Nigerian Pidgin phrasebook
Phrasebook
Nigerian Pidgin English (Naijá), is one of the main languages of Nigeria. It is an English-based creole, with a Niger-Congo language syntax, consisting of many loan words from different Nigerian, other West African, and European languages most notably -- Portuguese.
Pronunciation guide
Vowels a, e, i, o, u
Consonants b, ch, d, f, g, gb, h, j, k, kp, l, m, n, ny, p, r, s, sh, t, v, w, y, z
Common diphthongs ai, au, ia, ie, oi, uo
Phrase list
Basics
Hello. Helo. ( ) Hello. (informal) How far? ( ) How are you? How yu dey? ( ) Fine, thank you. I dey fine, tank yu. ( ) What is your name? Wetin bi your name? ( ) My name is ______ . My name na ______ . ( ) Nice to meet you. I dey hapi to meet yu. ( ) Please. Abeg. ( ) Thank you. Tank yu. ( ) You're welcome. Yu dey welkom o. ( ) Yes. Yes o. ( ) No. No o. ( ) Excuse me. (getting attention) How far!/Hess! ( ) Excuse me. (begging pardon) Abeg. ( ) I'm sorry. No vex for me/dooh. ( ) Goodbye Bye-bye. ( ) Goodbye (informal) E go bi [nah]. ( ) I can't speak name of language [well]. I no sabi spik "name of language" wella. ( ) Do you speak English? Yu sabi spik Oyibo? ( ) Is there someone here who speaks English? E get pesin wey dey spik Oyibo for hie? ( ) Help! Epp! ( ) Look out! Dey put eye! ( ) Good morning. Gud monin. ( ) Good afteroon Gud aftunun. ( ) Good evening. Gud evenin. ( ) Good night. Gud nite. ( ) Good night (to sleep) Til tumoro. ( ) I don't understand. I no understand. ( I no sabi ) Where is the toilet? Wie di toilet dey? ( ) I am looking for__. I dey find ___ ( )
Problems Leave me alone. Limi. ( .) Don't touch me! No tosh me! ( ) I'll call the police. I go call police. ( ) Police! Police! ( ) Stop! Thief! Stop dia! Tiff! ( ) I need your help. I need your epp. ( ) It's an emergency. Na emergency. ( .) I'm lost. I don loss. ( ) I lost my bag. My bag loss. ( ) I lost my wallet. My wallet loss. ( .) I'm sick. I no well/I dey sick. ( ) I've been injured. I don injure. ( .) I need a doctor. I go need dokinta. ( .) Can I use your phone? I fit use your fon? ( )
Numbers 1 wan ( ) 2 twu ( ) 3 tiri ( ) 4 for ( ) 5 five ( ) 6 six ( ) 7 sevun ( ) 8 eit ( ) 9 nine ( ) 10 ten ( ) 11 elevun ( ) 12 twef ( ) 13 tatin ( ) 14 fortin ( ) 15 fiftin ( ) 16 sixtin ( ) 17 sevuntin ( ) 18 eitin ( ) 19 ninetin ( ) 20 twenti ( ) 21 twenti-wan ( ) 22 twenti-twu ( ) 23 twenti-tiri ( ) 30 tati ( ) 40 forti ( ) 50 fifti ( ) 60 sixti ( ) 70 sevunti ( ) 80 eiti ( ) 90 nineti ( ) 100 hondred ( ) 200 twu hondred ( ) 300 tiri hondred ( ) 1,000 one tausand ( ) 2,000 twu tausand ( ) 1,000,000 wan mili ( ) 1,000,000,000 wan bili ( ) 1,000,000,000,000 wan trili ( ) number _____
Adapted from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA)