English–Nigerian Pidgin Dictionary

Browse common English words and their Nigerian Pidgin translations, with parts of speech and example sentences. Use this dictionary to look up everyday vocabulary or as a starting point for learning Nigerian Pidgin.

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Browse common Nigerian Pidgin vocabulary

Word	Part of speech	Translation	Example
I	pronoun	mi	I am here now. Mi dey here now.
you	pronoun	yu	You are my friend. Yu be my friend.
he	pronoun	im	He is very tall. Im tall well well.
she	pronoun	im	She is in the room. Im dey inside room.
we	pronoun	wi	We are ready today. Wi don ready today.
they	pronoun	dem	They live near us. Dem dey live near us.
what	pronoun	wetin	What do you want now? Wetin yu want now?
where	adverb	where	Where is my book? Where my book dey?
when	adverb	when	When will you come? When yu go come?
who	pronoun	who	Who is at the door? Who dey for door?
why	adverb	why	Why are you sad? Why yu sad?
how	adverb	how	How do you know? How yu take know?
to be	verb	dey	They are at home. Dem dey for house.
to have	verb	get	I have two books. Mi get two books.
to do	verb	do	We do our work daily. Wi dey do our work everyday.
to go	verb	go	I go to school early. Mi dey go school early.
to come	verb	come	Please come here now. Abeg come here now.
to see	verb	see	I see the bird outside. Mi see the bird outside.
to know	verb	know	I know your name. Mi know your name.
to think	verb	think	I think about it often. Mi dey think about am often.
to want	verb	want	They want more water. Dem want more water.
to need	verb	need	We need more time. Wi need more time.
to make	verb	make	She makes good food. Im dey make good food.
to take	verb	take	Take the bag inside. Take the bag go inside.
to give	verb	give	Give me some water. Give me small water.
to say	verb	tok	He said the truth. Im tok the truth.
to tell	verb	tell	Tell me your story. Tell me your story.
to ask	verb	ask	Ask the teacher now. Ask the teacher now.
to find	verb	find	I found my keys. Mi find my keys.
to look	verb	look	Look at the sky. Look the sky.
to use	verb	use	Use this chair well. Use this chair well.
to work	verb	work	They work every morning. Dem dey work every morning.
to eat	verb	chop	We eat rice tonight. Wi go chop rice tonight.
to drink	verb	drink	Drink some clean water. Drink some clean water.
to sleep	verb	sleep	The child sleeps early. The child dey sleep early.
to walk	verb	waka	I walk to work daily. Mi dey waka go work everyday.
to run	verb	run	The boy runs fast. The boy dey run fast.
to read	verb	read	She reads this book. Im dey read this book.
to write	verb	write	Write your name here. Write your name here.
to speak	verb	speak	They speak loudly outside. Dem dey speak loud outside.
to listen	verb	listen	Listen to me well. Listen to me well.
to hear	verb	hear	I hear strange sounds. Mi hear strange sounds.
to buy	verb	buy	We buy fresh bread. Wi buy fresh bread.
to sell	verb	sell	They sell fish here. Dem dey sell fish here.
to pay	verb	pay	Pay the money now. Pay the money now.
to help	verb	help	Please help your mother. Abeg help your mama.
to love	verb	love	I love my family. Mi love my family.
to live	verb	live	They live in Lagos. Dem dey live for Lagos.
to die	verb	die	Plants die without water. Plants dey die without water.
to learn	verb	learn	Children learn very fast. Children dey learn fast well well.
to teach	verb	teach	They teach us English. Dem dey teach us English.
to open	verb	open	Open the door slowly. Open the door small small.
to close	verb	close	Close the window now. Close the window now.
person	noun	pesin	That person is kind. That pesin kind.
man	noun	man	The man is strong. The man strong.
woman	noun	woman	The woman is happy. The woman happy.
child	noun	pikin	The child is sleeping. The pikin dey sleep.
boy	noun	boy	The boy runs outside. The boy dey run outside.
girl	noun	girl	The girl is reading. The girl dey read.
family	noun	family	My family is big. My family big.
mother	noun	mama	My mother is here. My mama dey here.
father	noun	papa	His father works hard. Im papa dey work hard.
friend	noun	friend	She is my friend. Im be my friend.
house	noun	house	Their house is new. Their house new.
home	noun	house	I am going home. Mi dey go house.
school	noun	school	The school is nearby. The school dey near.
city	noun	city	This city is busy. This city busy.
country	noun	country	Our country is large. Our country big.
world	noun	world	The world is changing. The world dey change.
street	noun	street	The street is quiet. The street quiet.
room	noun	room	The room is clean. The room clean.
time	noun	time	Time goes very fast. Time dey go fast well well.
day	noun	day	Today is a good day. Today na good day.
night	noun	night	The night is cold. The night cold.
morning	noun	morning	This morning is bright. This morning bright.
evening	noun	evening	The evening is calm. The evening calm.
week	noun	week	This week is busy. This week busy.
month	noun	month	Next month will be better. Next month go better.
year	noun	year	This year is important. This year important.
today	adverb	today	I am free today. Mi free today.
tomorrow	adverb	tomorrow	We will travel tomorrow. Wi go travel tomorrow.
yesterday	adverb	yesterday	He came yesterday morning. Im come yesterday morning.
now	adverb	now	Come to me now. Come meet me now.
