ọ bụ: It Is

Level 1

Ọ bụ + noun: it is… Written as two words.

How It Works

Ọ bụ is the pronoun ọ plus bụ. In writing, keep it as two words. A joined ọbụ is a typing variant.

Question	Answer
Onye bụ nwanyị ahụ? “Who is that woman?”	Ọ bụ nne m. “It is my mother.”
Gịnị bụ nke a? “What is this?”	Ọ bụ ọgwụ. “It is medicine.”

You can use it with a name or a thing. With a pronoun it asks and states who someone is: Ọ bụ gị? “Is it you?”, and the answer Ee, ọ bụ m “Yes, it is me”.

The negative is ọ bụghị. A later lesson also uses ọ bụ to point at one part of a sentence.

Examples (4)

Ọ bụ nne m.
It is my mother.
Ọ bụ names who it is.
Ọ bụ Obi.
It is Obi.
A name after ọ bụ.
Ọ bụ ọgwụ.
It is medicine.
A thing after ọ bụ.
Ee, ọ bụ m.
Yes, it is me.
M follows ọ bụ.

Common Mistakes

Writing ọ bụ as one word
Ọbụ nne m.
Ọ bụ nne m.
Write ọ and bụ as two words.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

ọ bụ: It IsLevel 1

Learn This First

Ọ bụ is ọ plus bụ, so bụ comes first.

bụ: Who or What Something Is
Know bụ, because ọ bụ is the pronoun ọ plus bụ, written as two words: Ọ bụ nne m “it is my mother”.
Level 1

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

bụọ

Practice ọ bụ: It Is in Bubblegum

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