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Translate English to Nigerian | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Nigerian Word |
Continuous Meaning |
ENGLISH NIGERIAN |
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C. |
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caban House |
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A place where one lives. |
cabu-cabu |
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also spelled KABU KABU; This is an unregistered taxi cab operating illegally. Not painted in official taxi colours. Usually, drivers using cars for cabu cabu, upon discovery on the road are pulled out of their windows by police, or risk being flogged; {Your driver Sunday dey use una car for cabu cabu - when I'm drop of una pikin for school, on the way back, im go dey pick up passenjas.} |
caf |
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cafeteria |
caff |
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short form for cafeteria. Usually the kind found on secondary school and university campuses |
cak |
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to where clothes, usually to dress up for an occasion or function |
call card |
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visiting card |
camp |
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stay in a group in temporary simple accommodation while on a visit for a purpose We were camped in the student hostels while attending the Nigerian University Games Association {NUGA} games. |
camp, to |
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to hire a room in a hotel or elsewhere and keep it for the purpose of entertaining male visitors for money through formal or informal prostitution |
can |
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to like {in relation to food}; Can you eat that type of food? Do you like that type of food? |
can |
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to want to Can you take your bath now? i.e. do you want to take a bath now? |
cane-rope |
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rattan-palm or the fibre derived from it Calamus deeratus |
canteen |
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supermarket or large grocery store now archaic, as supermarket has replaced it, but a colonial-era expression. Borrowed into Hausa land |
canvasser |
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one who is paid to go round to campaign for a particular candidate and make sure that the people turn up en masse at polling stations on election day |
carbon copy |
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Look alike or replica |
card |
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fish-drying rack this type of fish they put on card |
carelessly |
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anyhow; she was sitting there carelessly; she was sitting there in an inappropriate position |
carry |
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word used to define how powerful a generator is in terms powering appliances. |
carry and go |
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a chant sang to a person caught stealing |
carry belle |
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get pregnant |
carry go |
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suit oneself |
carry go |
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Go ahead; Help your self. {There is Carry Go featuring one of the finest Choc City artiste Ice Prince by Jaybee on Spotify} |
carton |
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cardboard box of any form |
casala |
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trouble |
casala |
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trouble; problem. |
casanova |
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a womaniser |
case |
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misunderstanding, big problem; This thing is a big case now! |
cash and carry |
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a prostitute |
cash-madam |
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large-scale woman trader, generally in the south this cash-madam is too tough this woman trader is a hard bargainer |
catch |
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to affect, to trap, to afflict sickness has caught me rather sickness don catch me Pidgin - usage in many African languages |
catch trips |
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To entertain one's self, usually at the expense of another. |
cd plate |
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compact disc |
Ceiba |
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trade name for the kapok tree, Ceiba pentandra {silk-cotton} |
cha cha |
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gambling |
cha cha |
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brand new |
cha-cha |
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not at all; Used for emphasis of a negative statement. {Frequently used amongst Igbo speakers} |
chaf |
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Smoking |
chai |
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What! {chai tea or chai recipe as a beverage that is a blend of black tea, honey, spices and milk}. |
chai! |
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Usually exclamation, used to express grief, surprise, disappointment and anger, etc... Also see choi |
chaii |
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An exclamation |
chaik |
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to chat up or chase the opposite sex; usually male to female he prefers chaiking to reading. |
chairman |
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a boss |
chairman |
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Term used to describe a guy {at times my chairman}; |
chance |
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Cheating someone {take a chance or chance upon or chancellor or second chance}; enter one chance; grateful for getting the chance to; greatful for the chance; a chance to experience great culture and music! |
chance |
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in the expression Give chance! i.e. Give me room! but also give me an opportunity to do - usage in many African languages |
change am |
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to change an article or something; to change someone's fate without his or her intention. |
chao |
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verb: to eat, noun; food |
Chapman |
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soft drink usually made mineral plus Ribina and fruit; similar to a nonalcoholic Sangria |
chappy |
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a beautiful girl; {chappy's restaurant} |
char |
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Something you tell someone when he say something stupid or incorrect word or strange word, its just use when someone say something out of point {e.g. Guy, you char} |
charge to court |
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to charge s.o. with an offence bring money, or I will charge you to court |
chark |
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to drink alcohol, get drunk |
charlie |
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Originates from Ghana, it mean Friend. |
