Wise Nigerian adages in English share life lessons and guidance, offering simple yet powerful truths for daily living and personal growth.
Translating these adages into English allows their wisdom to reach a wider audience while preserving the depth of their original meaning. They are used to advise, encourage, and correct in a way that is thoughtful and impactful. Whether shared during storytelling, conversations, or public gatherings, these sayings pass on the experiences and moral teachings of elders, ensuring that cultural knowledge continues to guide future generations.
By reflecting on wise Nigerian adages in English, individuals can gain valuable insights for handling challenges, building relationships, and making sound decisions. They remind us that life’s most important truths often come in simple phrases, yet carry the power to transform thinking and behavior. Embracing these adages is a way to stay grounded while striving for a purposeful and fulfilling life.
Wise Nigerian Adages in English
[1].The gentleness of a lion in the forest does not mean his lazy but rather on target.
[2].Harvest is no blessing if death is the crop.
[3].The firewood of this world is made for only those that can carry it that's why not all can gather it.
[4]. No lost in life is as dangerous as loss of hope.
[5]. A man can quote the whole Bible for you but his life stinks like that of a dead Rat.
[6]. If I knew that my snail will crawl I would have covered it.
[7]. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a step.
[8]. A toad does not run in the afternoon in vein, is either something is after it or it is after something.
[9]. What an elder sees sitting down can not been seen by a child even if he climes the highest mountain.
[10]. The words of elders are words of wisdom.
[11]. When a little boy has made money, he the elders will acknowledge and visit him.
[12]. He who aims at nothing hits it.
[13]. If there is no truth in the court of law; there is truth in the court of conscience.
[14]. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.
[15]. Don't give up when people reject you for the rejected stone will become the chief corner stone.
[16]. Everything can fall on its own but nothing can stand on its own.
[17]. The gentle stripe on a tiger is not a symbol of cowardice and a restless grasshopper ends up the gizzard of a bird.
[18]. He who applauds a lunatic is not far from been mad.
[19]. No matter how hungry a lion may be it can never eat grass.
[20]. When an elder cleared his voice the spirit listens.
[22]. A patient person eats ripe fruit.
[23]. He who asks for directions does not get lost.
[24]. When the roots are deep, the wind cannot break the tree.
[25]. A child who washes his hands will eat with elders.
[26]. The one who chases two rats at once will catch none.
[27]. Wisdom is like a baobab tree; no one person can embrace it alone.
[28]. When the drum beats, the dancers must follow the rhythm.
[29]. The one who does not know where the rain began to beat him cannot know where it will stop.
[30]. A man who stands in the sun should not complain of heat.
[31]. A goat owned by two people sleeps hungry.
[32]. The river that forgets its source will dry up.
[33]. A person who uses his teeth to cut pepper will know where the heat is.
[34]. No matter how tall the iroko tree grows, it started as a seed.
[35]. When a tree falls, the birds will scatter.
[36]. The one who learns to plant early will harvest in abundance.
[37]. Even the smallest fire can burn down a big house.
[38]. The lizard that jumped from the high iroko tree said it will praise itself if no one else does.
[39]. The person who refuses advice will stumble.
[40]. A person who carries a load on his head should not carry another on his mind.
[41]. The eyes cannot be above the eyebrows.
[42]. When a lion shows its teeth, it is not always smiling.
[43]. A drum sounds loudest in its owner’s compound.
[44]. The child who listens to elders grows wise.
[45]. He who neglects the house for the farm will return to a leaking roof.
[46]. When the rain falls, it does not fall on one roof alone.
[47]. The one who plants kindness will harvest friendship.
[48]. No matter how fast the hare runs, it cannot outpace its shadow.
[49]. A person who refuses to bend will break.
[50]. The road does not get tired, it is the traveler who does.
[51]. The tree that bears fruit will always attract stones.
[52]. A man who goes to the stream with a cracked pot will return with little water.
[53]. The monkey that forgets its tail will fall.
[54]. When two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.
[55]. The ear that does not listen to advice will accompany the head when it is cut off.
[56]. A fish that does not swim with the current must be strong.
[57]. No matter how dark the night, the day will surely come.
[58]. The one who does not know where he is going should know where he came from.
[59]. The hawk does not hunt at night.
[60]. A hungry man does not play with food.
[61]. Even the best cooking pot will not produce food without fire.
[62]. The tortoise says that traveling is good, but returning home is better.
[63]. The tongue and the teeth may quarrel, but they still work together.
[64]. A house built with spit will collapse when it rains.
[65]. The one who fetches firewood should remember the termites.
[66]. A man who forgets his friends in prosperity will not find them in adversity.
[67]. The bird that sings early will find the worm.
[68]. No matter how far the stream flows, it never forgets its source.
[69]. A person who eats alone cannot finish a big feast.
[70]. The child who dances well will be called again.
[71]. The axe forgets, but the tree remembers.
[72]. The rain does not recognize anyone as a friend.
[73]. He who digs a pit for others will fall into it himself.
[74]. A market never lacks talkers.
[75]. The one who knows the path should lead the way.
[76]. The broom’s strength is in its bundle.
[77]. The person who carries an old woman’s basket learns her wisdom.
[78]. The one who ties a knot should remember how to untie it.
[79]. The eye that sheds tears still sees clearly.
[80]. No matter how long a log stays in water, it will never become a crocodile.
[81]. The person who pours oil on the ground wastes his wealth.
[82]. The hand that gives is always on top.
[83]. The sun does not forget a village because it is small.
[84]. A tree does not grow taller than the one who planted it.
[85]. The ear that listens is the pathway to wisdom.
[86]. He who follows ants will find honey.
[87]. Even a small bird can wake a sleeping village.
[88]. The person who refuses to work should not complain of hunger.
[89]. A person who walks with the wise will become wise.
[90]. The stick in your hand can drive away the snake in your path.
[91]. The one who sells his friend’s secret sells his own soul.
[92]. The fire that burns your neighbor’s house is coming for yours.
[93]. A single bracelet does not jingle.
[94]. The stone that is ignored will trip the traveler.
[95]. A person who hides behind a mask cannot be recognized.
[96]. When the roots are strong, the tree will survive the storm.
[97]. A wise person does not test the depth of a river with both feet.
[98]. A mouth that eats does not talk much.
[99]. The one who knows the truth but keeps silent is part of the lie.
[100]. The footprints of a good person are never erased by the wind.
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