English-based creole languages
Phrasebooks > 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

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Vowels

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a, e, i, o, u

Consonants

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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

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ai, au, ia, ie, oi, uo

Phrase list

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Basics

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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.
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. ( )
Where is the toilet?
Wie di toilet dey? ( )
I am looking for__.
I dey find ___ ( )

Problems

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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

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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 _____ (train, bus, etc.)
nomba _____ (train, bos, etc.) ( )
half
aff ( )
less
no rish ( )
more
plenty pass ( )

Time

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now
nau-nau ( )
later
later (leta )
before
bifor ( )
morning
monin/day brek ( )
afternoon
aftunun ( )
evening
evenin ( )
night
nite ( )

Clock time

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one o'clock AM
wan o'clock for monin ( )
two o'clock AM
twu o'clock for monin ( )
noon
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one o'clock PM
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two o'clock PM
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midnight
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Duration

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

Days

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today
today ( )
yesterday
yestaday ( )
tomorrow
tumoro ( )
this week
dis wik ( )
last week
las wik ( )
next week
nes wik ( )
Sunday
Sonday ( )
Monday
Monday ( )
Tuesday
Tusday ( )
Wednesday
Wensday ( )
Thursday
Tosday ( )
Friday
Friday ( )
Saturday
Satoday ( )

Months

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January
Jenuari ( )
February
Febuari ( )
March
Mach ( )
April
Aprel ( )
May
May ( )
June
June ( )
July
July ( )
August
Ogost ( )
September
Septemba ( )
October
Oktoba ( )
November
Novemba ( )
December
Dizemba ( )

Writing time and date

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Colors

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black
blak ( )
white
wite ( )
grey/gray
grey ( )
red
red ( )
blue
blue ( )
yellow
yelo ( )
green
grin ( )
orange
orenj ( )
purple
popul ( )
brown
braun ( )

Transportation

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Bus and train

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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

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

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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

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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?
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...a bathroom?
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...a telephone?
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...a TV?
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May I see the room first?
(I fit see am first? )
Do you have anything quieter?
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...bigger?
( )
...cleaner?
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...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?
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...lockers?
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Is breakfast/supper included?
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What time is breakfast/supper?
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Please clean my room.
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Can you wake me at _____?
(you fit wake me for ____? )
I want to check out.
( )

Money

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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?
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Where can I get a traveler's check changed?
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What is the exchange rate?
(wetin be exchange rate? )
Where is an automatic teller machine (ATM)?
(wetin be automatic teller machine (ATM) )

Eating

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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?
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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
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a la carte
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breakfast
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lunch
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tea (meal)
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supper
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I want _____.
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I want a dish containing _____.
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chicken
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beef
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fish
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ham
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sausage
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cheese
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eggs
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salad
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(fresh) vegetables
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(fresh) fruit
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bread
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toast
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noodles
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rice
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beans
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May I have a glass of _____?
( )
May I have a cup of _____?
( )
May I have a bottle of _____?
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coffee
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tea (drink)
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juice
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(bubbly) water
( )
(still) water
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beer
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red/white wine
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May I have some _____?
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salt
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black pepper
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butter
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Excuse me, waiter? (getting attention of server)
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I'm finished.
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It was delicious.
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Please clear the plates.
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The check, please.
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Bars

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

Shopping

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Do you have this in my size?
( e dey for my size?)
How much is this?
( how much be this)
That's too expensive.
( this one to expensive o)
Would you take _____?
( You go take___?)
expensive
( )
cheap
( )
I can't afford it.
( I no go fit buy am)
I don't want it.
( I no want am)
You're cheating me.
( )
I'm not interested.
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OK, I'll take it.
( )
Can I have a bag?
( )
Do you ship (overseas)?
( )
I need...
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...toothpaste.
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...a toothbrush.
( )
...tampons.
. ( )
...soap.
( )
...shampoo.
( )
...pain reliever. (e.g., aspirin or ibuprofen)
( )
...cold medicine.
( drug)
...stomach medicine.
... ( )
...a razor.
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...an umbrella.
( )
...sunblock lotion.
( )
...a postcard.
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...postage stamps.
( )
...batteries.
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...writing paper.
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...a pen.
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...English-language books.
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...English-language magazines.
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...an English-language newspaper.
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...an English-English dictionary.
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Driving

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

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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?
( I fit pay money)


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