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20 Nigerian Pidgin Proverbs that will surely make you laugh

By Above Whispers
Sunday, February 21st, 2016
25 comments

When the Jamaican people speak their Creole, everyone loves it, they all want to speak like them. You know why ? It’s because they appreciate and show pride when speaking the creole. But as for my fellow Naija man, he doesn’t want to speak pidgin because he feels pidgin make people think  less of him, that he his uneducated, not civilized and probably local. According to wikipedia, the official language in Nigerian is English but we all know that the common language we speak in Nigeria is Pidgin. Nwanne  be proud to speak your pidgin whether it is the simple pidgin or waffi pidgin, that doesn’t stop you from speaking good english when you want to.

Man wey naked no dey put hand for pocket

loose translation: You can’t do somethings if there are no certain conditions.

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 last  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 tru make dem diffrent

loose translation: How you start doesn’t matter, what matters is how you finish.

To piss no hard but fowl no fit.

loose translation: It’s easy doesn’t mean everyone can do it.

NO matterhow dark room wan be, man go still  locate woman breast.

loose translation; There is always a way when something matters much.

Custard na just pap wey jand

loose translation: Appearances are often misleading. – Looks are decieving

Wetin concern agbero with twitter handle or malu with face cap?

loose translation: Mind your business.

If life dey show you pepper my guy make pepper soup

loose translation: Make something good out of a bad experience

I get am before no be property

loose translation: Stop living in the past and start living in the present.

If person too tey for party e go follow dem wash plate

loose translation: Don’t outstay your welcome

Rolling stone, of course na person push am now!

loose translation: There is always a reason for something

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

Every mallam with em own kettle, every aboki with em own radio.

loose translation: Every man for himself

You no need cutlery to chop slap

loose translation: You don’t need my translation to understand this

Opolo eye no be open eye

loose translation: Having Big eyes doesn’t make you civilised

Leave matter for Mathias and Sabi for Sabinus.

loose translation: Let sleeping dog lie

Bring suya, bring suya….na cow body dey suffer am.

loose translation: Every action has a consequence

E go better na e go better, na im make ibo man still dey Kano

loose translation:When there is hope,there is Life.

Escort me, Escort me, na im slave trade take start.

loose translation: Serious things sometimes start like joke

Na from play play dem dey form PLAYER

loose translation: Serious things sometimes start like joke

Pikin wen use agbada take stat guy go talk wetin e go wear wen e old.

loose translation: Slow and steady wins the race

The water wey dem use take make eba can never be recovered back.

loose translation: Don’t cry over spilt milk

Nearly no dey kill bird.

loose translation: It’s  either you have it or you don’t

Fly wey no get special adviser na im dey folow dead bodi enta grave

loose translation: Don’t stay ignorant

No matter how lizard dey do press up e no go get chest like aligator

loose translation: Be proud of who you are

The cassava today fit be gari tomorrow

loose translation: No condition is permanent

If mad man don beat ur mama before,if she see mechanic she go run…

loose translation: once beaten twice shy

Jollof Rice wey dey for d bottom of pot 2day go dey for top of cooler 2moro

loose translation: no condition is permanent

Fowl wey dey carry for head no dey know say to waka na work.

loose translation: A dependent would not know the value of what he/she is enjoying.

Na from clap dance dey start.

loose translation: Big thing don’t  happen suddenly!

Cockroach wey dey form swagger… if e summersault reach fowl place na for lindaikeji dey go read im tori

Loose translation:Know your boundaries

Person wey borrow cloth go party, no dey dance too much
Who read na im serious,who pass na im know book
weda nyansh  face east or west, na still back e go dey
“The Fly wey perch on top Butter think say im be Butterfly”
A bird in hand….na better suya be that.
Pikin wey say him mama no go sleep…na orphanage home fit am.
The journey of a thousand miles, beta make u go airport go take flight.

25 Responses

  1. When the devil waka to your door step and enter without even knocking, don’t say anything, just keep smileing and hold unto God, wen the devil don tire, he go leave you alone.
    Translation – Even in hard or difficult time, just over look it and rely on God, because one day it will surely end.
    The first one can still be a translation to something. You will never get or learn something unless u try. Niger, na we dey kpara!

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