Emergency

1. Help me o!

   Help me!

   Usage

   Shout it when in danger; o is an emphasis particle

   Grammar Note

   The bare imperative works without abeg; sentence-final o adds emphasis. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

2. Abeg, call di police!

   Call the police!

   Usage

   When you are a victim of crime, to people nearby. 112 is Nigeria's emergency number

   Grammar Note

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

3. Abeg, carry me go hospital.

   Take me to the hospital

   Usage

   To bystanders or a driver when you suddenly feel very ill

   Grammar Note

   carry me go is a serial-verb construction meaning "take me to". (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

4. I dey sick.

   I am sick

   Usage

   The basic way to say you are unwell

   Grammar Note

   dey + verb marks an ongoing action or state. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

5. E dey pain me for here.

   It hurts here

   Usage

   Said while pointing at the sore spot; pain works as a verb here

   Grammar Note

   dey pain me means 'it hurts me'; the place is introduced with for. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

6. Dem rob me!

   I have been robbed!

   Usage

   To report being robbed; the passive is expressed with dem (they) as subject

   Grammar Note

   A passive meaning is expressed as an active sentence with dem as subject. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

7. Abeg, call ambulance.

   Call an ambulance

   Usage

   When someone is hurt or suddenly ill

   Grammar Note

   Commands start with the bare verb, with no subject. ambulance is an English-derived noun. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

8. Abeg, I need medicine.

   I need medicine

   Usage

   To a pharmacist or bystander; follow with a description of the problem

   Grammar Note

   An English-derived word used unchanged; it does not inflect. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

9. Somtin bad don hapun.

   Something bad happened

   Usage

   An opener before explaining what happened; hapun is the Pidgin spelling

   Grammar Note

   don marks a completed event. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

10. Abeg, carry me go police station.

    Take me to the police station

    Usage

    To a driver or bystander when you want to file a report

    Grammar Note

    carry me go is a serial-verb construction. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

11. Stop am!

    Stop it!

    Usage

    Firmly, to make someone stop harassing or hurting you

    Grammar Note

    am is the object 'it' and follows the verb. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

12. No touch me!

    Do not touch me!

    Usage

    To make it clear to someone touching you

    Grammar Note

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

13. Abeg, leave me alone!

    Leave me alone!

    Usage

    When someone keeps pestering you

    Grammar Note

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

14. Dem steal my luggage.

    My luggage was stolen

    Usage

    To report a theft to police or hotel staff

    Grammar Note

    The passive is expressed as an active sentence with dem as subject. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

15. Fire!

    Fire

    Usage

    Shout it when you see a fire

    Grammar Note

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

16. Thief!

    Thief

    Usage

    A shout to alert people right after a theft

    Grammar Note

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

17. Robbery!

    Robbery

    Usage

    To alert people to a robbery

    Grammar Note

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

18. Kidnapping!

    Kidnapping

    Usage

    To alert people to a kidnapping; the word is common in news reports

    Grammar Note

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

19. Murder!

    Murder

    Usage

    To report a murder you have witnessed

    Grammar Note

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

20. Bomb!

    Bomb

    Usage

    To warn others about a suspicious object

    Grammar Note

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

21. Fire dey o! Run!

    Fire! Run!

    Usage

    To make people around you flee when you see a fire

    Grammar Note

    Fire dey means 'there is a fire (burning)'. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

22. Thief! Hold am!

    Thief! Catch him!

    Usage

    To get bystanders to stop a fleeing thief

    Grammar Note

    am is an object pronoun for people and things alike; it has no gender. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

23. Wia police station dey?

    Where is the police station?

    Usage

    To ask where to file a report

    Grammar Note

    The question word comes first and dey expresses location. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

24. Anybody dey wey fit tok Japanese?

    Is there anyone who can speak Japanese?

    Usage

    When you need an interpreter; replace Japanese with another language

    Grammar Note

    wey introduces a relative clause; fit means 'can'. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

25. Dis pesin dey unconscious.

    This person is unconscious

    Usage

    When you find a collapsed person and call for help

    Grammar Note

    pesin is the Pidgin spelling of person; dey + adjective states a condition. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

26. Somebody dey drown!

    Someone is drowning!

    Usage

    When you see someone drowning at the sea or a pool

    Grammar Note

    dey + verb marks an ongoing action or state. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

27. Dem beat me.

    I was beaten

    Usage

    To tell police or a doctor you were assaulted

    Grammar Note

    The passive is expressed as an active sentence with dem as subject. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

28. Dem stab me.

    I was stabbed

    Usage

    To tell emergency services or police you were stabbed

    Grammar Note

    The passive is expressed as an active sentence with dem as subject. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

29. Thief break enta my room.

    My room was broken into

    Usage

    To tell the hotel or police about a break-in; break enta means 'break in'

    Grammar Note

    break enta is a serial verb meaning 'break in'; the thief is the subject. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

30. Na dat pesin do am.

    That person is the culprit

    Usage

    To point out the culprit to the police

    Grammar Note

    Na at the start focuses the doer: 'it is that person who did it'. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

31. Dem cheat me.

    I was deceived

    Usage

    After a scam or an unfair charge

    Grammar Note

    The passive is expressed as an active sentence with dem as subject. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

32. Dem steal my wallet.

    My wallet was stolen

    Usage

    To report pickpocketing or theft

    Grammar Note

    The passive is expressed as an active sentence with dem as subject. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

33. I leave am behind.

    I left it behind

    Usage

    When looking for a lost item; then say what it is

    Grammar Note

    The past is expressed by the bare verb form (leave). (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

34. Accident don hapun for road.

    There has been a traffic accident

    Usage

    To report a road accident; hapun is the Pidgin spelling

    Grammar Note

    don marks completion; for is the locative preposition. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

35. Be careful o!

    Watch out!

    Usage

    To warn someone of an imminent danger

    Grammar Note

    o adds emphasis to the command. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

36. Abeg, do quick-quick.

    Please hurry

    Usage

    To urge a driver or helper to hurry

    Grammar Note

    quick-quick is reduplication meaning 'quickly'. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

37. Abeg, come now-now.

    Please come right away

    Usage

    On the phone when calling for help

    Grammar Note

    now-now is reduplication meaning 'right away'. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

38. Na emergency.

    It's an emergency

    Usage

    A short line that stresses urgency on the phone or at a desk

    Grammar Note

    Na links a noun predicate: 'it is ...'. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

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