo o ma n’ukwu: If a child tries to tie wrapper before maturity, when the wind blows, it will carry both the child and the wrapper.
Nwata ma ndi nna ya amalugo ndi ichie: A child who knows their fathers has consequently known their ancestors.
Nwata kwochaa aka o soro okenye ma oba ogaranya rie nri: If a child washes their hands they can eat with reverred elders.
Nwata na agba egwu surugede amaghi na egwu surugede bu egwu nde mmuo: The child that dances surugede music does not know that surugede music is a performance for spirits.
Nwata nne ya kwo na azu amaghi na uzo di anya: A baby on its mother’s back does not know that the road is long.
Nwayo-nwayo k’eji aracha ofe di oku: A hot soup should be licked gently.
Obere onye kpata obere nku, nnukwu onye kpata nnukwu nku: The small person should fetch small firewodd, the big person should fetch big firewood.
O bu n'onu nwadibia ka o na-ebi, o dighi ebi n'onu ofeke: It is the diviners voice that has authority and not the voice of the ignorant.
O bu na oru mmadu ka chi ya si eke ya: It is from a persons work that their chi manifests their best self.
Oburu n'ikenga m adighi ire a waa m ya nku: An Ikenga that does not fulfill its purpose will be turned into firewood.
Ochi anaghi akwatu mmadu, kama o bu mmadu na-ama uma adara ochi: Laughter doesn't push anyone, people willingly fall for it.
Odi be ndi diri ha: Let what exists at a foreign land be theirs.
Ogbughi ka akilu na ada na onu ka o si ato: The sound bitter kola makes when chewing it does not correspond with its taste.
Ofeke amaho na nkita no n’uche we si na ula ji ya: The less knowledgeable does not discern that the dog is in deep thought and mistakes it to be asleep.
Ofu nne na-amu, ma ofu chi adi eke: It’s one mother that gives birth but it is not the same chi that is created.
Ofu onye adighi anu uda egbe: It is not only one person that hears the sound of a gun.
O ji akwu nyetu nchi, na nchi adighi ari elu: Those who have palm kernel should give to the grass cutter because the grass cutter does not climb trees.
Oji nwayoo anaghi emeru ahu: The one who takes it easy will hardly get hurt.
Okirikiri k’ana gba ukwu ose, anaghi ari ya-elu: The pepper tree is only climbed by means of cautious encirclement.
Okpu na-aka mma n'isi onye nwe ya: A cap fits best on its owners head.
Okuku, o na akpanye n’afo ewu?: Does the fowl eat for the food to enter into the goats stomach.
Ome ife jide ofo: Whatever you are doing, make sure you are doing right.
O na-abu a si nwata wuba ahu, o saba afo ya: Tell a child to wash their body, they will wash their stomach.
O na-abu ana-akuikwu mbe ana-afuikwu mmuo: The more you strike the tortoise shell, as in Afa music, the clearer you see the spirits.
Onu mmanu mmanu na-ebute aka aja aja, aka aja aja n’ebute onu mmanu mmanu: The mouth that eats will work, the hands that works will eat.
Onwere k’odi na mmadu adighi ata oke, mana o ji eze eke ya umu ntakiri: It’s odd that a person does not eat rats but uses their teeth to share it for the children.
Onwero onye obuna ga-abu mmadu Agwu aha-ama: There is no one who can become a fulfilled person that will not be influenced by the spirit of God.
Onye fee eze, eze eruo ya aka: A person who pays respect to the great will be acknowleged by greatness.
Onye kwe chi ya ekwe: When a person makes up their mind on anything their chi will be in agreement.
Onye buru chi uzo o gbagbue onwe ya n’oso: Anyone who tries to overtake their chi will outrun themself.
Onye chi ya akwatughi o nweghi ihe na-eme ya: One who their chi did not pull down will remain unharmed.
Onye ajuju anaghi efu uzo: The person who asks questions will never miss their way.
