Igbo proverbs (Ilu Ndigbo)with English translations

  1. Ụgbọgịlị mịara m mịara nwunye dị m, erisam nkem ahụ.  ilundigbo.blogspot.com 2. Okoro tosịa ochewe ibe ya.  3. Mmiri ọkụ na egbu mbe.  4. Ejighi nnukwu amụ eyi akwụna egwu.  5. Ka aha eri anaghị eri onwe ha.  6. Nkịta nile na eri nsị mana ọ bụ nke a hụrụ nsị n'ọnụ ka ana akpọ ori nsị.  7. Onye ejidere na ụkwụ ose bụ onye ohi ose.  8. Uche mmadụ abụghị uche chukwu.  9. Ngwere sị na ụka akara aka bụ isi ga eji ekwe ya.  10. Onye ogonogo anaghị ezo na ime ahịa.  11. Ihe onye kpọrọ nkịta ya ka ọ na aza.  12. Mmadụ anaghị anọ na mmiri ncha aba ya anya.  13.Onye ejidere na ụkwụ ose bụ onye ohi ose.  (The one caught on the stem of the pepper tree is the pepper thief) 14. Onye otu ụkwụ anaghị aza akwa-akwụrụ.  (A one legged person cannot bear the name akwa-akwụrụ) 15. Onye isi nkwọcha anaghị eje ọgụ ebe ana eke ọkpọ. (The bald will not venture into a fight where knocks are given on the head) 16. Agbabwe dike izu, Ag...

   1. Ihe onye yọrọ chi ya ka ọna emere ya.  (What one begs his God is what his god will do for him) 2. Ebe onye ọsọ gbaruru ka onye ije ga ejeru. (Where the runner gets to, the walker will eventually get to) 3. Ebe ọkụ nyụrụ, awụsa ọwara. (Where the fire dies is where the straws will be dropped) 4. Ka be onye adina ọ ga ana ya.  (No matter the condition of one's home, they will return to it) 4. Onye hụrụ nkịta gbawa ọsọ ka ọ na achụ.  (Those who run at the sight of a dog will be chased by the dog) 5. Onye chi ya mere ọgọ akọkwana ibe ya ọnụ.  (Those who received favor from their god should not insult others) 6. Ikwu amaghị ibe ezi ya akọ.  (If one doesn't know something, another will teach him) 7. Akwụna anaghị atụ ihe ukwu egwu. (A prostitute does not fear big things) 8. Udene na akwa mmiri mara ya mana ọzọ ka nọ n'igwe n'eru. (The vulture is complaining about the rain which beat it but another rain is about to fall) 9. Ahụ okwu ahụ osịsa ya. (When a...

 1. Asịlị dilị ugwu akọ ya mmiri. 2. Mmanwụ nwere nke ka ibe ya ogo.  3. Nnu anaghị atụ orimiri.  4. Akụ fecha ọ dalụ awọ.  5. Ejighi nwa dibia esu mgbarọgwụ.  6. Eze fogodu otu ma sị ta ya atụ. 7. Onwere ihe mere ede jiri be nwị na ime ite.  8. Agha akara aka anaghị eri ngwụrọ. 9. Aka zuo abụọ e gbuo ijiji.  10. Ọbụghị ụbọchị nwata kwafuru mmanụ ka eji eti ya ihe, kama nọ bụ  ụbọchị ọkwafuru ogili.  11. Anya hụrụ ugo jaa ya mma makana anaghị ahụ ugo kwa da.  12. Onye riri ọjị kpara ya nkụ makana anaghị ari ọjị kwa daa.  13. Osisi nọchịrị ụzọ na eri apa mma. 14. Udude bụ na enu ka ọ na akwa nka, ya ritue ala ọghọrọ ngwụrọ.  15. Nti ga anụ ihe abụghị ma ọha ka   okpu ata.  16. Ericha onye nganga akpọ ya ọnye nzuzu.  17. Onye mere ihe ịsị na esi aka n'imi.  18. Akalụsia ngene ekuru ngene ñyụọ.  19. Agwa na aka mma na arụ eke.  20. Eriri adịghị ọkụkụ mma na onu.  21. Atụlụ ga efu mpi ga ebu ...

