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Small Dictionary of Nigerian Languages

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There are approximately 250 ethnic groups and tribes in Nigeria and each group has its own language. The three main groups are Hausa-Fulani, Yoruba and Igbo.


The Afro-Asiatic language Hausa is spoken by about 30 to 50 million people, including approximately 19 million Nigerians. Therefore, it is the most widely spoken trade language in western and central Africa and has official status in Benin, Burkina Faso, and Ghana. In Niger, Hausa is recognized as minority language. In Nigeria, Hausa is an official language in Sokoto, Kaduna, Kano, and Bauchi States.

In southwestern Nigeria, in the so-called Yorubaland, Yoruba is besides others the most commonly spoken language. Yorubaland includes among Ogun, Ondo, Kwara, Lagos, and western parts of Kogi States in Nigeria also parts of Benin and Togo. Beyond the borders of Yorubaland, some of the over 30 million speakers are found in Brazil and Cuba. Yoruba is a Niger-Congo language.

Apart from the official language English, the third main language in Nigeria is Igbo with about 18 million speakers. The native language of the Igbo tribe is mainly spoken in the southeast of Nigeria and belongs just as Yoruba to the Niger-Congo language family.

We provide you with a brief dictionary that introduces the most common terms and daily phrases of these three groups and hopefully simplifies the local communication for you.


DEUTSCH

ENGLISH

HAUSA

YORUBA

IGBO

Begrüßung

Greeting

Gaisuwa

Ikini

Ekele

Guten Morgen!

Good morning!

Ina kwana?
(Response: Lafiya)

E ku aro

Ututu Oma

Guten Tag!

Good afternoon!

Barka da yamma!
(Response: Barka kadai)

Ekaasan

Ehiehie Oma

Hallo!

Hello!

Sannu!
(Arabic: Salamu Alaikum)

Bawo ni!

Kedu!

Response: Hallo!

Response: Hello!

Response: Yauwa, Sannu!
(Arabic: Alaikum Salam)

Response: Dada!

Response: Odinma!

Wie geht's dir?

How are you?

Kina (w)/Kana (m) lafiya?

Dada lo wa?

Kedu ka ime?

Gut

Fine

Lafiya

Dada

Odinma

Bis morgen!

See you tomorrow!

Sai gobe!

Mo ma rie lo la!

Ka odi echi!

Tschüß!

Bye!

Sai an juma!

Odabo!

Bye!

Wie heißt du?

What's your name?

Mene ne sunanki(w)\ka(m)?

Kin ni oruko re?

Gini bu afga gi?

Danke

Thanks

Naa gode

Ose

Dalu

Bitte

Please

Don Allah

Jowo

Biko

Ja

Yes

I/Eh

Oda

Eeh

Nein

No

A'a

Koda

Mba

Wieviel Uhr ist es?

What time is it?

Кarfe nawa ne?

Ago Melo?/iyba wo?

Gini na aku?

Essen

Food

Abinci

Ohunje

Nri

Wasser

Water

Ruwa

Omi

Mmri

Gemüse

Vegetables

Kayan lambu

Efo

Akwuk wo nri

Tomaten

Tomatoes

Tumatir

Timati/tomati

Tomato

Karotten

Carrots

Karas

Karoti

Karoti

Fleisch

Meat

Nama

Eron

Anu

Fisch

Fish

Kifi

Eja

Azu

Yam

Yam

Doya

Isu

Ji

Reis

Rice

Shinkafa

Rice

Osikapa

Brot

Bread

Burodi

Bread

Bread

Kartoffeln

Potatoes

Dankali

Oduku

Potato

Ich habe Hunger.

I'm hungry.

Ina jin yunwa.

Ebi ipa mi.

Agu na agum.

Ich habe Durst.

I'm thirsty.

Ina jin кishirwaa.

Ohungbe gbe mi.

Nchoro ingu mmiri.

Auf dem Markt

At the market

A kasuwa

Inu oja

Na afia

Markt

Market

Kasuwa

Oja

Afia

Geschäft

Shop

Kanti

Iso

Ulo afia

Wo ist der Markt?

Where is the market?

Ina kasuwa ne?

Nebo loju na?

Ke be afia di?

Hast du... / Haben sie...?

Do you have...?

Kina (w) / Kana (m) da…?

Inje oni…?

I nwere…?

Wieviel kostet ...?

How much is the...?

… nawa (nawa) nee?

E lo ni...?

Ego ole…?

Reisen

Travelling

Tafiya

Irin ajo

Njem

Auto

Car

Mota

Moto

Ugbo ala

Fahrrad

Bicycle

Keke

Keke

Bicycle

Zug

Train

Jirgin kasa

Oko oju irin

Ugbo oloko

Schiff

Ship

Jirgin ruwa

Oko oju omi

Ugbo mmiri

Flugzeug

Plane

Jirgin sama

Oko oju ofurufu

Ugbo elu

Wo ist der Weg nach …?

Where is the way to…?

Ina hanyar zuwa…?

Ibo ni ona…?

Kedu uzo…?

Ich möchte nach ….fahren.

I want to go to …

Ina so in je ….

Mo fe lo …

Nchoro ijee….

Bitte, halte hier an.

Please, stop here.

Don Allah, ka tsaya a nan.

Dakun duro.

Biko kwusi ebea

Zahlen

Numbers

Lamba

Ohunka

Ogu onu

eins

one

ďaya

eyokan

ofu

zwei

two

biyu

eji

abuoa

drei

three

uku

eta

ato

vier

four

hudu

erin

ano

fünf

five

biyar

arun

ise

sechs

six

shida

eva

isii

sieben

seven

bakwai

eje

asaa

acht

eight

takwas

ejo

asato

neun

nine

tara

esan

itolu

zehn

ten

goma

meoa

iri

elf

eleven

(goma) sha ďaya

mo kam la

iri ofu

zwölf

twelve

(goma) sha biyu

mejila

iri abuoa

dreizehn

thirteen

(goma) sha uku

metala

iri ato

vierzehn

fourteen

(goma) sha hudu

merinla

iri ano

zwanzig

twenty

ahsirin/ishirn

ogun

ogu

einundzwanzig

twenty-one

ishirin da ďaya

moka le logun

ogu nofu

dreißig

thirty

talatin

ogban

iri ato

einunddreißig

thirty-one

talatin da ďaya

okun le logban

iri ato nofu

vierzig

forty

arba’in

oyuji

ogu nabo

fünfizig

fifty

hamsin

adota

iri ise

sechzig

sixty

sittin

ogota

iri isii

siebzig

seventy

saba'in

adorin

iri asaa

achtzig

eighty

tamanin

ogorin

iri asato

neunzig

ninety

casa'in

adorun

iri itolu

hundert

hundred

ďari

ogorun

nari

zweihundert

two hundred

ďari biyu

igba

nari abuoa

eintausend

thousand

dubu

egberun

puku

Wochentage

Days of the week

Ranar mako

Oruko ojo

Ubochi izu

Montag

Monday

Litinin

Aje

Ubochi Monday

Dienstag

Tuesday

Talata

Isegun

Ubochi Tuesday

Mittwoch

Wednesday

Laraba

Ojoru

Ubochi Wednesday

Donnerstag

Thursday

Alhamis

Ojobo

Ubochi Thursday

Freitag

Friday

Juma’a

Eti

Ubochi Friday

Samstag

Saturday

Asabar

Abameta

Ubochi Saturday

Sonntag

Sunday

Lahadi

Aiku

Ubochi Uka

Woche

Week

Mako

Ose

Izu

Tag

Day

Rana

Ojo

Tata


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