Naijá
Nigerian Pidgin
English-based creole
Nigerian Pidgin (Naija, Pidgin English) is the most widely used Nigerian language by total speakers (~75M), serving as the cross-regional and cross-ethnic lingua franca for ~half the population. It is an English-lexifier creole/pidgin with Edo, Yoruba, Igbo, and Ijaw substrate, partially mutually intelligible with Cameroonian Pidgin (wes) and Sierra Leonean Krio (kri). The launch of BBC News Pidgin in 2017 marked international recognition. Spelling remains non-standardized (English-based informal conventions dominate); the Naija Languej Akademi proposed a phonemic Latin orthography in 2009 but adoption is partial. Distinct from English in tense-aspect particles (don for completion, dey for progressive) and serial-verb syntax.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Nigerian Pidgin
Water
wọtá
/wɔta/
Fire
faya
/faja/
Sun
sọn
/sɔn/
Moon
mun
/mun/
Star
star
/staː/
Mother
mama
/mama/
Father
papa
/papa/
I
A
/a/
You
you
/ju/
Name
nem
/nɛm/
Eye
ai
/aɪ/
Hand
hand
/hand/
Heart
hat
/hat/
Love
lọv
/lɔv/
Tree
tri
/tɾi/
House
haus
/haʊs/
Dog
dọg
/dɔɡ/
Cat
pus
/pus/
Eat
chọp
/tʃɔp/
Drink
drink
/dɾiŋk/
One
wan
/wan/
Two
tu
/tu/
Hello
how far
/haʊ faː/
Thank you
tenki
/tɛnki/
Good
fain
/faɪn/
Computer
kọmputa
/kɔm.pú.tà/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related English-based creole languages
| Meaning | Nigerian Pidgin | Torres Strait Creole | Krio | Bahamian Creole | Bislama | English (Singapore) | Tok Pisin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | wọtá /wɔta/ | woda /woda/ | wata /ˈwata/ | watah /wɑːtə/ | wota /wota/ | water /ˈwɔːtə/ | wara /waɾa/ |
| Fire | faya /faja/ | paya /paja/ | faya /ˈfaja/ | fyah /fajə/ | faea /faea/ | fire /fajə/ | paia /paja/ |
| Sun | sọn /sɔn/ | san /san/ | san /san/ | son /sɔn/ | san /san/ | sun /san/ | san /san/ |
| Moon | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | moon /muːn/ | mun /mun/ | moon /muːn/ | mun /mun/ |
| Star | star /staː/ | sta /sta/ | star /staː/ | star /staː/ | sta /sta/ | star /staː/ | sta /sta/ |
| Mother | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /ˈmama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mother /ˈmadə/ | mama /mama/ |
| Father | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /ˈpapa/ | daddy /dadi/ | papa /papa/ | father /ˈfadə/ | papa /papa/ |
| I | A /a/ | ai /ai/ | mi /mi/ | I /aɪ/ | mi /mi/ | I /aɪ/ | mi /mi/ |
| You | you /ju/ | yu /ju/ | yu /ju/ | you /juː/ | yu /ju/ | you /ju/ | yu /ju/ |
| Name | nem /nɛm/ | nem /nem/ | nem /nɛm/ | name /neɪm/ | nem /nem/ | name /nem/ | nem /nem/ |
| Eye | ai /aɪ/ | ai /aj/ | ay /aj/ | eye /aɪ/ | ae /ae/ | eye /aɪ/ | ai /aj/ |
| Hand | hand /hand/ | han /han/ | an /an/ | han /han/ | han /han/ | hand /hɛn/ | han /han/ |
| Heart | hat /hat/ | hart /hart/ | at /at/ | hart /hɑːt/ | bel /bel/ | heart /hat/ | bel /bel/ |
