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.
a, e, i, o, u
b, ch, d, f, g, gb, h, j, k, kp, l, m, n, ny, p, r, s, sh, t, v, w, y, z
ai, au, ia, ie, oi, uo
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. : . () ; Yes. : . () ; No. : . () ; Excuse me. (getting attention) : . () ; Excuse me. (begging pardon) : . () ; I'm sorry. : . (no vex for me or doh) ; Goodbye : . () ; 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 ?)
; 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 ?)
; 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 : ()
; now : () ; later : (leta) ; before : () ; morning : (day break) ; afternoon : () ; evening : () ; night : (__)
; one o'clock AM : () ; two o'clock AM : () ; noon : () ; one o'clock PM : () ; two o'clock PM : () ; midnight : ()
; _____ minute(s) : () ; _____ hour(s) : () ; _____ day(s) : () ; _____ week(s) : () ; _____ month(s) : () ; _____ year(s) : ()
; today : () ; yesterday : () ; tomorrow : () ; this week : () ; last week : () ; next week : ()
; Sunday : () ; Monday : () ; Tuesday : () ; Wednesday : () ; Thursday : () ; Friday : () ; Saturday : (__)
; January : () ; February : () ; March : () ; April : () ; May : () ; June : () ; July : () ; August : () ; September : () ; October : () ; November : () ; December : ()
; black : () ; white : () ; grey/gray : () ; red : () ; blue : () ; yellow : () ; green : () ; orange : () ; purple : () ; brown : ()
; 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 __?)
; 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! : (__) ; 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.)
; 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. : ()
; 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))
; 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. : ()
; 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! : (__)
; 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. : (__)
; 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 : ()
; 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? : ()