chaser |
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man who chases women |
chasis |
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awesome, very nice |
chassiss |
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new |
Che! |
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Expression of surprise - Igbo chei! |
check |
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we will go check him we'll go and see if he's in check well! said by traders urging you to look round their shop |
chei |
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wow! |
chewing stick |
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stick from various tree species, chewed to clean the mouth and teeth. |
chewing-stick |
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a piece of wood which can be softened by chewing and moisturing and which serves the purpose of teeth-cleaning {e.g. Please give me a chewing stick; I need to clean my teeth} |
chey |
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exclamation or sign of sympathy. Usually for something bad. |
chi chon chi |
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it means experience, or having witnessed something or be a victim of a circumstance. Chi chon chi is mimic from the word 'see something'. 'Chi chon chi' is the way a typical Calabar or Ibibio man pronounces; see something {it could also be written as shi shon shi}{ e.g. You never chi chon chi, if you chi chon chi you go yon} |
chickala |
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a beautiful, sexy girl |
chicken-change |
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insignificant amount of money, 'peanuts' these people only give chicken-change they only pay peanuts - 'chicken-feed' |
chickito |
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young pretty looking lady |
chief |
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term of address; used to show respect or towards male friends |
chika |
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a girl or babe |
chikala |
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a girl. see chickito |
chilax |
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chillin or relaxing somewhere outside ur area or to calm someone's anxiety,fear or eagerness. |
child dedication |
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church ceremony followed by elaborate entertainment in churches which do not practise infant baptism, {often} replacing the traditional naming ceremony |
chillax |
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chill out; relax |
chin |
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to chin {verb}; to ignore another person, especially on purpose. |
chin-chin |
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triangular fried cakes served at gatherings |
chinco |
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Chinese or a Chinese individual |
chinco land |
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China |
chineke |
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God Almighty; {the emphasis is placed on the creative activity of the supreme being simply by the use of the one word.} |
Chineke meeeeeeee! |
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Oh my God! |
chingum |
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chewing gum. |
chinko |
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this word is used to describe Chinese people or people of the Asian race |
chiz |
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a word that represent money |
chock |
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to place stones or wood under the wheels of a vehicle to stop it rolling away |
chock |
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used for aircraft |
choco |
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weed, marijuana |
chook |
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stab |
chook |
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awl used by carvers |
chook |
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stab |
chook |
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to prick, to inject the thorn has chooked me |
choose |
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to choose between two alternatives contrast with 'select' |
chop |
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food let us go for chop let us go and get some food |
chop |
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to eat |
chop |
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to eat can you chop rice? do you eat rice? |
chop |
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to embezzle; He has chopped too much money |
chop beans |
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to fail at something |
chop belleful |
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eat well |
chop burger |
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to put on weight |
chop chop |
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gluttonous |
chop cockroach |
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to get pregnant |
chop go |
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escape |
chop I chop |
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mutual corruption |
chop knuckle |
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fist bump |
chop knuckle |
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fist bump, a kind of greeting similar to high five. |
chop up |
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to increase in wealth, status or body size. move up |
chop wowo lick plate |
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used to describe someone who is very ugly. it's a pidgin equivalent of 'hit by the ugly stick' |
chop-bar |
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small eating house |
chop-congo |
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to have sexual intercourse; I chop-congo today I had sex today |
Christmas bush |
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bush whose leaves are used to treat wounds Alchornea cordifolia. |
chuk |
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to have sex. to stab someone |
chuku-chuku |
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Spikes or sharp object |
chukuli |
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to cheat Carrying exam answers into the exam; Pieces of paper containing answers smuggled into an exam venue to aid in cheating. |
Chukwu; Chiokike; Obasi; Chukouuee |
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God; he infinitely powerful, undefinable, supreme deity encompassing everything in space and space itself. |
chyke |
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to woo someone of the opposite sex |
civilisation |
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shorthand for the colonial and post-colonial era since we had civilisation |
clap for yourself |
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be proud of yourself; well don! |
class-mate |
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in the same year at school or university as the speaker; He is my class-mate means he was my classmate a relationship much more important in Nigeria than elsewhere |
clean |
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to erase |
