PIDGIN ENGLISH IN
THE ORIGIN OF
The English language found its way into
DAILY INTERACTION.
PART
ONE
USEFUL
PHRASES IN PIDGIN ENGLISH
ENGLISH:
VERSION.
>Hello: Alo
>This
food is delicious: Dis chop too sweet
>I am
thirsty: Hungry
water di
do me
>What
time does the plane land: Which
time plane go land/ di land
>What is
your name: Weti be your name or ya name na who
>My name
is Charles: Ma
name na Charles
>How
much: Na
how much
>I am
very sorry: Ashia
>Come
quickly:
>I don’t
understand: A
ni di
understand
>See you
later: See
you small time
>Good
bye: Bye
bye.
ADJECTIVES:
>Better: Beta
>Beautiful: ih too fine
>Bad: Woh woh
>Very
Bad: Too
who woh
>Stubborn: Strong-head
>Steep: Steep
am
>Awake: ih don wake-up
>Angry
with: Vex
with
>Broken: ih don broke.
VERBS:
>Arrive ih don
cam/reach
>Chase
Follo/
Chasam
>Eat
Chop am
NOUNS
>Mouth
Mot
>Far
Farwet
>Cat
Pusi
>Child
Pikin
>Trouble Chakara
>Bed
room Room for slip
>Toilet
Latrine
PART TWO
VERBS IN
ENGLISH “VERBS
+ AM IN PIDGIN
Take Takam
Put
Putam
Give
Givam
See Seeam
Ask
Askam
Teach
Teacham
Break /
Broke
Brokam
Work
Workam
Help
Helpam
Stand
Stanam
/ Stanap
Run
Run
Keep Kipam
Carry
Carryam
Talk
Tokam
Bring Bringam
Show
Showam
Write
Writam
Smell
Smellam
Get
Getam
Catch Catcham
Sit
Shidon
/ Shidon down
Eat
Chop / Chopam
Greetings
A Salote
/ Salote
Beat
Bitam
Bear Bearam
Bend
Benam
Set
Setam
Think
Thinkam
Bite
Bitam
Bless
Blessam
Blow
Blowam
Build
Billam
Burn Bonam
Buy
Buyam
Hold
Holam
Keep
Kipam
Know
Sabi / Sabiam
Learn
Learnam
Leave
Livam
Make
Makam
Melt Miltam
Hear
Hearam
Pay
Payam
Over
come
Over comam
Mistake
Mistakam
Prove
Provam
Read
Read am
Ride
Ridam
Sell Sellam
Send
Senam
Choose
Choosam
Drive
Drivam
Do
Doam
Shake
Shekam
Shave
Shevam
Dig
Digam
Feed Fidam
Feel
Filam
Grind
Grinam
Tell
Tellam
Sweep
Swipam
Spend
Spenam
Weep
Wipam
Withdraw
Withdrawam.
DAILY WORDS USED IN PIDGIN
ENGLISH
PIDGIN
Pig
Swine
Food Chop
Drinks
Mimbo
Dish
Pan
Electricity
Current
Rat
mould
Ngrobif
Coco
yams
Plantains
planti
Meat
Beef
School Skull
Hospital
Hospito
Car
Moto
Monkey
Monki
Money
Moni
Slipper /
Bathing Shoe Slipas
Sponge
Cusha
PART THREE
USED DURING
CONVERSATION OR DIALOGUE
ENGLISH PIDGIN
Please
excuse me! I
beg, excuse me
Can I help
you? I
fit help you
I wish to
know the way to the market. I
want ash whoside road for go market
How much is
a Taxi fare? Nah
ha much dem di pay taxi
Where do
they sell shoes? Whoside them di sell shoes
How much is
this pair of shoes? Nah
ha much you di ell this shoes
LITTLE
CONVERSATION BETWEEN A BUYER AND A SELLER
BUYER: Aseh! Who deh here? You get shoe brush? (PIDGIN)
Who is here? Do you have
shoe brush? (ENGLISH)
SELLER: Yes! I getam. (PIDGIN)
Yes! I have it.
(ENGLISH)
BUYER: Nah ha much you di
sellam? (PIDGIN)
How much does it cost?
