153+ Essential Nigerian Pidgin Phrases (With Meanings & Examples)

Pidgin: "How far, you dey kampe?"

English: "What's up, are you doing well?"

Pidgin: "How you dey today?"

English: "How are you today?"

Pidgin: "I dey fine, no wahala."

English: "I'm fine, no problem."

Pidgin: "Wetin dey happen for here?"

English: "What's going on here?"

Pidgin: "Good morning o, you sleep well?"

English: "Good morning, did you sleep well?"

Pidgin: "Abeg give me one minute."

English: "Please give me one minute."

Pidgin: "Thank you well well for the help."

English: "Thank you so much for the help."

Pidgin: "No wahala, I go do am."

English: "No problem, I'll do it."

Pidgin: "Abeg, I no sabi you o."

English: "Please, I don't know you."

Pidgin: "Long time o, how life?"

English: "It's been a while, how's life?"

Pidgin: "You don chop today?"

English: "Have you eaten today?"

Pidgin: "Wetin you dey do for there?"

English: "What are you doing there?"

Pidgin: "I greet o, oga."

English: "Greetings, sir."

Pidgin: "Abeg no vex, I no mean am."

English: "Please don't be angry, I didn't mean it."

Pidgin: "E don do, make we go."

English: "That's enough, let's go."

Pidgin: "Make I go now, I go soon come back."

English: "Let me go now, I'll be back soon."

Pidgin: "You dey there? I dey talk to you o."

English: "Are you there? I'm talking to you."

Pidgin: "I hear you, no wahala."

English: "I understand, no problem."

Pidgin: "Na so the thing be."

English: "That's just how it is."

Pidgin: "Abeg free me, I dey tire."

English: "Please leave me alone, I'm tired."

Pidgin: "Wahala dey for that house."

English: "There's trouble in that house."

Pidgin: "No worry, e go better."

English: "Don't worry, it will get better."

Pidgin: "Na wa o, see as e do am."

English: "Wow, look how he did it."

Pidgin: "I no fit carry this load alone."

English: "I can't carry this load alone."

Pidgin: "Na true talk, no lie for that."

English: "That's the truth, no lie there."

Pidgin: "E dey pain me wetin dem do am."

English: "It hurts me what they did to him."

Pidgin: "As e be, we no fit change am."

English: "As it stands, we can't change it."

Pidgin: "Na waya to travel this season."

English: "It's tricky to travel this season."

Pidgin: "The man chop breakfast for that deal."

English: "The man got scammed in that deal."

Pidgin: "If she vex, e get why."

English: "If she's angry, there's a reason."

Pidgin: "Na by force you go answer me?"

English: "Is it compulsory that you answer me?"

Pidgin: "Shine your eye for that market o."

English: "Be careful at that market."

Pidgin: "E don cast when dem see am."

English: "It got embarrassing when they saw him."

Pidgin: "No dulling, come chop now."

English: "Don't be slow, come eat now."

Pidgin: "The exam question choke well well."

English: "The exam question was overwhelming."

Pidgin: "Relax, na small thing."

English: "Relax, it's nothing serious."

Pidgin: "Money tight but I dey manage."

English: "Money is tight but I'm getting by."

Pidgin: "I no like the job but na condition make crayfish bend."

English: "I don't like the job, but circumstances force it."

Pidgin: "No vex again, e don happen."

English: "Don't be angry anymore, it already happened."

Pidgin: "This traffic no dey end, na God go help us."

English: "This traffic never ends, we need God's help."

Pidgin: "You wan chop before we go?"

English: "Do you want to eat before we go?"

Pidgin: "Food don ready, make we chop."

English: "Food is ready, let's eat."

Pidgin: "This soup sweet well well."

English: "This soup is very delicious."

Pidgin: "No dey give me again, I don belleful."

English: "Don't give me more, I'm full."

Pidgin: "Wetin we dey chop today, rice or eba?"

English: "What are we eating today, rice or eba?"

Pidgin: "Abeg add pepper for my food."

English: "Please add pepper to my food."

Pidgin: "This jollof get taste well."

English: "This jollof rice has great flavor."

Pidgin: "Mama go vex if you no leave anything."

English: "Mom will be upset if you don't finish everything."

Pidgin: "Abeg buy me one mineral."

English: "Please buy me a soft drink."

Pidgin: "We chop knuckle before we enter."

English: "We fist-bumped before going in."

Pidgin: "Na correct food be this, mama try well."

English: "This is really good food, mom tried her best."

Pidgin: "Abeg no waste food, na money."

English: "Please don't waste food, it's money."

Pidgin: "This suya don over-sweet, I want more."

English: "This suya is so good, I want more."

Pidgin: "Where the food dey, I dey hungry o."

English: "Where's the food, I'm hungry."

Pidgin: "I dey hungry well well, make we hurry."

English: "I'm very hungry, let's hurry."

Pidgin: "No worry, na small chop we get for party."

English: "Don't worry, there's just snacks at the party."

Pidgin: "This one na correct swallow, no lump."

