Lifestyle

Nigerian Pidgin Proverbs That Will Surely Make You Laugh

Anyone who knows me very well would know that I speak Pidgin English wella! Oh yeah, I roll like that too… Lol

We can’t deny that Pidgin English has come a long way in Nigeria. Maybe we’d discuss the origin of the language some time later, but for sure, it has come to stay. Now we have Songs, Movies, TV Programmes, Radio & TV Stations where only Pidgin is spoken and they’ve all made a huge impact on the society.

There’s something about Pidgin English that just makes the mood lighter and makes everything seem so funny. However, proverbs in Pidgin usually have a very strong meaning. Although it might be said as a joke or in a funny way, when you translate it properly, it thoroughly makes sense!

Here are some courtesy of Mayo Bayo of tlkdrum.com:

Craze no hard to form, na the trekking be wahala
loose translation: Easier said than done

No matter how hot your tempa be, e no fit boil beans
loose translation: Calm down, your temper won’t solve the problem

Chicken wey run way from Borno go Ibadan go still end up inside pot of soup
loose translation: You can’t run away from your destiny

Today’s newspaper na tomorrow Suya wrap
loose translation: Keep calm! Nothing lasts forever

Cow wey dey in a hurry to go America go come back as corn beef
loose translation: Just be patient. Let the game come to you. Don’t rush!

Akara and moin moin get the same parent, na wetin dey pass through make dem different
loose translation: How you start doesn’t matter, what matters is how you finish.

Leave matter for Mathias and Sabi for Sabinus
loose translation: Give everyone what they deserve.

The difference between kpekere and plantain chips na packaging
loose translation: Don’t judge based on appearance alone

Escort me, Escort me, na im slave trade take start
loose translation: Serious things sometimes start like a joke

The water wey dem use take make eba can never be recovered back
loose translation: Don’t cry over spilled milk

Which proverb do you think has the strongest meaning? Do you have any other proverb in Pidgin to add to this list? Feel free to share.

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39 Comments

  • Reply
    Racheal Laye Edward
    January 5, 2015 at 9:34 pm

    LMHO
    Lol

  • Reply
    Helena kings
    January 5, 2015 at 9:44 pm

    “Today’s newspaper na tomorrow suya wrap”, I like the most.
    Another reassurance that no bad condition is permanent.

  • Reply
    Lioness
    January 5, 2015 at 10:14 pm

    Na the small cooperation wey water and garri get Na im make am dey rise. Meaning………. Peace is better than War.

  • Reply
    victoria
    January 5, 2015 at 10:21 pm

    Nice one

  • Reply
    Thelma
    January 6, 2015 at 12:34 am

    Escort me, escort me, na im make slave trade start… this what I like most. It makes so much sense. 🙂
    I love Naija pidgin

    • Reply
      Victor
      January 6, 2015 at 9:44 am

      True o. No be today nyash dey bak. Nothing is new

    • Reply
      Lilian
      January 6, 2015 at 9:58 am

      Na true talk b dz

  • Reply
    Edike Chichi
    January 6, 2015 at 12:34 am

    Big mouth dey talk, big ear dey listen, goat dey chop big ear yam. -Make hay while the sun shines

  • Reply
    joy
    January 6, 2015 at 4:08 am

    No do no do na him dey form small pikin….had I knw is the brother to Mr late lol

    • Reply
      Terry
      January 6, 2015 at 7:27 pm

      abeg make person No die wit laughter hère abeg…

  • Reply
    tharry
    January 6, 2015 at 10:20 am

    I no gree, I no gree nai dey tear cloth……two wrongs can’t make it wright

  • Reply
    Tuoyo
    January 6, 2015 at 12:54 pm

    This is lovely though…the first one got me the most. Thank u for this

  • Reply
    D j rock star
    January 6, 2015 at 3:14 pm

    Hi step u are more than the nolly wood star as I thought. Those proverbs are hard nice one

  • Reply
    Israel
    January 6, 2015 at 5:10 pm

    Here’s one..
    Sufri sufri catch monkey. –
    Be patient in what ever u want to do.

    Monkey de work, baboon de chop.

