21 Igbo Proverbs That Mention “Mmadu”
Please note: 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).
Abanyeghi otu mmadu mara, o nweghi ike i li onwe ya: No matter how much a person knows, they can never bury themselves.
Agwu adighi mmadu agwu: Mankind cannot exist without the manifest spirit of God.
Aka oru mmadu ka eji ama ya: A person is known by their handwork.
Ana mmuo lelu mmadu apuho isa ya: The Land sold by spirits is clearly beyond human redemption.
Chukwu nyere ala ofo k’onyeruo mmadu: God gave the sacred Ofo staff to Ala the primal Earth Spirit to eventually hand it to human beings.
Ebe oku n’enwu ka ana afu mmadu na oku na ndu kwu: Where you find fire, you find human existence for fire and life are one.
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.
Mmuo na mmadu na-azu afia mana ofeke amaroo: Spirit and human beings are in constant communication, but the ignorant one does not know.
Nwa mmuo e megbuna nwa mmadu, ma nwa mmadu emegbuna nwa mmuo: The spirits should not maltreat humans, but humans should equally not offend the spirits.
O bu na oru mmadu ka chi ya si eke ya: It is from a persons work that their chi manifests their best self.
Ochi anaghi akwatu mmadu, kama o bu mmadu na-ama uma adara ochi: Laughter doesn't push anyone, people willingly fall for it.
Oge adighi eche mmadu: Time waits for no one.
Okuko agwugo be mmadu egbe wee buwe mbe: Are hens extinct in human settlements for the kite to begin to carry off tortoises?
O mmadu wu mbekwu: It is the human being that is hidden in the tortoise of Igbo tales.
O mbekwu ka eboro ihe nile mmadu mekolatara, mana o mmadu letere na mbekwu macha were kwe n’ishi: All the wrong acts done by human beings are heaped on the tortoise in Igbo tales, but it’s also the human being that discovered that the tortoise is aware of this and actually nodded in concurrence.
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 furu mmadu, afugo ora n’abo: The one who sees a human being has seen the universe in its entirety and profundity.
Onye nwere mmadu ka onye nwere ego: A person who has a community of people is greater than an individual with only money.
Ose oji anaghi eje ije ifele, yana mmuo na mmadu na adi mma - The alligator pepper never fails to succeed on any message it takes on, it is always in good terms with spirit and man.
Uwa anyi bulu uno uzu aka, anyi bu mmadu abulu umu odinaka uzu: If our universe is the first and original mystic furnace, then we human beings are inheritors of the mystic smithing hand of creativity.
Do you know of any other Igbo proverbs that mention “Mmadu” that should be on this list? Share them with us in the comment section below and we’ll include them. Dalu!
