Pidgin of Nigeria
Phrases, proverbs and grammar from our Pidgin of Nigeria collection, with what they mean and how people use them. Pidgin is a living language, so words and meanings can vary by place and speaker.
73 entries
A
- Abeg
- Please.
- “Abeg, make you help me with this matter.”
- Abeg, leave am
- Please, let it be. Forget it. Used to de-escalate a situation.
- Abi?
- Right? Isn't it? A tag question that invites the listener to agree.
- “This place dey fine, abi?”
- All fingers no dey equal
- We are not all the same. People have different levels of success, wealth or status.
B
- Better soup, na money kill am
- Quality comes at a price. You get what you pay for.
- Bros / Aunty
- The default respectful way to address a man (Bros) or a woman (Aunty) when you don't know their name.
C
- Come chop
- Come and eat.
- “Make you join us chop, plenty dey.”
- Comot
- Get out, leave, or remove.
- “Comot for road! (Get out of the way!)”
D
- Dey
- Shows continuous action, like "-ing" in English.
- “I dey go. (I am going.)”
- Don
- Marks a completed action.
- “I don chop. (I have eaten.)”
E
- E be like say...
- It appears that...
- “E be like say rain wan fall. (It looks like it's about to rain.)”
- E pain me
- It hurts me. I am deeply saddened by this.
- “E pain me say you no tell me the truth.”
- E sweet me
- It pleases me. I am happy about it.
- “E sweet me say you remember me.”
- Enter
- To start, begin or get into something.
- “Make we enter road. (Let's start the journey.)”
- Eye don clear
- A realization: learning a hard lesson, or no longer being naive.
- “Before, I bin dey trust am, but now my eye don clear.”
- Eyes wey dey cry still dey see road
- Even when you are sad or grieving, you must still function and see the reality around you.
F
- Fine-fine
- Very beautiful or handsome.
- “She wear fine-fine cloth for the party.”
- Follow come
- Something that is included, or came as an accessory.
- “This phone get charger wey follow come.”
- For
- Often replaces "in", "at", "to" and "on".
- “I go meet you for bus stop.”
G
- Go
- Marks the future tense.
- “I go call you. (I will call you.)”
H
- How far?
- Hello, hi, how are things?
- “How far, my brother? Long time no see o!”
- Hunger dey tear my belle
- I am extremely hungry.
- Hustle
- More than just work: the struggle for survival, financial independence or business success.
- “I must hustle make I fit take care of my family.”
I
- I dey
- I am here, I am alive, I am good. A standard reply to "How are you?"
- I dey come
- I will be right back. Literally, "I am coming."
- “I dey come o.”
- I get mind
- I have the courage.
- “I get mind to do am.”
- I no fit kill myself
- I must take care of my own wellbeing. Often said when choosing to relax instead of overworking.
- I no gree
- I do not agree, or I refuse. Used when firmly taking a stand.
- I throway salute
- A way to show deep respect or to acknowledge someone's impressive feat.
- If you no sabi, you go know
- Experience is the best teacher. Often said to someone who is being stubborn or ignorant.
L
- Last last
- Ultimately, in the end. Often expresses resignation or acceptance.
- “Last last, we go reach our destination.”
- Level
- A person's status or current financial standing.
- “Every level get im own challenge.”
M
- Make we...
- Let's... A way to make a suggestion.
- “Make we go chop. (Let's go eat.)”
- Make we reason am
- Let's think about this together. Let's discuss this matter.
- Make you no vex
- Please don't be angry. A polite way to apologize or ask for understanding before delivering news.
- Money dey ground
- There is money to be made, or capital is available.
- Money dey hard
- Money is scarce. It is difficult to make money right now.
- Monkey no fine but im mama like am
- A person may not be attractive or perfect, but they are loved by those close to them.
- My belle full
- I am full after eating.
- “My belle don full, I no fit add again.”
- My heart dey cut
- I am terrified or anxious, for example when expecting bad news.
N
- Na
- "It is". Placed at the start of a sentence for emphasis.
- “Na today I see you.”
- Na condition make crayfish bend
- Circumstances have forced me to do this, for example taking a low-paying job out of necessity.
- Na so e be
- That is how it is. That is the reality.
- “Life no get balance, na so e be.”
- No be so
- It is not so. A gentle way to correct someone.
- “No be so the thing be, na different way e take happen.”
- No carry your wahala come my head
- Don't bring your problems to me.
- No condition is permanent
- Said to console someone in hard times: things will change for the better.
- “No condition is permanent. I know things go better.”
- No gree for anybody
- Don't let anyone push you around. Stand your ground.
- No look me like person wey no sabi
- Don't look at me like someone who doesn't know what they are doing.
- No shaking
- No problem, don't worry, everything is fine.
- “No shaking, I go handle am.”
- No wahala
- No problem. Don't worry.
- “No wahala, I fit help you.”
O
- Oga
- A respectful term for a man, boss or superior. Can also be used casually or ironically among peers.
- Omo!
- An exclamation of surprise, shock or realization.
- “Omo, the traffic today was crazy!”
P
- Person wey get time, no dey lose
- Patience is a virtue. Those who take their time will eventually succeed.
- Problem no dey finish
- Life will always have challenges, so you might as well keep moving.
S
- Sharp guy
- Someone who is street-smart and clever, and knows how to make money or get things done quickly.
- Sharp-sharp
- Immediately, very quickly.
- “I go send the document sharp-sharp. No worry yourself.”
- Small body, big engine
- Someone who looks small or young but has great strength, intelligence or capability.
- Small remain
- Almost, nearly. Literally, "a small amount remains."
- “Small remain make I fall. (I almost fell.)”
- Small-small
- Little by little. Used to show progress.
- “I dey manage, small-small.”
- Small-small, e dey catch monkey
- Persistence and patience will eventually achieve the goal. Slow and steady wins the race.
- So-so
- Nothing but, only, continuously.
- “Life na so-so struggle.”
- Sote
- Until. Used when an action continued for an unusually long time.
- “We wait for the bus sote I sleep.”
T
- The matter
- A catch-all word for any situation, problem or discussion.
- “Forget that matter.”
- The "o" particle
- Added to the end of a sentence as an exclamation point, a warning or an emphatic marker.
- “The matter serious o!”
W
- Wahala
- Trouble, problem.
- “No carry your wahala come my head.”
- Wait small
- Wait a moment.
- Water wey pass boat, e go sink am
- A warning: taking on more than you can handle leads to disaster.
- Wetin dey?
- What is going on? What's up?
- Wey
- Connects ideas and does the work of "who", "which" and "that".
- “The man wey call me yesterday na my friend.”
- Who help you, help himself
- Kindness is a cycle. When you help someone, you also improve your own life or community.
Y
- You be correct guy
- You are a genuine, reliable person.
- You think say I be learner?
- Do you think I am a novice? Said when someone tries to deceive or outsmart you.
- You try
- Well done. You have done well.
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Source: the Danfo Diaries Pidgin of Nigeria collection. Today’s phrase on the home page comes from this list.