clean off |
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to wipe off, wipe away Clean off that writing! |
clear |
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to park off the road Clear the car! = Park well! |
climb |
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to get into climb that moto! get into that car! {enter} |
climb am |
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sex |
climb down |
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to get out of, to get down from climb down from that machine get off that motor-bike |
close |
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as in applied to enterprises and machines, thus also 'switch off' they have closed the enterprise has reached closing time. close the fan shut off the fan. |
coal-tar |
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asphalt road Now we have reached the coal-tar again |
coast |
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urban areas He has gone to coast he has gone {from his home village} to work in the modern urban sector {common in the Delta} Originally coastal towns visited by European traders. |
cocktail |
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cocktail party You are invited to cocktail. |
coconut head |
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a dunce |
coconut head |
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empty head, of low intelligence, a fool, an academic failure |
cocoye |
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someone from central or south America; a Hispanic or Latino person; a Chicano or mestizo |
code |
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to lie {lying} |
coded |
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a person who did something which no one around him or her notice; silently; gently |
coke |
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cocaine |
coke |
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this is the short form for Coca-cola, the popular brownish-black drink. |
collect |
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to pick up, to go and get Collect your loads. |
colo |
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to loose ones mind, become crazy |
colobi |
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see Kolobi |
colonial masters |
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stereotyped expression for British officialdom in the colonial era; Our colonial masters taught us this Used sneeringly by some speakers but as a purely decriptive term by others |
colonial mentality |
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pejorative expression implying readiness to accept inferior status; He is showing colonial mentality |
combine |
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gin and indian hemp taken together |
combing |
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to have have sex with a lady |
come |
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to be returning soon I am coming {said by someone just leaving}. Only when used in the given expression, not in any other collocation |
come chop |
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come dine or eat |
come down |
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to get down from a vehicle; I will come down here. |
come follow me stay |
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cohabitation |
coming causing confusion!; Come and be going; I'm coming |
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go quickly; I'll be back |
commot |
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go away or get out |
comot |
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leave |
comot |
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to leave a place |
comot for road |
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make way; get away! |
company |
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describes who owns a number of companies he is a company man he is a man who owns a variety of businesses N.B. 'company man' is thus almost the inverse of its meaning |
complain |
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complaint the community forwarded their complains to higher authorities |
complete |
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describes money and usually in the form 'not complete' your money is not complete the money is not enough |
complete |
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entire. Describes a period of time and precedes the noun the market burned for complete ten days |
compound |
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any ground of buildings surrounded by a notional or actual external perimeter. |
compound |
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land surrounding a fenced house/houses |
conceive |
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to impregnate; He has conceived her |
condemn |
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to be worn out, useless, spoilt {of objects} the moto is condemned the car is no longer any good they have condemned it. |
conducive |
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good, appropriate, fit the place is not conducive |
confam |
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Means Confirm or a way of showing integrity and assurance |
confirmed |
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see correct; something or someone with a good reputation |
confra |
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campus fraternity |
confusionist |
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who brings about confusion; he is just a confusionist |
Congo meat |
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meat of the giant African land snail |
conji |
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Horny |
conk |
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to hit a persons head with clenched fingers. |
conscience |
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girlfriend |
continental |
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describes non-Nigerian food of vaguely European type. |
control |
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to speak to someone |
cook |
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to heat on the fire, whether a solid or a liquid she is cooking the water She is boiling water. |
cool down |
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calming down or relaxing one's temper |
coolu temper |
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control your temper!; title of song by Nigerian saxophonist Lagbaja. |
copaiba balsam |
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tree, Daniellia oliveri, formerly valued for its gum? |
copper |
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Graduate fresh out of the university and serving in a cooperation temporary. |
copy copy |
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unoriginal person; see follow follow |
copyright |
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applied to a song performed by a popular entertainer previously made popular by another entertainer. Often said with slight scorn. That song is copyright. |
corner-corner |
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to do something sly |
corner-mate |
