Food & Drinks

1. I wan chop.

   I want to eat

   Usage

   The basic way to say you are hungry; chop is the classic Pidgin verb for eating

   Grammar Note

   wan means 'want to' and goes before the verb with no inflection. chop means 'eat' and also 'spend (money)'. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

2. Abeg, give me eba.

   Please give me eba (cassava fufu)

   Usage

   Eba is a staple made by stirring garri (cassava flour) into hot water, eaten with soup

   Grammar Note

   give me ... is 'please give me ...'. Imperatives have no subject; abeg adds politeness. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

3. Egusi soup sweet.

   Egusi soup is delicious

   Usage

   Egusi is a Nigerian soup made from melon seeds; the compliment word is sweet

   Grammar Note

   sweet is the predicate and needs no 'be' (same pattern as 'Dis food sweet o'). (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

4. I wan drink water.

   I want to drink water

   Usage

   When you are thirsty. Sachet water is called pure water

   Grammar Note

   wan + verb is 'want to ...'. drink is the English verb used without inflection. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

5. E sweet well-well.

   It is very delicious

   Usage

   To praise food. well-well is the reduplicated intensifier "very much"

   Grammar Note

   Pidgin intensifies by reduplication (well-well, small-small); write them hyphenated. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

6. Palm oil dey?

   Is there palm oil?

   Usage

   For asking whether something is available at a market or eatery. Many dishes are cooked with red palm oil

   Grammar Note

   dey expresses existence, and rising intonation makes it a question (statement word order). (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

7. Plantain good to chop.

   Plantain is good for eating

   Usage

   Plantain is a cooking banana, eaten roasted or fried

   Grammar Note

   good to chop is 'good for eating', with chop as the verb after to. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

8. Dis na yam porridge.

   This is yam porridge

   Usage

   For naming a dish or checking what you are served. na is the identity copula "this is ..."

   Grammar Note

   Dis na ... is 'This is ...'. A noun predicate uses na, not a 'be' verb. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

9. Abeg, chop di ewedu.

   Please eat ewedu (jute leaf soup)

   Usage

   For urging a guest to eat. Ewedu is a jute-leaf soup eaten with dishes such as amala

   Grammar Note

   di is the definite article ('the'), in Pidgin spelling. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

10. Pounded yam na di best.

    Pounded yam is the best

    Usage

    Pounded yam is boiled yam pounded into dough; a typical sentence is "Pounded yam and egusi soup na my best food"

    Grammar Note

    na makes a noun predicate, as in '... na my best food'. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

11. Rice.

    Rice

    Usage

    For ordering at eateries; jollof rice (rice cooked in tomato sauce) is the classic

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived food word used unchanged; plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty, not by an ending.

12. Bread.

    Bread

    Usage

    For breakfast or snacks

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived food word used unchanged; plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty, not by an ending.

13. Salt.

    Salt

    Usage

    For asking for salt at the table

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived food word used unchanged; plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty, not by an ending.

14. Sugar.

    Sugar

    Usage

    For asking for sugar in a drink

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived food word used unchanged; plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty, not by an ending.

15. Black pepper.

    Black pepper

    Usage

    The spice. In Nigeria plain "pepper" means chilli, so black is added for peppercorns

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived food word used unchanged; plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty, not by an ending.

16. Pepper.

    Chilli pepper

    Usage

    In Nigeria pepper means chilli. To keep it mild, ask for "small pepper"

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived food word used unchanged; plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty, not by an ending.

17. Cooking oil.

    Cooking oil

    Usage

    For buying oil at a shop or market; not the same as palm oil

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived food word used unchanged; plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty, not by an ending.

18. Vinegar.

    Vinegar

    Usage

    The condiment vinegar

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived food word used unchanged; plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty, not by an ending.

19. Butter.

    Butter

    Usage

    Butter for bread and the like

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived food word used unchanged; plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty, not by an ending.

20. Honey.

    Honey

    Usage

    Honey

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived food word used unchanged; plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty, not by an ending.

21. Soup or stew.

    Soup / stew

    Usage

    Nigerians distinguish soup (such as egusi) from stew (the red tomato sauce); both are eaten with a staple

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived food word used unchanged; plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty, not by an ending.

22. Fruit.

    Fruit

    Usage

    For looking for fruit

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived food word used unchanged; plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty, not by an ending.

23. Garlic.

    Garlic

    Usage

    The ingredient garlic

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived food word used unchanged; plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty, not by an ending.

24. Onion.

    Onion

    Usage

    The ingredient onion

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived food word used unchanged; plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty, not by an ending.

25. Ginger.

    Ginger

    Usage

    The ingredient ginger

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived food word used unchanged; plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty, not by an ending.

26. E neva cook well.

    It is not cooked through

    Usage

    To say food is undercooked. neva means "not yet"

    Grammar Note

    neva is the 'not yet' negator and goes before the verb. (Composed from common words by regular grammar; not a fixed phrase.)

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