sun	noun	sun	The sun is hot. The sun hot.
moon	noun	moon	The moon is bright tonight. The moon bright tonight.
star	noun	star	I see one star. Mi see one star.
sky	noun	sky	The sky is blue. The sky blue.
fire	noun	fire	The fire is hot. The fire hot.
water	noun	water	The water is clean. The water clean.
rain	noun	rain	The rain is heavy. The rain heavy.
wind	noun	wind	The wind is strong. The wind strong.
tree	noun	tree	That tree is tall. That tree tall.
flower	noun	flower	This flower is beautiful. This flower fine.
mountain	noun	mountain	The mountain is high. The mountain high.
river	noun	river	The river is wide. The river wide.
sea	noun	sea	The sea is calm. The sea calm.
food	noun	food	The food is ready. The food don ready.
bread	noun	bread	I bought fresh bread. Mi buy fresh bread.
rice	noun	rice	The rice tastes good. The rice sweet.
meat	noun	meat	The meat is soft. The meat soft.
fish	noun	fish	We cooked fish tonight. Wi cook fish tonight.
egg	noun	egg	The egg is broken. The egg break.
milk	noun	milk	The baby drinks milk. The baby dey drink milk.
fruit	noun	fruit	This fruit is sweet. This fruit sweet.
tea	noun	tea	My tea is hot. My tea hot.
coffee	noun	coffee	The coffee smells good. The coffee smell good.
head	noun	head	My head hurts today. My head dey pain me today.
eye	noun	eye	Her eyes are bright. Im eye bright.
ear	noun	ear	My ear hurts badly. My ear dey pain me bad.
mouth	noun	mouth	Open your mouth wide. Open your mouth well.
nose	noun	nose	My nose is blocked. My nose block.
hand	noun	hand	Wash your hands now. Wash your hand now.
foot	noun	leg	My foot is cold. My leg cold.
heart	noun	heart	Her heart is strong. Im heart strong.
name	noun	name	What is your name? Wetin be your name?
book	noun	book	This book is new. This book new.
word	noun	word	That word is common. That word common.
language	noun	language	Language connects many people. Language dey join many people.
money	noun	money	I need more money. Mi need more money.
work	noun	work	My work is hard. My work hard.
love	noun	love	Love is very powerful. Love strong well well.
music	noun	music	The music is loud. The music loud.
story	noun	story	Her story is true. Im story true.
way	noun	way	This way is easier. This way easy pass.
thing	noun	tin	That thing is mine. That tin na my own.
life	noun	life	Life is not easy. Life no easy.
door	noun	door	The door is open. The door open.
table	noun	table	The table is clean. The table clean.
chair	noun	chair	This chair is broken. This chair don break.
car	noun	motor	The car is fast. The motor fast.
good	adjective	good	This food is good. This food good.
bad	adjective	bad	That smell is bad. That smell bad.
big	adjective	big	Their house is big. Their house big.
small	adjective	small	The bag is small. The bag small.
new	adjective	new	I bought new shoes. Mi buy new shoes.
old	adjective	old	That book is old. That book old.
long	adjective	long	This road is long. This road long.
short	adjective	short	The dress is short. The dress short.
high	adjective	high	The wall is high. The wall high.
low	adjective	low	The roof is low. The roof low.
hot	adjective	hot	The soup is hot. The soup hot.
cold	adjective	cold	The water is cold. The water cold.
happy	adjective	happy	She feels happy today. Im happy today.
sad	adjective	sad	The boy looks sad. The boy look sad.
beautiful	adjective	fine	The girl is beautiful. The girl fine.
easy	adjective	easy	This work is easy. This work easy.
hard	adjective	hard	This question is hard. This question hard.
fast	adjective	fast	That car is fast. That motor fast.
slow	adjective	slow	The old man walks slow. The old man dey waka slow.
right	adjective	correct	Your answer is right. Your answer correct.
wrong	adjective	wrong	That answer is wrong. That answer wrong.
important	adjective	important	This meeting is important. This meeting important.
true	adjective	true	Her story is true. Im story true.
full	adjective	full	The cup is full. The cup full.
empty	adjective	empty	The bottle is empty. The bottle empty.
young	adjective	young	She is still young. Im still young.
strong	adjective	strong	That man is strong. That man strong.
weak	adjective	weak	I feel weak today. Mi weak today.
red	adjective	red	The flower is red. The flower red.
blue	adjective	blue	The sky is blue. The sky blue.
green	adjective	green	The leaves are green. The leaves green.
yellow	adjective	yellow	The fruit is yellow. The fruit yellow.
black	adjective	black	The bag is black. The bag black.
white	adjective	white	Her dress is white. Im dress white.
yes	interjection	yes	Yes, I understand now. Yes, mi understand now.
no	interjection	no	No, I cannot come. No, mi no fit come.
not	adverb	no	I am not ready. Mi no ready.
and	conjunction	and	Rice and fish are ready. Rice and fish don ready.
or	conjunction	or	Tea or coffee is fine. Tea or coffee fine.
but	conjunction	but	I tried, but failed. Mi try, but mi fail.
if	conjunction	if	If you come, call me. If yu come, call me.
because	conjunction	because	I stayed because it rained. Mi stay because rain fall.
with	preposition	with	I came with my friend. Mi come with my friend.
without	preposition	without	He left without money. Im comot without money.
for	preposition	for	This gift is for you. This gift na for yu.
from	preposition	from	She came from Kano. Im come from Kano.
to	preposition	go	We went to market. Wi go market.