| Love | lọv /lɔv/ | lavem /lavɛm/ | lɛk /lɛk/ | love /lɔv/ | laekem /laekem/ | love /laf/ | laikim /lajkim/ |
| Tree | tri /tɾi/ | tri /tri/ | tik /tik/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tri /tri/ | tree /tɹiː/ | diwai /diwaj/ |
| House | haus /haʊs/ | haus /haʊs/ | os /ɔs/ | house /haus/ | haos /haos/ | house /haʊs/ | haus /haʊs/ |
| Dog | dọg /dɔɡ/ | dog /dɔɡ/ | dɔg /dɔɡ/ | dawg /dɔɡ/ | dog /doɡ/ | dog /dɔk/ | dok /dok/ |
| Cat | pus /pus/ | pusiket /pusiket/ | pus /pus/ | cat /kat/ | pusi /pusi/ | cat /kɛt/ | pusi /pusi/ |
| Eat | chọp /tʃɔp/ | kaikai /kajkaj/ | it /it/ | eat /iːt/ | kakae /kakae/ | eat /iːt/ | kaikai /kajkaj/ |
| Drink | drink /dɾiŋk/ | dringk /driŋk/ | drink /drɪŋk/ | drink /dɹɪŋk/ | dring /driŋ/ | drink /dɹɪŋk/ | dring /dɾiŋ/ |
| One | wan /wan/ | wan /wan/ | wan /wan/ | one /wan/ | wan /wan/ | one /wan/ | wanpela /wanpɛla/ |
| Two | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ | two /tuː/ | tu /tu/ | two /tu/ | tu /tu/ |
| Hello | how far /haʊ faː/ | wis wei /wis wej/ | kushɛ /kuˈʃɛ/ | wuhz hapnin /wʊz hapnɪn/ | halo /halo/ | hello lah /hɛlo lɑː/ | halo /halo/ |
| Thank you | tenki /tɛnki/ | eso /ɛso/ | tɛnki /ˈtɛŋki/ | tank ya /taŋk jə/ | tangkyu /taŋkju/ | thanks /tɛŋks/ | tenkyu /tɛŋkju/ |
| Good | fain /faɪn/ | gud /ɡud/ | gud /ɡud/ | good /ɡʊd/ | gud /ɡud/ | good /ɡʊt/ | gutpela /ɡutpɛla/ |
| Computer | kọmputa /kɔm.pú.tà/ | — | — | — | — | computer /kɔmˈpjutə/ | komputa /komˈputa/ |
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Word order compared
Compare with major world languages
Nigerian Pidgin
I
wan
try
di suit
wey
I
see
for
di shop
for front of
di hotel
أنا
أريد
أن أجرب
بدلة
رأيتها
في
محل
مقابل
الفندق
我
想
试穿
酒店
对面的
商店
里
看到的
那套西装
I
want to
try on
a suit
I
saw
in
a shop
across from
the hotel
Ich
möchte
einen Anzug
anprobieren
den
ich
in einem
Geschäft
gegenüber vom
Hotel
gesehen habe
मैं
होटल
के सामने
एक दुकान
में
देखा
सूट को
पहनकर देखना
चाहता हूँ
私は
ホテルの
向かいの
お店
で
見た
スーツを
試着
したいです
Я
хочу
примерить
костюм
который
я увидел
в
магазине
напротив
отеля
Nigerian Pidgin
My
name
na
Tanaka
اسمي
هو
تاناكا
我的
名字
是
田中
My
name
is
Tanaka
Mein
Name
ist
Tanaka
मेरा
नाम
तनाका
है
私の
名前は
田中
です
Моё
имя
—
Танака
Nigerian Pidgin
I
dey chop
breakfast
every morning
for seven o'clock
أتناول
أنا
الإفطار
كل صباح
الساعة السابعة
我
每天早上
七点
吃
早饭
I
eat
breakfast
every morning
at 7 o'clock
Ich
frühstücke
jeden Morgen
um 7 Uhr
मैं
हर सुबह
7 बजे
नाश्ता
करता हूँ
毎朝
7時に
朝ごはんを
食べます
Я
завтракаю
каждое утро
в 7 часов
Nigerian Pidgin
Wetin
be
the nearest
station
أين
تقع
أقرب
محطة
最近的
车站
在
哪里
Where
is
the nearest
station
Wo
ist
der nächste
Bahnhof
सबसे नज़दीकी
स्टेशन
कहाँ
है
一番近い
駅は
どこ
です
か
Где
находится
ближайшая
станция
Nigerian Pidgin
Dis
coffee
sweet
well well
هذه
القهوة
لذيذة
جداً
这
咖啡
很
好喝
This
coffee
is
very
delicious
Dieser
Kaffee
ist
sehr
lecker
यह
कॉफ़ी
