Free survival kit

Igbo survival kit

The 20 essential phrases and 100 key words to get by in Igbo when travelling.

20 phrases
100 key words in the PDF

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Greetings

Igbo	English
Ndeewo	hello (traditional)
Ụtụtụ ọma	good morning
Ehihie ọma	good afternoon
Mgbede ọma	good evening
Ka chi fo	good night
Kedụ?	how are you?
Ọ dị mma	it is fine / I am fine
Adị m mma	I am fine

Asking for directions

Igbo	English
onye	who?
gịnị	what?
ebee	where?
kedụ	how?

Emergencies

Igbo	English
isi	head
anya	eye / eyes
ọnụ	mouth
aka	hand / arm

At the restaurant

Igbo	English
nri	food
mmiri	water
anụ	meat
ji	yam

30 key words to remember

Igbo	English
Nnọọ	welcome
Daalụ	thank you
Imeela	thank you (well done)
Biko	please
Ndo	sorry
Cheretu	excuse me
Ka emesịa	goodbye / see you later
Ije ọma	safe journey
Ee	yes
Mba	no
ịbụ	to be
inwe	to have
ịga	to go
ịbịa	to come
iri	to eat
ịṅụ	to drink
ịsụ	to speak
ịhụ	to see
inye	to give
m	I / me
ị	you (singular)
ọ	he / she / it
anyị	we / us
unu	you (plural)
ha	they / them
nna	father
nne	mother
nwa	child
nwanne nwoke	brother
nwanne nwanyị	sister

In context: 5 scenes to get by

On arrival

You land at Enugu airport early in the day. An agent calls out "Ndeewo" followed by morning greetings. You reply by matching politeness to the time of day.

Ndeewo : hello (traditional)
Ụtụtụ ọma : good morning
Ehihie ọma : good afternoon
Mgbede ọma : good evening

In a taxi

You climb into a keke napep (motorized tricycle) common in Onitsha or Enugu. The driver asks who you are, what, where and how you want to pay. You show him your host's address.

onye : who?
gịnị : what?
ebee : where?
kedụ : how?

At the café

You sit down at a mama put (popular eatery) to try egusi soup. You order food, water, grilled meat and pounded yam.

nri : food
mmiri : water
anụ : meat
ji : yam

In an emergency

You wake up with pain in the head and eyes. You describe the painful areas in Igbo to the pharmacist (head, eyes, mouth, hands) so he can guide you properly.

isi : head
anya : eye / eyes
ọnụ : mouth
aka : hand / arm

On departure

In the evening, before leaving your host, you wish him "Ka chi fo" (good night), ask once more how he is, reassure him everything is fine and that you, too, are well.

Ka chi fo : good night
Kedụ? : how are you?
Ọ dị mma : it is fine / I am fine
Adị m mma : I am fine

Cultural notes

Respect for elders is central. People never address an elder by first name alone, but with a title (Nna anyi, Nne anyi, or Mazi) or "Sir"/"Ma". Standing up when an elder enters is appreciated.
Give and receive with the right hand, or with both hands to show respect especially to an elder. Using only the left hand is considered inappropriate.
The kola nut (oji) is sacred in Igbo culture. If offered when welcomed, take at least a bite, it symbolizes hospitality and communion.
Igbo is tonal. "Akwa" can mean egg, cloth, bed or crying depending on tones. Listen carefully and do not hesitate to ask for repetition.
Igbo culture greatly values entrepreneurship ("Igbo apprenticeship system" or Igba Boi). Discussing business, trade and opportunities is a welcome topic.
Christianity (Catholic and Evangelical) dominates, blended with traditional Igbo beliefs. On Sundays, churches are packed and many shops close in the morning.
The history of the Biafran war (1967-1970) remains sensitive. Avoid jokes or hasty judgments about this period, just listen if it comes up.
Bargaining is expected at Onitsha, Aba or Nnewi markets (some of West Africa's largest). Stay relaxed, take your time, joke around, and seal the deal with a handshake.

Keep the whole kit on your phone

The 20 phrases, 100 key words and the cultural notes in a PDF to keep offline or print. We also send it to you by e-mail.

A grandmother in a yellow headscarf holds a young child close

A family language

Reconnect with Igbo

The language of your parents, your grandparents or your partner. The one you want to pass on to your children.

A couple in olive green traditional attire — Speaking the language of the country means reconnecting with its people.

A mother smiles at the little girl in her arms — Now, at home, we speak Igbo.

A young woman smiles, phone in hand — “Hi Mum, I speak Igbo!”

A father in white attire holds his son by the sea — Children who speak Igbo are the greatest cultural wealth you can bring to your family.

A smiling grandmother holds a baby in her arms — Your grandparents’ Igbo should not end with them.

Finally understand what is said at the table, and answer back.
Your in-laws speak Igbo to you. Answer them in Igbo.

A language is passed down from generation to generation. Now it is your turn.

Start Igbo for free

About this kit

Igbo is spoken by around 44 million people in southeastern Nigeria. A rich tonal language, it is the language of Chinua Achebe (Things Fall Apart) and a dynamic entrepreneurial culture. It travels with you in Enugu, Onitsha, Owerri and across Igboland.

Igbo, or Asụsụ Igbo, has around 44 million speakers mainly in southeastern Nigeria (Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo States, and parts of Delta and Rivers). A large Igbo diaspora is found across West Africa, Europe, the United States and the United Kingdom. It is also the language of Chinua Achebe (Things Fall Apart, the first canonical African novel in English), Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Half of a Yellow Sun) and many Nollywood musicians and actors.

Linguistically, Igbo belongs to the Niger-Congo family, Volta-Niger branch. It is a tonal language with two main registers (high and low), and a third falling tone in some contexts. The standardized Latin orthography (Onwu, 1961) includes specific characters with subscript dots ("ị", "ọ", "ụ") that mark open vowels. Grammar is relatively accessible: subject-verb-object order, no grammatical gender, verbal conjugation that relies on prefixes and suffixes rather than complex endings. The biggest difficulty remains mastering tones and vowel harmonies.

Traveling in Igboland without a few words means missing a richly textured world. Morning greetings ("Ụtụtụ ọma"), respect markers toward elders, the kola nut (oji) ritual during formal welcomes, the entrepreneurial ethic (Igba Boi) that shapes business relationships, all run through the language. Saying "Ndeewo", thanking with "Daalụ" or replying "Ọ dị mma" when asked how you are instantly changes the tone of an exchange. This kit gathers the minimum to handle an arrival in Enugu, a keke napep ride, a jollof order and a medical emergency.

Sources and references

Every translation is cross-checked against at least two concordant sources among the references below.

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