Proverb: Onye kwe, chi ya ekwe

Level 6

A public proverb: a firm wish finds support.

How It Works

Onye is “person” and kwe is “agree” or “say yes”. Chi is the personal spirit of a person in Igbo belief. Ekwe is the same verb again.

Part	Meaning
Onye kwe	a person says yes
chi ya ekwe	his or her chi says yes

The same verb appears twice, once in each half. Keep the proverb as it is.

The first half names a person, onye, and the second half names that person's chi with ya “his or her”. The two halves match, which is why the saying is easy to remember.

Examples (4)

Onye kwe, chi ya ekwe.
When a person says yes, his or her chi says yes too.
The whole proverb.
Onye kwe
a person says yes
The first half.
chi ya ekwe
his or her chi says yes
The second half.
Ndị okenye na-asị: Onye kwe, chi ya ekwe.
The elders say: when a person says yes, his or her chi says yes too.
With the opener.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Proverb: Onye kwe, chi ya ekweLevel 6

Learn This First

This is a proverb, so proverbs come first.

Proverbs: ilu
Know proverbs, because ilu are fixed sayings that people quote whole: Onye kwe, chi ya ekwe “when a person says yes, his or her chi says yes too”.
Level 5

Words in This Pattern

onyekwechi

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