बहुत
स्वादिष्ट है
この
コーヒーは
とても
おいしいです
Этот
кофе
очень
вкусный
Nigerian Pidgin
I
dey study
Japanese
for university
أنا
أدرس
اللغة اليابانية
في الجامعة
我
在大学
学
日语
I
study
Japanese
at university
Ich
studiere
Japanisch
an der Universität
मैं
विश्वविद्यालय में
जापानी
पढ़ता हूँ
私は
大学で
日本語を
勉強しています
Я
изучаю
японский язык
в университете
Nigerian Pidgin
Tomorrow
weather
go
shine
سيكون
الطقس
غداً
مشمساً
明天
天气
会
晴天
Tomorrow's
weather
will be
sunny
Morgen
wird
das Wetter
sonnig
sein
कल
मौसम
धूप वाला
होगा
明日の
天気は
晴れ
でしょう
Завтра
погода
будет
солнечной
Nigerian Pidgin
My mama
dey cook
dinner
every day
تطبخ
أمي
العشاء
كل يوم
我妈妈
每天
做
晚饭
My mother
cooks
dinner
every day
Meine Mutter
kocht
jeden Tag
Abendessen
मेरी माँ
हर रोज़
रात का खाना
बनाती है
お母さんは
毎日
夕食を
作ります
Моя мама
готовит
ужин
каждый день
Nigerian Pidgin
I
wan
go
to
Japan
next
year
أنا
أريد
أن أذهب
إلى
اليابان
العام
القادم
我
明
年
想
去
日本
I
want to
go
to
Japan
next
year
Ich
möchte
nächstes
Jahr
nach
Japan
fahren
मैं
अगले
साल
जापान
जाना
चाहता हूँ
私は
来
年
日本
に
行き
たいです
Я
хочу
поехать
в
Японию
в следующем
году
Nigerian Pidgin
You
fit
tok
English
هل
تستطيع
التحدث
باللغة الإنجليزية
你
会
说
英语
吗
Can
you
speak
English
Können
Sie
Englisch
sprechen
आप
अंग्रेज़ी
बोल
सकते हैं
あなたは
英語が
話せ
ます
か
Вы
умеете
говорить
по-английски
Compare with closely-related languages
I
like
try on
da suit
I
wen see
inside
da shop
across from
da hotel
Mi
waan
try on
di suit
weh
mi
did si
inna
di shop
cross from
di hotel
Nigerian Pidgin
I
wan
try
di suit
wey
I
see
for
di shop
for front of
di hotel
Mi
laik
traim
dispela sut
mi
lukim
long
stua
long het bilong
hotel
My
name
stay
Tanaka
Mi
niem
a
Tanaka
Nigerian Pidgin
My
name
na
Tanaka
Nem
bilong mi
Tanaka
I
eat
breakfast
every morning
at seven o'clock
Mi
nyam
brekfas
evri maanin
a sevn a klak
Nigerian Pidgin
I
dey chop
breakfast
every morning
for seven o'clock
Mi
kaikai
brekfas
olgeta moning
long seven kilok
Wea
stay
da closest
station
We
di
niiris
stieshan deh
Nigerian Pidgin
Wetin
be
the nearest
station
Klosap
stesen
i stap
we
Dis
coffee
real
ono
Dis
kafi
well well
nice
Nigerian Pidgin
Dis
coffee
sweet
well well
Dispela
kopi
i gutpela
tru
I
stay study
Japanese
at da university
Mi
stodi
Japaniiz
a yuniversiti
Nigerian Pidgin
I
dey study
Japanese
for university
Mi
stadi
tok Japan
long yunivesiti
Tomorrow
da wedda
gon be
sunny
Tumaro
weda
a go
soni
Nigerian Pidgin
Tomorrow
weather
go
shine
Tumora
weda
bai
san i kam
My madda
cook
dinna
every day
Mi mada
kuk
dina
evri die
Nigerian Pidgin
My mama
dey cook
dinner
every day
Mama bilong mi
kukim
kaikai bilong nait
olgeta de
I
like
go
to
Japan
next
year
Mi
waan
go
a
Japan
nex
year
Nigerian Pidgin
I
wan
go
to
Japan
next
year
Mi
laik
go
long
Japan
long yia
bihain
You
can
talk
English
Yu
kyan
chat
Inglish
Nigerian Pidgin
You
fit
tok
English
Yu
save
toktok
Inglis
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