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person who shares your corner of a room typically a room, especially in Lagos and in universities with accommodation problems, is divided into four corners and each corner can be shared by two people On the analogy of room-mate; also bedmate in the same sense |
Corper |
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Member of the National Youth service Corps {NYSC} |
correct |
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a way of expressing something is good |
correct |
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as in to be correct they are not correct they are not doing the right thing. |
cortex |
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nail polish |
cotton |
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but also cotton-wool and kapok from the silk-cotton tree |
could remember |
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for 'can remember' I could remember when we still had kobos. |
counta |
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bottle cap |
counter blast |
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to respond or to counter attack |
country man/woman |
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a citizen |
country people |
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the masses |
cover slap |
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hard slap using the whole of your palm and fingers |
cover-cloth |
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is a long piece of cloth usually wrapped around the body when one lies down to sleep {e.g. The boy is sleeping, where is his cover-cloth?} |
cover-cloth |
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long strip of cloth usually wrapped around the body when sleeping |
cover-shoes |
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ordinary shoes as opposed to sandals Do you never wear cover-shoes? {said to a persistent sandal-wearer} |
co-wife |
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wife married to the same husband; co-wives always quarrel. {=mate} |
co-wife; co-wives |
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female partners in a polygamous marriage {e.g. South African President Jacob Zuma's co-wives were present on marriage to his third wife} |
cowitch |
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stinging vine. Mucuna pruriens - Hindi kawach |
cowleg |
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common cut of beef, often made into soup cowleg soup. |
cow-meat |
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beef. |
cowpea |
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bean, Vigna unguiculata More written than spoke; {beans.} - Hindi kalpi |
cra-fish |
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local way of pronouncing crayfish. |
craise |
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telling someone craise or craize in pidgin; telling someone that he or she is mad or crazy. |
cram |
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to memorise or read |
crase |
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mentally unbalanced; acting out of the norm |
crash |
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to sleep |
craw-craw |
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skin disorder that causes itchy rashes |
crayfish |
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shrimp, prawns |
craze |
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having or showing a very abnormal or sick state of mind |
cream boy |
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a guy who is a show-off. Somebody who likes to show off clothes, money, etc. |
creaminal |
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being the best creme de la creme in whatever you do |
crench |
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a prison or jail house. |
crispy |
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concise just a short crispy message |
croaker |
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sea-fish spp. Pseudotolithus spp. very widely traded |
cross carpet |
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to cross the floor {politician} |
crown |
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king in draughts |
cruz |
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use excessively |
cry |
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to make a noise {of objects} the thing was crying it was making a noise. |
cry-cry |
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somebody who cries too much, or easily. Usually a baby. This is used sometimes to tease babies in hope that the babies will stop crying, and most times the babies even cry louder {e.g. that una baby na cry-cry. I just commot from dommot because I for slap am} |
cultism |
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practice of secret societies, especially in universities. Believed to be violent and based on traditional religion Soyinka seeks end to cultism in varsities |
culture |
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ceremony, cultural festival; They do their cultures after the harvest |
cunny |
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tricky a cunny man a trickster; cunning? |
cunnyman |
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{specifically:} a con man. |
cup |
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any drinking receptacle, including glasses, mugs etc. |
cushion chair |
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armchair with cushions |
customary court |
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court where justice proceeds according to the traditions of a particular ethnic group Recognised by the Nigerian state for civil cases |
customs bar |
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commission charged on every puncheon of oil sold, deducted from the native trader's money and paid to the chief under whose auspices the supercargo had placed his ship for trading archaic, Niger Delta; work-bar |
cut |
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to be broken, cut, snapped in two the wire has cut the wire is cut. |
cut neck |
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when you like something so much |
cut out |
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Pidgin English phrase often used to refer to a hurried escape. |
cutlass |
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machete, used for cutting vegetation; matchet |
cutleries |
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cutlery Advert - For hire: Chairs, canopies, cutleries, utensils |
cutting-grass |
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cane rat, Thryonomys swinderianus; also more commonly 'grasscutter'. Throughout West Africa |
cycomolocuting |
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Going around in circles with words; saying the same thing repeatedly using different words, phrases or sentences {e.g. Na cycomolocuting dem just de do for de meeting} |
two letter words that start with c
what are some 2 letter c words
words containing letter c
two letter words with c words with friends
two letter words with c in scrabble
two letter words with c in them
2 letter words with c at the end
three letter words with c
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