Onye ihe na-agara nkeoma adighi eje be dibia: No one who has things going well for them goes to the house of a dibia.
Onye ji onye n’ani ji onwe ya: A person who holds another down in the mud must stay in the mud to keep them down.
Onwu egbuchughi ji e jiri chu aja, e mesie o pue ome: If the yam used in sacrifice does not die prematurely, it will eventually germinate.
Onye jiri ngwere a chu aja, bu onye Ogu ya ziri e zi: One who uses a lizard for sacrifice is a person whose Ogu is in good standing.
Onye na-aro nwa eze anya na-elele ya elele: Blinking bitterly at a noble is just admiration.
Onye nje nje ka onye isi awo malu ife: The traveller has more knowledge than the grayhaired person.
Onye nyobe mmuo ofu chi ya: Whoever tries to pry deeply into the spirit will end up seeing their chi.
Onye nwere mmadu ka onye nwere ego: A person who has a community of people is greater than an individual with only money.
Onye obula si na oji ofo, mana ofo ma onye ji ya: Everyone claims to weild the ofo, but only the ofo knows who truly weilds it.
Onye si na ya anaghi ata anu nkita, ya erikwala mmiri ofe ya: The person who abhors dog meat should not eat its soup.
Onye ulo ya na-agba oku anaghi achu oke: A person whose house is burning does not chase rats.
Otu aka luta mmanu, o tee ndi ozo: When oil stains one finger, it will also soil the others.
Otu osisi adighi eme oke ohia: One tree does not make up a forest.
Si kele onye nti chiri, enu anughi, ala anu: Salute the deaf, if the heavens don't hear, the earth will hear.
Tupuru nkita okpukpu n’ezi, hapuru ya ogu ya na ndi mmuo: Throw bones out to the dog and leave it to fight with the spirits.
Udele si na ime nwunye ya di di ya mma. O diri, ekele chukwu, o nwuo, o buru anu: The vulture said he is indifferent about its wife’s pregnancy. If the baby survives they will give thanks to God, but if it dies it becomes meat.
Uka akparakpa isi ka eji ebu ya: Load that is tied is carried on the head.
Ukpala gbabara n’ikpo okuko na-ala ala mmuo: The grasshopper that runs into the mist of fowls ends up in the land of spirits.
Ukpana na-ere n’oku si na ya na-asha mmanu: A grasshopper roasting over fire claims it is emitting fat.
Ukwa ruo oge ya odaa: When the breadfruits gets to its ripe season it will fall.
Ulili si na-ejekete ije si tuo nkwo oso maka ihe oso eme mee: The ground squirrel advices that those who walk should sometimes break into a trot in case the need to run arises.
Ulili siri na onye ya zuru n’uzo na mgbachi adighi achu ihe na ihe na-achu ya: The squirrel said whosoever it meets on the road just before noon is not pursuing anything but is instead being pursued by something.
Uwa bu afia, onye zusia onakwulu chi: The cosmos is a grand market, after trading one returns to god.
Uwa bu ijele mmonwu, akwuro ofu ebe enene ya: The world is a grand masquerade, you can’t appreciate its entirety from a single view or fixed point.
Uwa na-eme ntughari: The world revolves. Nothing is permanent.
Uwa bu ntiko-ntiko na obi chukwu walu awa: Life is a gradual and delicate affair as a result of the primordial shattering of the first world.
Uwa na uru ya n’ine bu atutu olisa: The universe and all its manifested aspects are the result of divine thought or mind.
Uzu na-amaghi akpu ogene lee egbe anya n’odu: The blacksmith that does not know how to make a gong should look at the tail of the kite.
In conclusion, here’s a quote from F. C. Ogbalu (1965) who studied Igbo proverbs, he stated that:
Igbo proverbs are accumulation of Igbo experiences throughout the history of the Igbos. In absence of any written history, they serve as the medium through which much can be learnt about the Igbos. Their past history, their philosophy of life and family structure, their politics and religion can best be learnt through the proverbs (p.5).