(ENGLISH)
SELLER: Na 200 frs for one. (PIDGIN)
It is 200 frs each. (PIDGIN)
QUESTIONS
AND STATEMENTS
ENGLISH PIDGIN
I want to
consult. I
wan consult
Where is
the Doctor? Whoside doctor deh
Is it a
good hospital? Na
good hospito
Are their
medications effective? Their
medicine strong
Where do
they consult? Whoside man fit consult
PART FOUR
QUESTION
TAG/SYNTAX
In pidgin English, there are particular formulae in asking
questions. This format can help you know so many things and clear out some
doubts in your mind. Here, we will make use of the five W’s and H rule question
tag, which are: Where, Why, What, Which, Who and How.
STAGE I
ENGLISH PIDGIN
Where is……. Whoside………..
Why is it
that……. Why
e be seh…
What is….. Weti be…
Which one…. Which
one…
Who is….. Na
who….
How are…. How far….
STAGE II
PHRASES
ENGLISH PIDGIN
Where is
it? Whoside e deh
Where is
the road to…. Whoside road for…
Where is my
food? Whoside ma chop deh
Where are
you going to? Whoside you di go
Where are
you from? Whoside you commot
Why is
there Why e be she
Why is
there so much noise? Why
e be she plenty noise deh
Why could
he not do it? Why
e be she ih no fit doam
Why did he
cry? Why
ih be cry
What? Weti
What is it? Na
weti
What is
wrong? Na
weti be wrong
What is
your name? Na
weti be your name
Which? Which
Which one? Which
one
Which
place? Which
place
Who? Who
Who is it? Na
who
Who is he
talking to? E
di talk
na for who
Who is he
looking for? E
di find who or ih di find na
who
Who is it
for? Na
for who
Who opened
the tap? Na
who open di tap
How? Ha
How is your
health? How
for your skin
How are
your parents? Ha
for ya parents them
How is it? Ha
you deh or Ha for you
ENGLISH TAG PIDGIN
Isn’t it? Na
so noh or no bi na so
Is it, is
it so, it’s Na
so
Isn’t it
mine? Noh
bi ma own
Who is it
for? Na
for who
SYNTAX
It is
difficult to have a syntax in pidgin English. In this
section, we will deal with commands and instructions.
ENGLISH
COMMANDS PIDGIN
Come here
Go there Go for deh
Go and
bring me water Go
bring me wata
Go and keep
it Go
keepam
Sit down Shidon for down
INSTRUCTIONS
ENGLISH PIDGIN
Do this
before I come back Doam before I wan cam back
Stay there
until I come Remain
for deh until I cam
PIDGIN
SLANGS
Boh Friend
Aseh Calling
for attention
Heh Calling
for attention
Heh you Calling the
attention of someone
Ashia Expressing
condolences
Akwara/ashawo Prostitute
See ih deh Look at him (negative)
Mukala/bonblang Albino
Kongosa Gossip
Empty lass Nakedness
Lass Buttocks
PART FIVE
SOCIALISATION/COMMUNICATION
This
section will directly deal with speech and socialisation. How to easily
communicate and interact with someone you know or your do not know and you want
to make your friend.
ENGLISH PIDGIN
Good
afternoon I
salute
My name is
Simon Ma
name na Simon
What is
your name Weti be ya name
I am a
foreigner from
Are you a
Cameroonian You bi Cameroonian
Where do you
live Whoside you di stay
What do you
do for a living Weti you deh do
Are you a
student or worker You bi student or worker
I am a
student in my home University on internship I
bi student for some university for ma contry
How old are
you You deh ha old or ha old weh you be
I am 23
years old I
deh 23 years
SOCIALISATION
STRANGER: Excuse me
CITIZEN: Yes
STRANGER: Ma name na…(my name is….)
I di
stay for Buea (I live in Buea)
I cam like volunteer
worker for United Action for Children, UAC (I am a volunteer at UAC)
I deh
20 years old (I am 20 years old)
I commot
for Europe (I am fron
I like for dance, drink,
chop and for go for beach (I like to dance, drink, eat and go places)