  • Reply
    aniekwe gabriel
    January 6, 2015 at 7:31 pm

    Carry me, I carry you na I’m make rice full pot. Meaning; there’s strenght in unity

  • Reply
    chinaveen
    January 6, 2015 at 10:10 pm

    No matter how yansh smart reach… Breast dey first am enter house ….meaning…what will be will be

    No akpere (basket) for rotten mangoes .. Meaning..No time for irrelevant things

    Na from clap dem dey enter dance…meaning..be careful one act can lead to a regretful end

    Na wetin u look troway face your neighbour take pass you…meaning don’t overlook everything, it might be your success in disguise

  • Reply
    rita
    January 6, 2015 at 10:27 pm

    Leg wey dey waka kurukere eyes wey dey waka kurukere dey see am. Meaning nothing is hidden under the sun.

  • Reply
    ini asuquo
    January 7, 2015 at 9:45 am

    Hahahahahaha dis is so funny, craze no hard to form, na the trekking be wahala.

    • Reply
      nelly
      January 8, 2015 at 12:56 am

      Gimme yansh make I do small no mean say I sell ma yansh gi u

  • Reply
    kwadwo asare safo
    January 8, 2015 at 2:09 pm

    na waaoo nice proverbs. like them all

  • Reply
    austin
    January 9, 2015 at 8:32 am

    Na cooperation dey make rice full pot

  • Reply
    Mimi
    January 11, 2015 at 2:16 am

    Ohkpolo eyes nor b open eyes . . Meaning : big eyes no mean say u wise. . .
    Ahhahhahahahah
    I love them all

  • Reply
    Joel Ryan-Brew
    March 1, 2015 at 12:07 pm

    Nigerians go kill us with their Pidgin Proverb oooo
    I like all of them.
    keep it up

  • Reply
    Aaron
    May 13, 2015 at 1:21 pm

    Pikin wei go well, go well.
    Meaning- wat’ll be, will be….

    • Reply
      The palace
      June 6, 2016 at 5:13 pm

      Fly no dey smell something make e troway eye

      • Reply
        The palace
        June 6, 2016 at 5:16 pm

        One does not test the depth of a river with both feet

  • Reply
    Aaron
    May 13, 2015 at 1:25 pm

    Monkey smart monkey smart, na bcus tree near tree…..

  • Reply
    Aaron
    May 13, 2015 at 1:35 pm

    Na good morning dey result to how are you………..

  • Reply
    Professorval
    October 1, 2015 at 1:40 pm

    Na fowl wer never see knife de disturb crowd…

  • Reply
    Awal
    February 5, 2016 at 12:18 am

    It will be killer and a chiller when i got the Gorilla in Manila

  • Reply
    Awal
    February 5, 2016 at 12:22 am

    If I die im save if I’m alive i’m not save

  • Reply
    Vibrant
    July 21, 2016 at 11:57 am

    Na too much brother gud morning da course brother were u da go=over similarity/closness can cuss insult

    person da big pass madam put rice one meat=we do upgrade

  • Reply
    Lawrenzo
    January 19, 2017 at 11:37 pm

    ogoro and water get same color but na deir action diffrent

  • Reply
    Rubbie
    July 1, 2017 at 2:03 pm

    Chicken wey run way from Borno go Ibadan no wan make boko haram kill am nd im no wan end up for sambisa forest…………..keep helping Nigerians in laughing away their sorrows

  • Reply
    Remi Rahmon
    September 2, 2017 at 3:48 pm

    Person wey dey cut onions and person wey dey use wet wood dey make fire na dis same problem dem face. Means everybody wit his/her own cross

  • Reply
    Mr trump
    September 11, 2017 at 5:35 pm

    If fowl use as em tke dey shit dey clean yanch person no fr dey see road waka.

  • Reply
    TOHEEBnice
    October 4, 2017 at 2:21 pm

    e go beter e go beter na him make omo igbo day kano.meaning to be a man is not eazy

  • Reply
    YUNG JAY
    January 24, 2018 at 2:51 pm

    ths proverbs over make sence abeg..
    na dis kind tin der make person laugh for serious situation

  • Reply
    Bestieoutfit
    May 19, 2018 at 7:14 am

    Abeg pls Biko shift lemme faint….I can’t stop laughing

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