Café & Drinks

1. Abeg, give me water.

   Please give me water

   Usage

   When asking for a drink at a shop or eatery

   Grammar Note

   Commands start with the bare verb, with no subject. abeg means "please". (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

2. I wan drink beer.

   I want to drink beer

   Usage

   Alcohol is common in the south, but not served publicly in the northern Sharia states

   Grammar Note

   wan + verb expresses "want to". (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

3. I wan drink palm wine.

   I want to drink palm wine

   Usage

   Palm wine is mainly drunk in the south

   Grammar Note

   wan + verb expresses "want to". (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

4. Di coffee good well-well.

   The coffee is very good

   Usage

   Praising a drink you were served

   Grammar Note

   The adjective serves directly as the predicate. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

5. Wetin dey inside dis drink?

   What does this drink contain?

   Usage

   Checking what is in a homemade drink

   Grammar Note

   Wetin dey ...? asks what is in or at a place. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

6. Abeg, give me tea.

   Please give me tea

   Usage

   At breakfast or during a break

   Grammar Note

   Commands start with the bare verb, with no subject. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

7. I wan akamu.

   I want akamu (corn porridge)

   Usage

   A fermented-corn porridge eaten at breakfast

   Grammar Note

   wan + verb expresses "want to". (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

8. I wan cold water.

   I want cold water

   Usage

   Ordering a drink on a hot day

   Grammar Note

   wan + verb expresses "want to". (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

9. Dis drink good well-well.

   This drink is very good

   Usage

   Praising a drink

   Grammar Note

   The adjective serves directly as the predicate. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

10. Bottle water, abeg.

    Bottled water, please

    Usage

    Bottled water is different from sachet water (pure water)

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived word used unchanged; it does not inflect.

11. Hot water, abeg.

    Hot water, please

    Usage

    For making tea or porridge

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived word used unchanged; it does not inflect.

12. No put ice.

    No ice, please

    Usage

    When you would rather avoid ice for hygiene reasons

    Grammar Note

    A negative command is no + verb. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

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