Nigerian Pidgin 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[edit]

Vowels[edit]

a, e, i, o, u

Consonants[edit]

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[edit]

ai, au, ia, ie, oi, uo

Phrase list[edit]

Basics[edit]

Common signs


OPEN
DEY OPEN
CLOSED
DON KLOS
ENTRANCE
ENTRANCE
EXIT
KOMOT
PUSH
PUSH
PULL
PULL
TOILET
TOILET
MEN
MAN-DEM
WOMEN
WOMAN-DEM
FORBIDDEN
DEM FORBID AM
Hello.
. ( )
Hello. (informal)
How far? ( )
How are you?
How yu dey? ( )
Fine, thank you.
. ( i dey,thank you )
What is your name?
? (wetin be your name ?)
My name is ______ .
______ . ( my name na_____ .)
Nice to meet you.
. ( )
Please.
. (abeg )
Thank you.
. ( )
You're welcome.
. (Yu dey welcome )
Yes.
. ( )
No.
. ( )
Excuse me. (getting attention)
. ( )
Excuse me. (begging pardon)
. ( )
I'm sorry.
. (no vex for me or doh )
Goodbye
. ( bye bye )
Goodbye (informal)
. (e go be )
I can't speak name of language [well].
[ I no fit speak "name of language"]. ( [well ])
Do you speak English?
? ( you dey speak English?)
Is there someone here who speaks English?
? ( e get person wey dey speak English for here ?)
Help!
! (help !)
Look out!
! ( !)
Good morning.
. ( )
Good evening.
. ( )
Good night.
. ( )
Good night (to sleep)
. ( )
I don't understand.
. (i no understand )
Where is the toilet?
? ( where toilet dey ?)

Problems[edit]

Leave me alone.
. ( .)
Don't touch me!
! ( no touch me !)
I'll call the police.
. (I go call police .)
Police!
! ( police !)
Stop! Thief!
! ! ( ! !)
I need your help.
. (you fit help me .)
It's an emergency.
. ( .)
I'm lost.
. (I don loss .)
I lost my bag.
. (I loss my bag .)
I lost my wallet.
. ( .)
I'm sick.
. ( i no well or i dey sick.)
I've been injured.
. ( .)
I need a doctor.
. ( .)
Can I use your phone?
? (I fit use your phone ?)

Numbers[edit]

1
( )
2
( )
3
( )
4
( )
5
( )
6
( )
7
( )
8
( )
9
( )
10
( )
11
( )
12
( )
13
( )
14
( )
15
( )
16
( )
17
( )
18
( )
19
( )
20
( )
21
( )
22
( )
23
( )
30
( )
40
( )
50
( )
60
( )
70
( )
80
( )
90
( )
100
( )
200
( )
300
( )
1,000
( )
2,000
( )
1,000,000
( )
1,000,000,000
( )
1,000,000,000,000
( )
number _____ (train, bus, etc.)
( )
half
( )
less
( )
more
( )

Time[edit]

now
( )
later
(leta )
before
( )
morning
(day break )
afternoon
( )
evening
( )
night
( )

Clock time[edit]

one o'clock AM
( )
two o'clock AM
( )
noon
( )
one o'clock PM
( )
two o'clock PM
( )
midnight
( )

Duration[edit]

_____ minute(s)
( )
_____ hour(s)
( )
_____ day(s)
( )
_____ week(s)
( )
_____ month(s)
( )
_____ year(s)
( )

Days[edit]

today
( )
yesterday
( )
tomorrow
( )
this week
( )
last week
( )
next week
( )
Sunday
( )
Monday
( )
Tuesday
( )
Wednesday
( )
Thursday
( )
Friday
( )
Saturday
( )

Months[edit]

January
( )
February
( )
March
( )
April
( )
May
( )
June
( )
July
( )
August
( )
September
( )
October
( )
November
( )
December
( )

Writing time and date[edit]

Colors[edit]

black
( )
white
( )
grey/gray
( )
red
( )
blue
( )
yellow
( )
green
( )
orange
( )
purple
( )
brown
( )

Transportation[edit]

Bus and train[edit]

How much is a ticket to _____?
(how much be the ticket to_______? )
One ticket to _____, please.
( one ticket to _____, abeg.)
Where does this train/bus go?
(where this bus/train dey go? )
Where is the train/bus to _____?
( )
Does this train/bus stop in _____?
( )
When does the train/bus for _____ leave?
(when the train/bus for ____ dey comot? )
When will this train/bus arrive in _____?
(when this train/bus go reach ___? )

Directions[edit]

How do I get to _____ ?
(how I go reach ____? )
...the train station?
( )
...the bus station?
( )
...the airport?
( )
...downtown?
( )
...the youth hostel?
( )
...the _____ hotel?
( )
...the American/Canadian/Australian/British consulate?
( )
Where are there a lot of...
(where i go see plenty ... )
...hotels?
( )
...restaurants?
( )
...bars?
( )
...sites to see?
( )
Can you show me on the map?
( )
street
( )
Turn left.
( )
Turn right.
( )
left
( )
right
( )
straight ahead
( )
towards the _____
( )
past the _____
( )
before the _____
( )
Watch for the _____.
( )
intersection
( )
north
( )
south
( )
east
( )
west
( )
uphill
( )
downhill
( )

Taxi[edit]

