Nigerian Proverbs II

* Onye jee obodo ebi m nti, o biri nke ya tinye.

Literally: If one goes to a land where they cut off ears, he should cut off his own and contribute them. (When in Rome, do as the Romans do.)


* Ewu mmadu abuo nwere na-ehi ura nezi.

Literally: A goat owned by two people sleeps outside. (With joint ownership, each owner shunts his responsibility to the other, with the result that nothing gets accomplished.)


* Nwanyi umu iri o dighi ihe mere nabali o naghi ama.

Literally: When a woman has ten children, there is nothing that happens in the night that she does not know about.


* E lelia nwa ite, o gbonyua oku.

Literally: If you neglect the pot, it boils over and extinguishes the fire. (A small thing can do a lot of damage.)


* Mmecha ede abughi okuko.

Literally: Preparing cocoyams for planting does not mean that they are already planted. (Buying a lot of books does not mean that a person is educated.)


* "He who waits for a chance may wait for a long time."


* "When the mouse laughs at the cat there is a hole nearby"


* "A man who lives alone is either always overworked, or always overfed."


"Agutan to baja rin, yio jegbe" (The sheep that follows the dog will eat human feces)


* "Agba ti ko binu ni omo inu e po" (An elderly man who take vengeance not, is surrounded by many children)


* "A child may have many clothes but not as many rags as an old man."


* "e mee ngwa ngwa emeghalia odachi." (Hold a true friend with both your hands)


* "Ukedofulu ki ma ma ki ondu wn ch'egbo." (The hot temper that temporarily forgets that the body it resides in belongs to a coward.)

* "tsuntsun da ya kira ruwa, shi ruwa kan daka".(The rainmaker is beaten by the rain).