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In Yoruba civilization, proverbs have been and continue to be powerful and effective devices for passing ideas, motives, knowledge, and social morals from generation to generation, and they continue to be so.
This is due to the fact that proverbs represent the ideals of the people’s society.
The Yorubas, like any other group of people, are concerned with the preservation of their own personal health and cleanliness, as is everyone else. As a result, there are several Yoruba proverbs that may be utilized to promote good health, excellent behavior, and overall good manners in the community.
The meaning of a phrase or statement may be defined as what someone has in mind, intends, or intends to mean. It might also refer to the meaning or message transmitted by words, phrases, sentences, and so on; or, in another instance, it could refer to the connotation of a speech that determines interpretation or what a speaker means to say.
This holds true for Yoruba proverbs as well, which are frequently filled with symbolic meaning. Heaps of thinking are contained inside it, and this thought extends beyond the shallow explanation that is provided later in the paragraph.
More than that, the Yorubas appear to have a wise remark for every scenario and a response to every inquiry they are presented with.
The Yoruba culture is quite rich, as you will discover if you learn to grasp the exact translation of Yoruba proverbs and the meaning that is gained from them.
It has the potential to make you chuckle while also providing you with an insight into how deeply ingrained the culture is. This page contains a collection of Yoruba proverbs and their interpretations.
38 Most common Proverbs of the Yoruba Language
| S/N | Proverbs | Translation | Meaning |
| 1 | A kì í soro ikokó má diyàn ní gba-ngba. | It is impossible to collude in private without the problem finally resulting in a public debate or debates. | everything done in secret is eventually revealed. |
| 2 | Adìẹ funfun kò mọ ara rẹ̀lágbà | The white chicken is completely unaware of its age. | Self-respect is essential. |
| 3 | Ọbẹ̀ kìí gbé inú àgbà mì | The soup does not move about in the stomach of an elder. | You should be able to hide secrets from other people. |
| 4 | À ń pe gbẹ́nàgbẹ́nà ẹyẹ àkókó ń yọjú | A sculptor is summoned and the woodpecker shows up | Never put too much stock in your own abilities. |
| 5 | Díẹ̀ díẹ̀ nimú ẹlẹ́dẹ̀ẹ́ fi ń wọgbà | The pig’s nose makes its way into the yard one pig snout at a time. | Attend to a minor issue before it grows into something more serious. |
| 6 | Ilé ọba tójó ẹwà ló bùsi | The king’s palace, which was destroyed, contributed to the palace’s splendor. | Every cloud has a silver lining |
| 7 | Foriti Foriti lomu ki ori Agba pa | An old man’s head is bald as a result of the tremendous amount of stress he has placed on his shoulders during his life. | It is through long-term perseverance that elderly maturity is achieved. |
| 8 | Gbogbo alangba lo d’anu dele, a ko mo eyi t’inu nrun | Because all lizards sleep flat on their stomachs, it is impossible to distinguish which one is suffering from a stomach ailment. | everyone appears the same on the surface, but they all have various difficulties they are dealing with that you are unaware of. |
| 9 | Ile la ti n ko eso re ode | Charitable work begins in the home. | you can trace a man’s behavior (whether good or bad) back to his family’s values, ethics, character, and morality. |
| 10 | A pę ko to jęun, ki ję ibaję | A person who eats late will not consume food that has gone bad or rotting. | In every scenario, it is preferable to be patient and develop a well-thought-out plan rather than to make snap judgments and accept ill-conceived answers right away. |
| 11 | A-wí-fúnni-kó-tó-dáni, àgbà òmùjà ni. | He-who-alerts-one-before-a fight a former wrestler who has achieved great success. | It would be good to avoid rivals who are overconfident in their own abilities. |
| 12 | Aṣọ ìrókò ò ṣéé fi bora | Cloth made from the bark of the iroko tree cannot be used to wrap one’s body | In other words, always utilize the appropriate materials for the project at hand. |
| 13 | Bí a bá ro dídùn ifọ̀n á ó ọ’ra déegun | if a person thinks about the pleasure he or she receives from scratching an itch on their body, he or she is more likely to continue scratching the skin until it reaches the bone. | Essentially, everything in life has its own set of limits and restrictions, and it is critical to remember this in order to prevent disasters. |
| 14 | Àṣàyá kì í je kí ọmọ oyà ó gbon. | Cane rat young are discouraged from developing wisdom by roughhousing | The implication is that a person who treats life as a joke does not learn to be cautious |
| 15 | Akìí rí ẹfọ̀n ta lẹ́ẹ̀ mejì | There is no such thing as a second opportunity to shoot a Buffalo. A buffalo is an animal that is constantly on the lookout for danger and concerned about its own safety. It is also mostly found in dense woodland, where it is difficult or nearly impossible for any human to channel his or her portion simply and effectively. In order to maximize the odds of killing a Buffalo, a hunter must be extremely cautious while shooting it and only hit it once, since if he misses the Buffalo, the chances of capturing it are little to non-existent. | This adage is frequently used to advise a person who is about to make a decision to exercise caution and make the best judgment possible. Opportunities come just once in a lifetime. |
| 16 | Ọmọdé kìí mọ Ori jẹ kí ó mà ràa lọ́wọ́ | A child does not understand how to consume pap without getting pap on his hands | The way we recognize a youngster is by the way he or she eats; he or she stains his or her hands and wastes food. A person uses this proverb while apologizing on behalf of a younger person who has insulted or been disrespectful to an adult, emphasizing that the youngster was merely acting in a juvenile manner and should be forgiven for their actions. |
| 17 | “Ìkòkò ò ni gba omi k’ó tún gba ẹyìn | The pot is unable to hold both the palm fruit and the water at the same time | To put it another way, two masters cannot ride in the same boat/two incompatible persons cannot live or work together |