Taxi!
( )
Take me to _____, please.
( carry me go ____, abeg.)
How much does it cost to get to _____?
( how much e go be to reach ____?)
Take me there, please.
(carry me go there, abeg. )

Lodging[edit]

Do you have any rooms available?
(rooms dey available? )
How much is a room for one person/two people?
( )
Does the room come with...
( )
...bedsheets?
( )
...a bathroom?
( )
...a telephone?
( )
...a TV?
( )
May I see the room first?
(I fit see am first? )
Do you have anything quieter?
( )
...bigger?
( )
...cleaner?
( )
...cheaper?
( )
OK, I'll take it.
(ok, I go collect am. or ok, I go take am. )
I will stay for _____ night(s).
( I go dey for ____ nights)
Can you suggest another hotel?
(you fit tell me anoda hotel )
Do you have a safe?
( )
...lockers?
( )
Is breakfast/supper included?
( )
What time is breakfast/supper?
( )
Please clean my room.
( )
Can you wake me at _____?
(you fit wake me for ____? )
I want to check out.
( )

Money[edit]

Do you accept American/Australian/Canadian dollars?
(you dey collect American/Australian/Canadian dollars? )
Do you accept British pounds?
(you dey collect British pounds? )
Do you accept euros?
( you dey collect euros?)
Do you accept credit cards?
(you dey collect credit cards? )
Can you change money for me?
(you fit change this money for me? )
Where can I get money changed?
(where I fit go change money? )
Can you change a traveler's check for me?
( )
Where can I get a traveler's check changed?
( )
What is the exchange rate?
(wetin be exchange rate? )
Where is an automatic teller machine (ATM)?
(wetin be automatic teller machine (ATM) )

Eating[edit]

A table for one person/two people, please.
(table for one/two pesin, abeg. )
Can I look at the menu, please?
(I fit see the menu, abeg? )
Can I look in the kitchen?
(I fit look the kitchen? )
Is there a house specialty?
( )
Is there a local specialty?
( )
I'm a vegetarian.
(i be vegetarian. )
I don't eat pork.
(I no dey chop pork )
I don't eat beef.
(I no dey chop beaf. )
I only eat kosher food.
( )
Can you make it "lite", please? (less oil/butter/lard)
( )
fixed-price meal
( )
a la carte
( )
breakfast
( )
lunch
( )
tea (meal)
( )
supper
( )
I want _____.
( )
I want a dish containing _____.
( )
chicken
( )
beef
( )
fish
( )
ham
( )
sausage
( )
cheese
( )
eggs
( )
salad
( )
(fresh) vegetables
( )
(fresh) fruit
( )
bread
( )
toast
( )
noodles
( )
rice
( )
beans
( )
May I have a glass of _____?
( )
May I have a cup of _____?
( )
May I have a bottle of _____?
( )
coffee
( )
tea (drink)
( )
juice
( )
(bubbly) water
( )
(still) water
( )
beer
( )
red/white wine
( )
May I have some _____?
( )
salt
( )
black pepper
( )
butter
( )
Excuse me, waiter? (getting attention of server)
( )
I'm finished.
( )
It was delicious.
( )
Please clear the plates.
( )
The check, please.
( )

Bars[edit]

Do you serve alcohol?
(you dey serve alcohol? )
Is there table service?
( )
A beer/two beers, please.
( )
A glass of red/white wine, please.
( )
A pint, please.
( )
A bottle, please.
( )
_____ (hard liquor) and _____ (mixer), please.
( )
whiskey
( )
vodka
( )
rum
( )
water
( )
club soda
( )
tonic water
( )
orange juice
( )
Coke (soda)
( )
Do you have any bar snacks?
( )
One more, please.
( )
Another round, please.
( )
When is closing time?
( )
Cheers!
( )

Shopping[edit]

Do you have this in my size?
( )
How much is this?
( )
That's too expensive.
( )
Would you take _____?
( )
expensive
( )
cheap
( )
I can't afford it.
( )
I don't want it.
( )
You're cheating me.
( )
I'm not interested.
(..)
OK, I'll take it.
( )
Can I have a bag?
( )
Do you ship (overseas)?
( )
I need...
( )
...toothpaste.
( )
...a toothbrush.
( )
...tampons.
. ( )
...soap.
( )
...shampoo.
( )
...pain reliever. (e.g., aspirin or ibuprofen)
( )
...cold medicine.
( )
...stomach medicine.
... ( )
...a razor.
( )
...an umbrella.
( )
...sunblock lotion.
( )
...a postcard.
( )
...postage stamps.
( )
...batteries.
( )
...writing paper.
( )
...a pen.
( )
...English-language books.
( )
...English-language magazines.
( )
...an English-language newspaper.
( )
...an English-English dictionary.
( )

Driving[edit]

I want to rent a car.
( )
Can I get insurance?
( )
stop (on a street sign)
( )
one way
( )
yield
( )
no parking
( )
speed limit
( )
gas (petrol) station
( )
petrol
( )
diesel
( )

Authority[edit]

I haven't done anything wrong.
(I no do anything bad )
It was a misunderstanding.
( )
Where are you taking me?
(where you dey carry me go? )
Am I under arrest?
( I dey unda arrest?)
I am an American/Australian/British/Canadian citizen.
( )
I want to talk to the American/Australian/British/Canadian embassy/consulate.
( )
I want to talk to a lawyer.
(I wan talk to lawyer. )
Can I just pay a fine now?
( )


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