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Òwe Yorùbá láti inú àkójọpọ̀ yìí, pẹ̀lú ìtumọ̀ ọ̀rọ̀-sí-ọ̀rọ̀ àti ìtumọ̀ Gẹ̀ẹ́sì tí àkójọpọ̀ náà fúnra rẹ̀ fún un. Kò sí ohun tí a ṣàtúnkọ níbí.
Ìwà lẹwà.
Character is beauty.
Ìwà rere lẹ̀ṣọ́ èèyàn; ehín funfun lẹ̀ṣọ́ ẹ̀rín.
Good character is a person's best adornment; white teeth are the adornment of a smile.
Ìwà lòrìṣà; bí a ti hù ú sí ní ńgbeni sí.
Character is a god; just as one lives it, so it succors one.
Ìwà lẹ̀sìn.
Character is worship.
Ìwà kì í fi oníwà sílẹ̀.
Character will not forsake its owner.
Tìwà tìwà là ńràjò.
It is in the company of one's character that one goes on a journey.
Oníṣe kì í fi ìṣe ẹ̀ sílẹ̀ re ibi; ó ńre àjò ó mú ìṣe ẹ̀ lọ́wọ́ gírígírí.
The owner of a habit will not go on a journey and leave his habit at home; when he goes, he takes his habit along with…
Éèfín nìwà; kò ṣé-é bò mọ́ra.
Character is smoke; one cannot conceal it under one's clothing.
Èèyàn-án rìn, òjìjí tẹ̀lé e; kò ṣé-é mú, kò ṣé-é jù sápò.
A person walks along, and his or her shadow follows; it cannot be grabbed, and it cannot be slipped into the pocket.
Èèyàn-án dára ó ku ìwà; ilé dára ó ku ìgbé.
A person may be attractive, but character still matters; a home may be gorgeous, but what matters is its livability.
Ilé dára ó ku ẹkẹ́; èèyàn-án dára ó ku ìwà.
The house is beautiful but for its pillars; a person is handsome, but what of character?
Ẹṣín dára ó ku aré; èèyán dára ó ku ìwà; ajá òyìnbó dára ó ku àtidẹ.
The horse looks great but lacks speed; the man is handsome but lacks character; the European dog is good-looking but ca…
Ẹni tó lórí rere tí kò níwà, ìwà-a rẹ̀ ni yó ba orí-i rẹ̀ jẹ́.
A person who is blessed with good fortune but lacks good character: his character will ruin his or her good fortune.
Ẹni tó lówó tí kò níwà, owó olówó ló ní.
The person who has riches but lacks good character has other people's riches.
Ẹni tó ní ẹẹ́wàá ò níwà; ẹni tí ó níwà ò ní ẹẹ́wàá.
The person who has good character does not have 10 cowries; the person who has 10 cowries does not have good character.
Ẹni tó bá ìwà búburú wá sáyé, tòun tokùn àjàrà ní ńlọ sọ́run.
Whoever comes into this world accompanied by bad character goes back to heaven by means of a vine.
Ẹni rere kì í kú sípò ìkà.
A good person does not die the death of an evil person.
Ìwà ní ńjọ oníwà lójú.
Character is always remarkable (or good) in the opinion of its owner.
A kì í ní ọ̀kánjúwà ká mọ̀; ará ilé ẹni ní ńsọ fúnni.
One does not know that one has covetousness; it is one's kin who so inform one.
Oǹsìn ní ńmọ ìwà.
The servant is best placed to know the master's character.
Ibi ajá la ti ńmọ oǹrorò àpọ́n.
It is from his treatment of his dog that one can tell which unmarried man will be a terror to live with.
Ìwà awó ní ńpe awó lẹ́tù.
It is the guinea fowl's behavior that makes one know it as a guinea fowl.
Ìwà adìẹ ní ńwí pé ká tu ìyẹ́ ẹ̀.
It is the chicken's behavior that caused its wing feathers to be plucked.
Ilé là ńwò ká tó sọmọ lórúkọ.
One considers the home before giving a child from it a name.
Olè lọmọ olè ńfìwà jọ.
A thief's child takes after him.
Ẹgbẹ́ búburú ní ńba ìwà rere jẹ́.
Bad company ruins good character.
Ẹni à ńbá rìn là ńfìwà jọ.