 ILU IGBO 5 1. Nkata kuru mmiri ihere emewe ọba.  (If the basket fetch water, the calabash will become ashamed) 2. Ka aka ha ogoli ka ọ na atụkwasị dị ya.  (Whatever a wife has is what she will contribute to her husband's own) 3. Nkita si onye ya tụrụ oche weghachitere ya ego ya makana ntukwu ana amatana ya ahụ.  (The dog said that whoever he gave money to buy chair should return back his money because he is used to sitting on the ground) 4. Ọkụkụ tụjụọ anị enyo eghoro ya.  ( 5. Onye rere nkịta goro enwe ka nwere ihe ntukwu na be ya. (Whoever sold a dog to buy a monkey still has a sitting pet in the house) 6. Ọna abụ ihe kwụrụ ihe akwụdebe ya.  (It is natural that when something stands another will stand beside it) 7. Ọkọ kọwa anụmanụ o jekwuru osisi, mana ọkọwa mmadụ ojekwuru mmadụ ibe ya.  (When an animal itches it goes to a tree but when a human itches they go to another human to scratch them).  8. Ọkọ nsị akọ aja, aka nsị abaghị ya ọnụ, aka aj...

 ILU IGBO 4 (PART 4) 1. Ebube agụ na eche agụ.  (The glory of the lion protects the lion) 2. Ọkpa nganga kpanye agụ na ọnụ nganga ya anaa. (If a joker jokingly enters into the mouth of a lion, his jokes will come to an end) 3. Ụkwụ jie agụ, mgbada abịara ya ụgwọ. (when the lion breaks a leg, the antelope comes to tax him) 4. Aka na mma anaghị azọ anụ. (The bare hand does not drag meat with the knife) 5. Agbachie nwoke aja ihe obu na obi anaa. (When a man is buried his ambitions come to an end) 6. Agwọ na atụ mbe na atụkpọ ọnụ ya.  (A snake striking at a tortise is hurting it's mouth) 7. Nwata kpakarịa ibe ya na nkụ asị na ọkpatara ya na ajọ ọhịa. (When a child gathers more firewoods than others, he is accused of fetching his own from the evil forest) 8. Afa ana etu dibia karịrị ihe ọna agbata na afa.  (The praise that a native doctor recieves is greater than the works he does) 9. Ochie dibia chụọ aja ọ dị ka ewere ya nye ndi mụọ na aka.  (If a matured native doc...

1. Ebule naa azụ ọ bịa ọgụ.  (when the ram retreats, it comes for a fight) 2. Ebune sị na dike na eri na ude.  (The ram said that a warrior endures pains in groans) 3. Onye tara amụ ebune ji ibi ụgwọ. (Whoever eats the penis of the ram is indepted to grow oversized genitals) 4. Onye ụjọ anaghị eti mmanwụ.  (The coward cannot not join a masquerade) 5) Ejighi pele pele eje be ngwụ.  (You can't visit the bat's house by flight) 6) Nwata gbere igbe bịa tụọ m mbọ, mgbere igbe je tụgwara ya mbọ. (if a child craws to pinch me, I will craw and pinch the child back) 7. Izu igbu udele bụ ntụ. (a plot to kill the vulture is deceitful) 8. Mgbada dalụ ibi bụ uru dinta. (an antelope with oversized genitals is to a hunter's gain) 9. Enenịa nwa ite ọgbọnyụ ọkụ.  (If you underestimate a little pot it will put off the fire) 10. Ugo chara acha anaghị echu echu. (a matured eagle cannot lose its beauty again).  11. Anaghị ama ngwụrọ na ụgbọ. (you cannot identify a cripple in the...