Basic Nouns

1. Water

   Usage

   Ask for drinking water; add bottle for sealed water. Sachet water is called pure water

   Grammar Note

   An English-derived noun used unchanged: no article, and plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty (a common loanword)

2. Food

   Usage

   The general word for food, useful when hunting for somewhere to eat; goes with chop (to eat)

   Grammar Note

   An English-derived noun used unchanged: no article, and plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty (a common loanword)

3. Money

   Usage

   The base word for paying and changing currency. The currency is the naira

   Grammar Note

   money keeps its English spelling and, as a mass noun, takes no article or plural

4. Toilet

   Usage

   Combine it with the where question (Abeg, wia toilet dey?). The English word toilet is understood everywhere

   Grammar Note

   An English-derived noun used unchanged: no article, and plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty (a common loanword)

5. Tissue paper

   Usage

   Many toilets have no paper; use this word to buy some

   Grammar Note

   An English-derived noun used unchanged: no article, and plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty (a common loanword)

6. Medicine

   Usage

   At a pharmacy; combine with gestures for your symptom. Drug also means medicine but can suggest narcotics, so medicine is safer

   Grammar Note

   An English-derived noun used unchanged: no article, and plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty (a common loanword)

7. Luggage

   Usage

   For checking in, carrying on or reporting lost bags; bag also works for a single piece

   Grammar Note

   An English-derived noun used unchanged: no article, and plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty (a common loanword)

8. Key

   Usage

   At hotel reception when collecting or returning it

   Grammar Note

   An English-derived noun used unchanged: no article, and plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty (a common loanword)

9. Ticket

   Usage

   Covers both transport tickets and admission tickets

   Grammar Note

   An English-derived noun used unchanged: no article, and plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty (a common loanword)

10. Passport

    Usage

    Comes up at check-in, currency exchange and police checks

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived noun used unchanged: no article, and plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty (a common loanword)

11. Phone

    Usage

    When you need to borrow one or ask for a number; also used for mobile phones

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived noun used unchanged: no article, and plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty (a common loanword)

12. Charger

    Usage

    To borrow one at a hotel or café or buy one in a shop

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived noun used unchanged: no article, and plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty (a common loanword)

13. Station

    Usage

    A landmark word when asking for directions; for buses bus stop is more common

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived noun used unchanged: no article, and plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty (a common loanword)

14. Hospital

    Usage

    The first word you need if you fall ill

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived noun used unchanged: no article, and plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty (a common loanword)

15. Police

    Usage

    For theft or accidents; combine with wia (where)

    Grammar Note

    police is a collective noun with no article or plural; for one person say police officer

16. Shop

    Usage

    When looking for somewhere to buy something

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived noun used unchanged: no article, and plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty (a common loanword)

17. Room

    Usage

    When asking a hotel about vacancies; stays singular after a number

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived noun used unchanged: no article, and plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty (a common loanword)

18. Road

    Usage

    The base word when asking the way

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived noun used unchanged: no article, and plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty (a common loanword)

19. Family

    Usage

    A guaranteed small-talk topic; showing photos helps

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived noun used unchanged: no article, and plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty (a common loanword)

20. Name

    Usage

    For introductions and for giving your name at a counter; the name in Wetin be your name?

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived noun used unchanged: no article, and plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty (a common loanword)

21. Head

    Usage

    Point at your own head to show where it hurts; body parts use the English words

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived noun used unchanged: no article, and plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty (a common loanword)

22. Eye

    Usage

    For eye trouble

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived noun used unchanged: no article, and plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty (a common loanword)

23. Tooth

    Usage

    For toothache; the English plural teeth is also heard

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived noun used unchanged: no article, and plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty (a common loanword). This word is treated as plain English vocabulary

24. Throat

    Usage

    For a sore throat or trouble swallowing

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived noun used unchanged: no article, and plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty (a common loanword)

25. Belle

    Belly

    Usage

    For stomach pain; belle is the Pidgin word for belly. Say it as Belle dey pain me. It can also mean pregnancy, so watch the context

    Grammar Note

    belle is the Pidgin form of belly and covers both stomach and pregnancy. Pain is said as Belle dey pain me (dey + verb)

26. Back

    Usage

    For back pain

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived noun used unchanged: no article, and plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty (a common loanword)

27. Leg

    Usage

    For leg or foot pain; in Pidgin leg usually covers the foot too

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived noun used unchanged: no article, and plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty (a common loanword)

28. Hand

    Usage

    For an injured or painful hand or arm; in Pidgin hand covers the arm as well

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived noun used unchanged: no article, and plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty (a common loanword). Arm is not a separate word here: hand also covers the arm

29. Chest

    Usage

    For chest pain or tightness (the chest, not the breast)

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived noun used unchanged: no article, and plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty (a common loanword)

30. Ear

    Usage

    For earache or trouble hearing

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived noun used unchanged: no article, and plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty (a common loanword)

31. Neck

    Usage

    For neck pain

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived noun used unchanged: no article, and plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty (a common loanword)

32. Shoulder

    Usage

    For shoulder pain

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived noun used unchanged: no article, and plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty (a common loanword)

33. Knee

    Usage

    For knee pain or injury

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived noun used unchanged: no article, and plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty (a common loanword)

34. Finger

    Usage

    For an injured finger; a toe is a toe

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived noun used unchanged: no article, and plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty (a common loanword)

35. Skin

    Usage

    For itching or skin trouble

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived noun used unchanged: no article, and plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty (a common loanword)

36. Nose

    Usage

    For a blocked nose or nosebleed

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived noun used unchanged: no article, and plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty (a common loanword)

37. Airport

    Usage

    Show a taxi driver where you are going

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived noun used unchanged: no article, and plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty (a common loanword)

38. Bus stop

    Usage

    Point at it when asking where the stop is

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived noun used unchanged: no article, and plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty (a common loanword)

39. Chemist

    Chemist, pharmacy

    Usage

    When looking for somewhere to buy medicine; locally often called a chemist, and pharmacy is understood too

    Grammar Note

    An English-derived noun used unchanged: no article, and plurals are shown by a numeral or plenty (a common loanword)

40. Bureau de change

    Money exchange

    Usage

    When asking where you can change money. Signs often abbreviate Bureau de change to BDC

    Grammar Note

    A French-origin phrase borrowed through English and used unchanged

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