It is the person whose company one keeps that one emulates.
Ìwà á jọ ìwà ní ńjẹ́ ọ̀rẹ́ jọ ọ̀rẹ́.
Compatibility of character means compatibility in friendship.
Mọ ìwà fóníwà loògùn ọ̀rẹ́.
Knowing and accepting each person's character for what it is is the medicine for friendship.
Ọ̀rẹ́ pọ̀; ìwà àti ìkà inú-u wọn ò dọ́gba.
Friends abound, but their character and their wickedness are very different.
Abanijẹ́ ba ara ẹ̀ jẹ́.
A detractor injures his own reputation.
Ẹní mọ ẹni ò dàbí ẹni a mọ̀.
A person who knows one is not like a person one knows.
À-bí-ì-kọ́; à-kọ́-ì-gbà; òde ló ti ńkọ́gbọ́n wálé.
A-child-that-was-never-taught-how-to-behave, a-child-that-was-taught-but-refused-to-heed-instruction: it is from outsid…
Kí ọmọdé tó gbọn, ìwà-a ẹ̀ á bàjẹ́.
Before a child learns wisdom, he or she will have earned a bad reputation.
Bí ayé bá ńyẹ ni, ìwà ìbàjẹ́ là ńhù.
If life is being good to one, one is likely to act disgracefully.
Bí a ó ti tó kì í jẹ́ ká hùwà búburú; bí a ó ti mọ kì í jẹ́ ká hùwà rere.
The heights one will reach keep one from evil deeds; the ordained limit to one's greatness keeps one from doing good de…
Ìwà òní, ẹjọ́ ọ̀la.
Today's behavior causes tomorrow's problem.
Ìwà ọ̀lẹ ńba ọ̀lẹ lẹ́rù; ọ̀lẹ́ pàdánù, ó ní aráyé ò fẹ́ràn òun.
The lazy person's character fills him or her with fear; the lazy person loses all and complains that the world hates hi…
Ahùwà-ìbàjẹ́ ṣe bí tòun là ńwí; aṣe-burúkú o kú ara fífun.
The person of evil character thinks he is the subject of discussion; the evildoer is plagued by suspiciousness.
Ẹni tó tijú tì í fún ara-a rẹ̀.
The person who is self-aware protects his or her own reputation thereby.
Ẹni a fẹ́ kì í ṣìwà hù.
A beloved person can do nothing wrong.
Àgbà òṣìkà ńgbin ìyà sílẹ̀ de ọmọ-ọ rẹ̀.
A wicked elder sows suffering for his children.
Ànán-mánàán ẹtú jìnfìn; oní-mónìí ẹtú jìnfìn; ẹran mìíràn ò sí nígbó lẹ́hìn ẹtu?
Yesterday the antelope was caught in a pit trap; today the antelope is caught in a pit trap; is there no other animal i…
Ọwọ́ ẹni la fi ńtú ìwà ara ẹni ṣe.
One's own hands are what one uses to mend one's fortune.
Àjàjà ṣoge àparò, abàyà kelú.
The uncharacteristically spruced-up partridge swells its chest.
Dídán lẹyẹlé ńdán kú.
A perpetually shining appearance is what characterizes the pigeon even until death.
Ọkùnrin jẹ́jẹ́ a-bìwà-kunkun.
An easygoing man's gentle mien hides a strong disposition.
Ẹni tí yó yá àni lówó, tí kò níí sinni, ohùn ẹnu-u rẹ̀ la ti ńmọ̀.
The person who will lend money and will not keep pestering one for repayment, one can tell from the tone of his or her…
Ẹni tí ìbá hùwà ipá ò hùwà ipá; ẹni tí ìbá hùwà ẹ̀lẹ̀ ò hu ẹ̀lẹ̀; ọ̀kùn tó nígba ọwọ́, tó nígba ẹsẹ̀ ńhùwà pẹ̀lẹ́.
The person one would expect to be reckless is not reckless; the person one would expect to be cautious is not cautious;…
Mú orí lọ, má mú ẹwà lọ; òòjọ́ lẹwà ńdẹ̀hìn, orí ní ńbá ni gbélé ọkọ.
Go with your head, not with your beauty; beauty abandons one in a day, but one's head remains with one in the marital h…