Nigerian Pidgin is an English-based creole, and people all over Nigeria use it to talk across the country's many languages.
| Part | Easier for English Speakers | Takes Practice |
|---|---|---|
| Spelling | Words are spelled the way they sound, so person is written pesin (someone), and walk is waka. | Some words came in from English in their plural form, so matches are machis and socks are soks. |
| Sounds | There's no th sound to learn: English th becomes d or t, as in dem (them) and tank (thank). | Some English pairs share one vowel sound, so kot can mean court or cut. |
| Letters | Ch, j and sh sound as they do in chat, judge and shoot. | Two letter pairs are new, kp and gb, as in kpekere (plantain chips) and ogbono (a slimy soup). |
| Vowels | Writing uses only five vowel letters. | E and o each stand for two different sounds, so you learn which one a word has by listening. |
| Words | Say a word aloud, and you'll often hear the English word it came from. | Some common words look nothing like English, such as dogo (a tall person) from Hausa and kpalava (trouble) from Portuguese. |
For a study plan that changes as you go, read the fastest way to learn Nigerian Pidgin.
Each hard part of Nigerian Pidgin turns up at a level of its own.
- Level 1
I'm just starting out or know only a few words.
Short questions come first, like You understand di song? (Do you understand the song?) in the lesson below.
- Level 2
I can read simple sentences.
Words start to join into new ones, like ova-sabi (someone who shows they know too much), which joins an English word and a Portuguese one.
- Level 3
I can read short stories and messages.
Stories bring in words from Nigerian languages, like suya (spicy grilled meat) from Hausa.
- Level 4
I can read longer texts about everyday life.
Regions start to sound different: Lagos Pidgin borrows from Yoruba, and Port Harcourt mixes in words from many local languages.
- Level 5
I can follow complex topics, but miss some details.
Doubled words carry meanings of their own, like koro-koro (clear vision) and yama-yama (disgusting).
- Level 6
I can read almost anything.
Fast banter in comedy skits is what's left.
Kemi play song
Kemi played a song on her phone.
Do you understand the song?
No, I don't understand.
This lesson comes from Bubblegum, where Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Nigerian Pidgin lessons for each level.
For easy Nigerian Pidgin to start with, read the easiest way to learn Nigerian Pidgin.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Nigerian Pidgin. You learn from Nigerian Pidgin you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
- Lessons fit your level, interests, and goals.
- Read and listen to news and stories in Nigerian Pidgin about things you care about.
- Ask Poppy about a sentence while you read.
- Saved words come back in new lessons through Regenerative Review™, and you can send them to Anki too.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- Lessons and audio are made with AI, so check unfamiliar phrases with a speaker or tutor.
- A Pidgin blog post you found can't become a lesson. Paste a part of it into the chat, and Poppy tells you what it means.
- A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn.
- Regenerative Review™
Mobile
Is There One Standard Way to Spell Nigerian Pidgin?
Not everywhere yet. In 2009, the Naijá Langwej Akedemi proposed one shared spelling, and a common spelling has been catching on since the 2010s, so you'll still see some words written more than one way.
Is Bubblegum Free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- University of Hawaiʻi Charlene Sato Center, Naijá (Nigerian Pidgin), by David Esizimetor and Francis Egbokhare (the Naijá Langwej Akedemi proposed a harmonized spelling in 2009; seven vowels written with five letters, e and o for two sounds each; 22 consonant letters and pairs, including ch, j, sh, kp and gb; th becomes d or t, dem, di, tink, tank; bit, ful and kot for English pairs; pesin, waka; plural loans machis and soks; dogo and suya from Hausa, kpalava from Portuguese, kpekere, ogbono; ova-sabi)
- Wikipedia: Nigerian Pidgin (English-based creole used as a lingua franca across Nigeria; a common orthography developed in the 2010s; Lagos Pidgin influenced by Yoruba and the mixed Port Harcourt variety; koro-koro and yama-yama)
