Funny Nigerian Pidgin phrases (and when to use them)

Nigerian humour lives in its Pidgin. A single word, said with the right face, can end an argument, deflate a show-off or turn a bad day into a joke. Here are the phrases that get a laugh, what they mean, and, just as important, when to use them and when not to.

A few ground rules. These are all clean and in everyday use, but humour depends on tone and on who you are talking to. Teasing a close friend is not the same as teasing your boss. Meanings shift by region and generation, and new jokes arrive every year, so if someone uses one differently, they are not wrong; they are just ahead of this list.

For when things go wrong

“Wahala be like bicycle.”

Meaning: trouble is like a bicycle: once it gets rolling, it keeps going, and it spreads fast. Use it when one small problem has turned into five. Your phone dies, so you miss the bus, so you are late, so the boss is in a mood. Wahala be like bicycle.

“Na which kain wahala be this?”

Meaning: “What kind of trouble is this?” Use it for the absurd: the landlord has raised the rent and the power has gone, on the same day. It is a shrug and a laugh in one sentence. (More on wahala here.)

“God, abeg.”

Meaning: “God, please.” A tired, half-joking plea for divine help. Use it on Monday mornings, in traffic, or when you check your bank balance.

“Sapa don hold me.”

Meaning: “Sapa (being broke) has got hold of me.” Sapa is poverty as a character, a villain who turns up at the end of every month. Use it to turn down a night out without explaining your finances. It is self-mocking, so it is safe; using it about someone else’s money is not.

For deflating someone

“Dey play.”

Meaning: literally “keep playing”, but it means “be serious” or “stop daydreaming”. Use it when a friend says they will be a millionaire by next year, or that the bus will be on time. Said with a smile, it is affectionate. Said flat, it stings.

“Naso.”

Meaning: “So you say.” I hear you, but I am not sure I believe you. Use it when someone promises to pay you back “first thing tomorrow”.

“Oversabi.”

Meaning: a know-it-all, from over plus sabi (know). “Stop the oversabi” is “stop acting like you know everything”. Use it with friends who explain your own job to you. Do not use it with elders.

“Shakara.”

Meaning: showing off, putting on airs. “All this shakara for one new phone?” Use it to puncture someone who is posing a little too hard. It is a gentle jab, not an insult.

“Lori iro.”

Meaning: Yoruba slang for telling lies so outrageous they could wake the dead. Use it when a story keeps growing every time it is told. You will hear it more in Lagos, where Yoruba slang mixes freely with Pidgin.

“Who you be sef?”

Meaning: “Who even are you?” Sef at the end of a sentence adds annoyance or emphasis. Use it, grinning, when a friend gives you orders they have no right to give. Without the grin, it starts a fight.

For reacting

For everyday wordplay

• Next tomorrow: the day after tomorrow. Not a joke at all, and so useful that the Oxford English Dictionary added it in 2020. English speakers find it funny because it makes perfect sense.
• K-leg: literally knock knees, but in slang a flaw in a plan. “This your plan get K-leg” means “there’s a problem with your plan”.
• I don tire: “I’m tired”, but really “I give up”. Don means something has already happened, so you are past tired. Use it about queues, traffic and group chats.
• Chop life: enjoy life. Usually said about someone else, with a mix of envy and admiration.

When not to use them

• Formal settings. Job interviews, offices, letters, anything with a family elder in charge: stick to standard English.
• Accents. If you are not Nigerian, use the words, not an exaggerated accent. One sounds like you are joining in; the other sounds like you are laughing at people.
• Money and looks. Joking about your own sapa is fine. Joking about someone else’s is not.

Benny: funny without trying

In AJ Cities, a free open-world game set on the edge of Ajegunle, Lagos, the funniest man on June 12 Street is Benny. He made his first sale at eight, selling a neighbour her own plastic chair. When his best friend Danger fell off a wall onto his tray of groundnuts, Benny sold the wreckage as “fresh groundnut powder” at double the price, and explained the partnership: “You fell, I sold. That’s a business.” His advice to AJ, whose London accent marks him in every market: “Speak the English, AJ. The oyinbo price goes up.”

Across the corridor, Dozie follows a man in Dubai who sends him trading arrows on WhatsApp: “Green arrow, I buy. Red arrow, I pray.” The game keeps its Pidgin light, so anyone can follow; the humour is in the people. Meet them all on the characters page.

What does “wahala be like bicycle” mean?

Trouble is like a bicycle: once it gets going it keeps rolling and spreads fast. It is said when one small problem turns into many.

What does “dey play” mean?

Literally “keep playing”; it means “be serious” or “stop daydreaming”. Friendly with a smile, sharp without one.

What does “naso” mean in Pidgin?

Roughly “so you say”: I hear you, but I may not believe you.

Is it okay for non-Nigerians to use Pidgin jokes?

Usually, yes, among friends. Use the words naturally and skip any put-on accent, and keep them out of formal settings.