English: "This is proper swallow, no lumps."

Pidgin: "Abeg dash me small pepper soup."

English: "Please give me a little extra pepper soup."

Pidgin: "I dey vex because you lie to me."

English: "I'm angry because you lied to me."

Pidgin: "My mind no dey rest since morning."

English: "I've been anxious since morning."

Pidgin: "I dey happy well well today."

English: "I'm very happy today."

Pidgin: "Na wa for you o, how you go do like this?"

English: "I'm shocked at you, how could you do this?"

Pidgin: "My eye don red when I see the mess."

English: "I got furious when I saw the mess."

Pidgin: "I no send you, do wetin you like."

English: "I don't care, do what you like."

Pidgin: "E dey shock me how fast time dey go."

English: "It surprises me how fast time flies."

Pidgin: "I dey worry for you since you no call."

English: "I'm worried about you since you didn't call."

Pidgin: "Na tears dey my eye watching that movie."

English: "I was in tears watching that movie."

Pidgin: "I don tire for this wahala."

English: "I'm fed up with this trouble."

Pidgin: "Na joy full my heart when I see my family."

English: "I'm filled with joy seeing my family."

Pidgin: "I dey shame small when he call my name."

English: "I was a little embarrassed when he called my name."

Pidgin: "E pain me well well how dem treat him."

English: "It really hurts me how they treated him."

Pidgin: "My belle no gree since I hear the news."

English: "I've been uneasy since I heard the news."

Pidgin: "No worry, I dey relax."

English: "Don't worry, I'm calm."

Pidgin: "Na anger dey control am, no mind wetin e talk."

English: "Anger is controlling him, ignore what he says."

Pidgin: "I no gree with wetin you talk."

English: "I don't agree with what you said."

Pidgin: "This maths question dey scatter my head."

English: "This math question is confusing me."

Pidgin: "My brother japa go Canada last year."

English: "My brother emigrated to Canada last year."

Pidgin: "Omo, see as traffic tight today!"

English: "Wow, see how heavy the traffic is today!"

Pidgin: "Abeg gimme the gist about the party."

English: "Please give me the gossip about the party."

Pidgin: "The comedian don cast for stage."

English: "The comedian got embarrassed on stage."

Pidgin: "No dey do shakara for me abeg."

English: "Don't show off in front of me please."

Pidgin: "Ehen, wetin happen next?"

English: "So, what happened next?"

Pidgin: "That guy na correct fine boy."

English: "That guy is a really good-looking man."

Pidgin: "Baba God go bless you for this."

English: "God will bless you for this."

Pidgin: "Rent don increase again, wahala for who no get money."

English: "Rent has gone up again, trouble for those without money."

Pidgin: "Sapa don catch me this month."

English: "I'm completely broke this month."

Pidgin: "We just dey cruise, no vex."

English: "We're just joking around, don't be upset."

Pidgin: "You be werey if you believe that."

English: "You're crazy if you believe that."

Pidgin: "Abeg ginger me before the show."

English: "Please hype me up before the show."

Pidgin: "I no get owo for this month."

English: "I don't have money this month."

Pidgin: "Dem cause zazu for the party."

English: "They caused trouble at the party."

Pidgin: "Yawa go gas if you no pay."

English: "There will be serious trouble if you don't pay."

Pidgin: "Wetin dey sup, my guy?"

English: "What's up, my friend?"

Pidgin: "Katakata go burst if e find out."

English: "There will be chaos if he finds out."

Pidgin: "That guy na correct baller for town."

English: "That guy really spends money around town."

Pidgin: "No bring vawulence come here o."

English: "Don't bring unnecessary drama here."

Pidgin: "No mind their insult, monkey no fine but im mama like am."

English: "Don't mind their insult, everyone has someone who loves them."

Pidgin: "Enjoy the peace small, wood never dey far from insect."

English: "Enjoy the peace a little, trouble is never far away."

Pidgin: "Before you judge am, na water dem use measure garri."

English: "Before you judge him, consider the full context."

Pidgin: "No rush the business, small small catch monkey."

English: "Don't rush the business, patience achieves results."

Pidgin: "I try warn you, but if you no fall inside well, you no go know how deep e be."

English: "I tried to warn you, but you have to experience it to understand."

Pidgin: "You no fit steal from your own boss, e no good for goat chop from im owner farm."

English: "You shouldn't steal from your own boss, it's wrong to exploit those close to you."

Pidgin: "Make we work together, one finger no fit tie bundle."

English: "Let's work together, one person can't do everything alone."

Pidgin: "Look how he dey run around, rat no dey run for daylight unless something dey chase am."

English: "Look how he's rushing around, people only act like that under pressure."

Pidgin: "You must try new things, if eagle no fly e no go see wetin dey ground."

English: "You must try new things; you need risk to gain perspective."

Pidgin: "You go understand better next time, na who dem never bite know say snake dey bite."

English: "You'll understand better next time; only experience teaches real caution."

Pidgin: "No surprise say im pikin sabi business, chicken no go born duck."

