If you are visiting Nigeria, don't be daunted by the 520 languages in our repertoire. Just remember to add a little bit of pidgin to yours and you will be fine. Our safe place is Nigerian Pidgin: our common language. Amongst Nigerians, using Pidgin shows that you can identify with everyone, irrespective of your status.
Nigerian Pidgin English is essential for tourists, foreigners, as well as locals in town. Most of the people you 'll deal with in hotels, markets, schools and offices speak Pidgin English. It will definitely help to make a good impression and set you apart from the mass of clueless tourists, foreigners, as well as locals.
Understanding Basic Pidgin Phrases
Many English words are used differently in Nigerian Pidgin English and you need to do more research to find out why. Here are a few examples to get you started:
- Chop: Unlike the English word, 'chop' which implies that something is being sliced or hacked; in pidgin it means 'food'. You could say, 'Abeg come chop food' which is an invitation to a meal.
- Dis meal sweet: This phrase means 'This meal is delicious'.
- You sure of dis tin wey you dey talk so?: It means, ‘Are you sure of what you are saying?
- Comot!: Get out!
- Wahala dey o: The flip side is 'Wahala dey o', meaning there is a problem.
- Kia-kia: Kia-kia is borrowed from Yoruba language which means ‘quickly-quickly’. Say it twice to indicate urgency or emphasis.
Origins and Influences
Pidgin English is spoken widely across Nigeria and other African countries. It is a language made up of elements of the Queen's English and the local dialects.
There’s also Obodo Oyibo, borrowed from the Igbo language. With Nigeria having about 250 tribes in all, one finds a lot of variation in the type of Pidgin English spoken by the different ethnic groups.
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10 Common Nigerian Pidgin Phrases: Nigerian English l It's Iveoma
The Pidginary Project: A Modern Dictionary
The idea whose time came suddenly. Sometime last year in London, while catching up with my friend and long-time collaborator Precious Madubuike, I scrolled through my idea notes and saw “Pidgin dictionary,” something I’d written years ago. I couldn’t even remember when or why, but at that moment it felt like something I had to do.
At the time, vibe coding was gaining traction, and it was one of the things Precious and I were exploring together. It suddenly felt possible to actually build this, even if just for fun. Deep down, I believed it was something the world genuinely needed. Still, I wanted to check if it already existed.
I designed about five main screens. It didn’t need to be complicated, just functional, with key components like a vertical scroll bar, word cards, and word-detail modals. Months later, Figma Make was released, and as I do whenever a new tool drops, I started experimenting with it.
The hardest part came with adding dark mode, something I hadn’t planned for initially. It was a challenge, but my experience building design systems helped me handle it, though in an unconventional way.
The biggest lesson was precision. The process taught me the importance of clear, detailed communication, when building with AI. And in a way, reinforced how important that is in everyday interactions. You have to really contextualise your prompts and avoid overloading tasks with too much disconnected information.
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I thought about launching it, but I’d been dreaming about the shift from designer to maker and wanted my first product to feel meaningful. I wasn’t sure a Pidgin dictionary was the one. Instead of being regarded as just some casual lingo, a modern home could help give it the respect it deserves.
Something I thought was too small to matter suddenly resonated with people. Even designers I admire reached out. I watched visits rise into the thousands in the backend analytics, with average time spent hovering around 10 to 15 minutes. Some users even mentioned reading through every single word from A to Z.
Some people have called me a visionary product designer redefining the role in the AI era. To be honest, I built Pidginary mainly to challenge myself, but I’ve come to accept that mission. The tech landscape is shifting fast; roles are evolving, some disappearing, and this is one of the ways we adapt as designers.
You have an idea, you build it with whatever tool you can use. I learned that progress often hides behind fear. You don’t need to wait for the perfect moment or the perfect idea. Just start. Build something small, meaningful, and honest. Share it. You’ll be surprised how far it goes.
Common Pidgin Words and Phrases
Here's a list of common Pidgin words and phrases to enrich your vocabulary:
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| Word/Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Abeg | Please |
| Comot | Get out, leave |
| Wahala | Trouble, problem |
| Chop | Eat, food |
| Dash | Gift, bribe |
| How far? | How are you? What's up? |
| Oga | Boss, superior |
| Ashawo | Prostitute |
| Pikin | Child |
| Yarn | Talk, chat |
