mgbe: When
Mgbe + clause, main clause.
How It Works
Mgbe means “time” and starts a “when” clause.
| Say | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Mgbe m bịara, ọ nọ n'ụlọ. | When I came, he or she was at home. |
| Mgbe ọ bịara, anyị na-eri nri. | When he or she came, we were eating. |
| Mgbe m na-agụ akwụkwọ, ọ gara ahịa. | While I was reading, he or she went to the market. |
In the “when” clause, the pronoun m comes straight after mgbe. Each clause keeps its own verb. The question mgbe ole asks “when”.
Examples (3)
- Mgbe m bịara, ọ nọ n'ụlọ.
When I came, he or she was at home.
Mgbe plus m plus bịara.
- Mgbe ọ bịara, anyị na-eri nri.
When he or she came, we were eating.
Ọ follows mgbe.
- Mgbe m na-agụ akwụkwọ, ọ gara ahịa.
While I was reading, he or she went to the market.
Na- inside the clause.
How It Connects
Learn This First
A mgbe clause is often past, and mgbe ole asks with the same word, so both come first.
- The Past Ending -ra / -reThe Past Ending
Know the past ending, because the verb in a mgbe clause is often past: Mgbe m bịara, ọ nọ n'ụlọ “when I came, he or she was at home”.
Level 2 - mgbe ole: Asking WhenMgbe Ole: When
Know mgbe ole, because mgbe is the same word for time, and mgbe ole asks “when”: Mgbe ole ka ị ga-abịa? “when will you come?”.
Level 2
Related Patterns
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice mgbe: When in Bubblegum
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