73 Most Popular Igbo Proverbs that can Boost your Speech

Proverbs are short sayings with wise meanings. They are sayings that express thoughts and opinions, beliefs and superstitions, rules of everyday wisdom of the people.

Proverbs are reflections of life and history, often containing a hidden message beyond their literal meaning. This hidden wisdom is what gives proverbs their depth and significance, making them valuable insights into the complexities of human experience.

What are the roles of proverbs in our lives?

• Proverbs serve as guidelines for ethical behavior.
• Proverbs are like precious jewels that enhance the beauty of language.
• The foundations of traditional wisdom are embedded in proverbs from indigenous cultures.
• The significance of proverbs in learning one’s mother tongue cannot be overstated.
• Proverbs credit human intelligence
• Proverbs exemplify the perfect blend of content and form.

Igbo proverbs are a reflection of Igbo culture, universally valuable and applicable beyond the native community.

The origin of proverbs can be traced back to the organic evolution of human expression, emerging effortlessly from the fabric of everyday experiences. As they intertwined with the historical tapestry of life’s progression, proverbs organically proliferated. Delving into Igbo proverbs and grasping their essence is key to unlocking profound insights into the Igbo people, their ethos, traditions, culture, and lifestyle.

To effectively make your case and reach your goal, simply reciting Igbo proverbs is insufficient; understanding when and where to use them is crucial. Given the complexity of Igbo language with its numerous dialects, providing English translations can enhance comprehension of the proverbs and assist in addressing current challenges.

73 Most Popular Igbo Proverbs that can Boost your Speech

The 73 Igbo proverbs contained in this post were sourced from different material both online and offline. They are as follows:

1. A river does not follow through Forest without bringing down trees.
2. Anyone who abhors injustice can fight it
3. Nobody persecutes a man who makes an honest living
4. Immortality is not for Children.
5. Weeping may endure the night but Joy comes in the Morning
6. Those who walk in the path of darkness will end up in the Dark
7. Some Cockroaches are stronger than Elephants
8. Those who yearn for material gains pay a gruesome price for their yearnings
9. The tortoise doesn’t embark on a journey it is not ready to finish
10. The day you chose this Path is the day You chose to stay awake while others sleep
11. You cannot eat your cake and still have it.
12. Things are not always the way they appear on the surface
13. The Guilty are usually the most Innocent but they have blood on their hands.
14. A Snail does not go anywhere without Its Shell.
15. Those who take other People’s life do not deserve to keep theirs.
16. Nobody has the right to take another Man’s life
17. Nothing is hidden under the Sun. If the Wind does not reveal it then the Rains will or the Earth will throw it forth.
18. Evil has many heads but they will surely be plucked
19. Those who hunger will surely get filled. The problem is they will be filled by what they hunger after.
20. No one challenges the lion in its den
21. The child that says the Mother will not sleep, he too will not sleep.
22. The bird may fly the length and breadth of the sky but at night it will return to its nest
23. No matter how high the Eagle soars it can never touch the Sky
24. No man praises the Ocean for size
25. The day a child insist on knowing what killed the father, that day the child begins a journey to the land of the dead
26. It doesn’t take an Elephant to be triumphant in Battle
27. Do not be deceived by the frail nature of Amadioha’s wife or you will be consumed by the Volcano of the anger of her husband
28. The dance steps of the gods are not for human beings to savor.
29. The stone that One sees never blinds his eyes
30. If you fight justice you set yourself up for destruction
31. The truth they say shall set you free
32. No matter how high the Eagle soar It must come back to the Earth
33. The Worm that eats the Vegetable is behind the Vegetable
34. Sometimes our dreams and hopes are different from our ways and means.
35. That you are the Son of a Lion does not protect you from the claws of the Lion
36. The horse treks a thousand miles on barefoot and still do not feel heat
37. Revenge is sweet when served Cold
38. As Kingdoms rise against Kingdoms, so shall brothers rise against brothers
39. That the Lion is the King of the Jungle does not mean It cannot be cut down by the Hunters gun
40. The smallness of the needle cannot be compared to the blood it draws when It is stepped on.
41. Those who choose the Path of Foolhardyness end up as Corpses
42. A man is not said to be a hero by the many War tales He can tell but rather by the many Wars He has fought and won.
43. The mother Hen does not relent in hatching Eggs just because the Hawk took her Chicks last season
44. There is no way you will fight a Lion without a scratch on your body
45. You fight only what You know, You don’t fight what You do not know
46. Crimes and punishment are twins of the same Destiny
47. No Captain abandons the ship before his Crew
48. The strength of a broomstick is in its numbers
49. A forest cannot disappear because One tree was cut down
50. Necessity is the product of Society.
51. A clear conscience fears no accusation.
52. Tears and Water might look alike but It will not taste the same
53. The private part of an Old man is not a play thing for a Crying Child
54. The shepherd has been struck and the sheep must disperse
55. The lion is ashamed when it sees its cub running away at the mere barking of a dog
56. No matter how rough or smooth the ground is, it never stops the rain from raining
57. Fear is the imagination we create in our minds
58. Strength is not physical but spiritual and with it You can destroy many things
59. The River never flows Up the Mountain
60. Season comes and goes but What One Knows He knows
61. What One Knows can never kill him
62. The Hyena cannot challenge the Tiger just because of its Body marks
63. The Chameleon cannot leave the Forest because the Bush caught fire
64. The Chicken does not refuse Corn thrown on its Path
65. Water has no enemy for It is the Source of Life
66. Whenever You point a finger three others will point back at You
67. The dog never barks at its Owner
68. Whatever the Son of the Lion knows he learnt from the Father
69. Greed is a seed planted and nurtured by Ambition until It grows Up to become Power but You must know how to control it lest It destroys You
70. The Chicken does not dare the Python
71. No matter how tall the Iroko tree grows It can never touch the sky
72. Even if the Mountain tumbles into the Sea, the Truth will remain the Truth
73. The danger of creating a Monster is that One day it will turn against its Master.

As the world evolves, so do our perspectives on life, yet timeless proverbs persist. What novel wisdom will the next proverb unveil? What fresh insights will it offer and what truths will it impart?