English: "No surprise his child is good at business, children reflect their upbringing."

Pidgin: "Forget the argument and chop, better belle full pass angry belle."

English: "Forget the argument and eat, contentment matters more than pride."

Pidgin: "Continue the small savings, na patience dey turn leaf to soup."

English: "Keep up the small savings, patience turns small efforts into results."

Pidgin: "Mama dey always talk, show me your friend, I go show you your character."

English: "Mom always says, a person is known by their company."

Pidgin: "Everybody need am, water no get enemy."

English: "Everybody needs it, essential things have no enemies."

Pidgin: "No mind am, empty barrel dey make the most noise."

English: "Don't mind him, those with the least substance talk the loudest."

Pidgin: "Think well before you act, if you dey run from rain, no let thunder meet you."

English: "Think it through, avoiding one problem can create a worse one."

Pidgin: "Keep practicing, na small small wetin turn hunter to warrior."

English: "Keep practicing, growth comes gradually through repeated effort."

Pidgin: "I like you well well, no lie."

English: "I like you a lot, no lie."

Pidgin: "You be my paddy for real, no forget me o."

English: "You're really my close friend, don't forget me."

Pidgin: "My heart dey beat for you since we meet."

English: "I've had feelings for you since we met."

Pidgin: "Abeg no break my heart again o."

English: "Please don't break my heart again."

Pidgin: "See as e don full ground between them two."

English: "See how a relationship is blossoming between those two."

Pidgin: "You na my correct person, no doubt."

English: "You're truly right for me, no doubt."

Pidgin: "I no fit forget you even if I try."

English: "I can't forget you even if I try."

Pidgin: "Dem dey laugh say wahala for who dey love without money."

English: "They joke that love is hard without financial stability."

Pidgin: "Na you be my person, I no need another."

English: "You're the one for me, I don't need anyone else."

Pidgin: "My baby, how you dey today?"

English: "My love, how are you today?"

Pidgin: "Since dem marry, e don sweet belleful for them."

English: "Since they got married, things have been truly wonderful for them."

Pidgin: "No dey toast another man wife, na trouble."

English: "Don't pursue another man's wife, that's trouble."

Pidgin: "You dey give me belle anytime I see you."

English: "You make me nervous every time I see you."

Pidgin: "Na love dey carry us go, no matter the distance."

English: "Love is carrying us forward, no matter the distance."

Pidgin: "If you like her, abeg propose well well."

English: "If you like her, propose to her properly."

Pidgin: "Plenty guys dey toast am for school."

English: "Many guys are pursuing her at school."

Pidgin: "See as she cook, na marriage material be this."

English: "Look at how she cooks, she's marriage material."

Pidgin: "Even after years, love no get expiry date for us."

English: "Even after years, our love hasn't faded."

Pidgin: "Abeg drop me for junction, I go waka remaining way."

English: "Please drop me at the junction, I'll walk the rest of the way."

Pidgin: "How much you go carry me go Yaba?"

English: "How much will you charge to take me to Yaba?"

Pidgin: "Abeg, where the park dey from here?"

English: "Please, where is the bus station from here?"

Pidgin: "I dey go house now, e don dark."

English: "I'm going home now, it's already dark."

Pidgin: "Enter well, make we no waste time."

English: "Get in properly, let's not waste time."

Pidgin: "Abeg wait small, I dey come."

English: "Please wait a little, I'm coming."

Pidgin: "Na how much be the fare go Ikeja?"

English: "What's the fare to Ikeja?"

Pidgin: "Driver, park well, make passenger comot well."

English: "Driver, park properly so passengers can get out safely."

Pidgin: "I dey lost road, abeg show me way."

English: "I'm lost, please show me the way."

Pidgin: "Wetin be the address again, I forget."

English: "What's the address again, I forgot."

Pidgin: "Abeg carry my bag well, e get fragile thing inside."

English: "Please handle my bag carefully, there's something fragile inside."

Pidgin: "I dey change bus for here to reach Surulere."

English: "I'm switching buses here to reach Surulere."

Pidgin: "Na which bus dey go Oshodi from here?"

English: "Which bus goes to Oshodi from here?"

Pidgin: "Abeg no over speed, road bad well well."

English: "Please don't drive too fast, the road is very bad."

Pidgin: "I don land for airport, come pick me."

English: "I've arrived at the airport, come pick me up."

Pidgin: "Make we branch buy water before we continue."

English: "Let's stop to buy water before we continue."

Pidgin: "No worry, e remain small distance to reach."

English: "Don't worry, there's a short distance left to reach there."

Pidgin: "Abeg no waka too much, your leg go pain you."

English: "Please don't walk too much, your leg will hurt."

Pidgin: "I dey wait for taxi since morning."

English: "I've been waiting for a taxi since morning."

Pidgin: "Na go-slow be this, we no go reach on time."

English: "This is traffic congestion, we won't arrive on time."

Pidgin: "Abeg comot for road, okada dey come."

English: "Please get out of the way, a motorbike taxi is coming."