| 18 | Ará orun ò ṣetí aṣọ. | The hems of their garments are not sewn by the inhabitants of heaven | In other words, the uninitiated are unfamiliar with a place’s traditions. |
| 19 | Àkísà aṣọ la fi ńṣe òṣùká. | A rag is what is used as a carrying pad. | One needs to use the most appropriate item to execute a task |
| 20 | Òkú ò mọ iye aa ra agọ̀ | This means that the deceased does not know how much money was spent on the coffin. | This adage is used to address a person who does excellent things without regard for the consequences, mostly since he is not the one who bears the financial burden. |
| 21 | Bi Esin ba dáni gúlè ã tun gun ni! | In other words, if a horse knocks someone down, we must re-climb the horse | When a strategy doesn’t work out, don’t give up; instead, keep trying. |
| 22 | Aje ke lana omo ku loni, tani o so wipe ko mope ana lo pa omo je | Yesterday, a witch cried out, and today, a kid died as a result of the witch cry. Who wouldn’t have guessed that the witch was the one who was guilty for the child’s death? | To put it another way, if a threat was made yesterday and a catastrophe hit today, who wouldn’t have guessed that the person who threatened to strike yesterday was the one who was responsible for the disaster? |
| 23 | Alágbàfo kì í bá odò ṣotá. | A washerman has no ill will toward the water | In other words, one does not abandon one’s source of income or one’s livelihood. |
| 24 | Bí kò fę ju ìpàkó, ęşin tí ó ngùn á ję kojū | No one can ride a horse without moving his or her head, whether voluntarily or unintentionally. | It implies that your position in life determines your attitude toward others |
| 25 | Bí abá so òkò sójà ará ilé eni ní bá | Anyone who tosses a stone in the market will strike someone they are familiar with. | Just as the market area is frequently congested, so is life, and people’s paths cross frequently; thus, be cautious of your actions, as they may come back to haunt you. |
| 26 | Agba ki wa loja, ki ori omo tutun o wo | An elder can’t be in the market and then we have a child whose head or head placement is bad. | while an older person is there, he or she is better equipped to fix problems that have arisen since he or she is more experienced and wiser |
| 27 | Adìẹ funfun kò mọ ara rẹ̀lágbà | The white chicken is unaware of its own age | In other words, an elderly person is expected to respect oneself. |
| 28 | Ilu ki i kere ki o ma ni aatan | No matter how small a community is, it must have a garbage disposal facility | Cleanliness is second only to holiness in importance. A healthy body is a storehouse of resources. |
| 29 | Arun la a wo, a ki i wo iku | One may treat an illness, but one cannot cure death | : The message conveyed by this adage is that everyone should take care of their health while it is still feasible to do so. |
| 30 | Adìẹ ò lórúnkún ẹjo. | a chicken does not have knees for cases. | one should avoid engaging in conducts you are not prepared for |
| 31 | Ọbẹ̀ kìí gbé inú àgbà mì | The soup does not move about in the stomach of an elderly person. | In other words, one should be able to maintain a secret. |
| 32 | Ilera loogun oro | Health is wealth, as the saying goes. | With this in mind, when one is sick, one is unable to work; when one does not work, he is unable to provide for himself and becomes a burden on others. Such behavior is met with ridicule and embarrassment. A person’s health does not prevent them from enjoying a wonderful dinner with their relatives and friends. It is important to take good care of our health by keeping healthy eating habits and a regular work schedule. |
| 33 | Bomo odun meta ba ko ti ko rin; die lowo iya, die lowo baba ni | If a 3-year-old child refuses to walk, it is the fault of both the father and the mother | if there is no cause, there will be no consequence. Something causes a predicament, and the person who is directly or indirectly involved in the problem cannot be held blameless. |
| 34 | Eeyan ti ko loogun arinya (irinya) ki i je aayan | A cockroach is not eaten by someone who does not have a nausea-relieving medication | one does not engage on a project for which one does not have the requisite resources. One does not begin anything that one will not be able to complete. It is usually a good idea to keep track of the expenses. |
| 35 | Ebi ni si ilekun fun iku | Hunger opens the door to death | It is beneficial to eat healthily. When we do not eat properly, the body may not receive the nutrients it requires, sickness (including kwashiorkor) occurs, and death may result. Without food, there is no life. Of course, a lack of spiritual nourishment will eventually lead to death as well. |
| 36 | Eni bama m’obo akoko se bi lagido | In order to catch a monkey, you must behave like one | Essentially, in some instances, you must dress and behave appropriately in order to obtain what you desire. |
| 37 | Imototo bori aarun mole boye ti i bori ooru | Cleanliness has the same effect on illnesses as harmattan has on heat. | If we want to maintain our physical and mental health, we must maintain a clean moral and mental environment. |
| 38 | Abéré bó lówó adétè ó dète; òrò balè ó dèrò | A needle falls from a leper’s hand, posing an insurmountable difficulty; a terrible object falls to the ground, requiring serious consideration. | there is no need to become overly concerned over something as minor as a dropped glass of milk every now and again. |
In Conclusion
The yorubas have a rich culture and about 40million people speak the language worldwide. Yoruba is also the most widely spoken African language outside of Africa.
The collection of the yoruba proverbs help to give more depth to the language. We hope you have enjoyed this article.
Check out the names that the Yorubas usually give to boys.
These are the 30 most important greetings in the Yoruba language.
Author
Abbey Johnson has a Masters degree as an engineer and has over 3 years of teaching and research experience. He is happiest when on a bike and is also interested in electric energy and computer Science.