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Pidgin and Naija slang

Nigerian slang dictionary: wahala, japa, sabi and more

From abeg to wahala: an A to Z of Naija slang, with what each word means, where it comes from and an example of how it is used.

4 min readUpdated

Nigerian slang moves fast. Some words have been around for generations; others arrive with a song or a meme and are everywhere by the end of the month. This dictionary sticks to words you will actually hear in Lagos and in Nigerian homes abroad, with what they mean, where they come from when we know, and an example.

A note before you start: most of these words live in Nigerian Pidgin and casual Nigerian English, and many are borrowed from Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Portuguese and other languages. Spellings vary, because Pidgin has no official written standard. Meanings shift too, by region and by age group. Where sources disagree, we say so.

A to Z

WordMeaningExample
AbegPlease. From English “I beg”.Abeg, help me carry this.
AbiRight? Isn’t it? Or “or”. From Yoruba àbí.You’re coming, abi?
AmeboA gossip, or gossip itself.Don’t tell her, she’s an amebo.
AzaBank account details.Send me your aza.
BukaA roadside restaurant or food stall selling local food cheaply.Let’s eat at the buka.
ChopEat; also spend (money).Have you chopped?
Chop lifeEnjoy life to the full.He’s just chopping life.
Comot / komotLeave, get out of the way. From English “come out”.Abeg comot for road.
DanfoLagos’s yellow minibus. From Yoruba.I took a danfo to Oshodi.
Dey playBe realistic; stop daydreaming.You want a mansion this year? Dey play.
E chokeIt’s overwhelming, stunning, too much (usually good).That outfit? E choke.
EhenAnd so? Okay. Go on. Its meaning depends entirely on tone.Ehen, what happened next?
GbamExactly! Spot on.Gbam! That’s what I said.
GbegeTrouble, a mess.There’s gbege at the office.
GbeseDebt, or deep trouble.I’m in gbese this month.
GistGossip, news, a good story; also to chat.Come and give me the gist.
IdanA brilliant, street-smart go-getter; praise for something impressive.You did all that in one day? Idan.
JapaTo emigrate, usually for better work or pay. From Yoruba jápa, “run away”.Half my class has japa’d.
K-legA flaw or a catch in a plan or deal.This deal get K-leg.
Mama putA woman who sells food from a stall; from how customers order: “Mama, put…”The mama put near the gate is the best.
Na wa (o)Wow; unbelievable. Surprise or mild disapproval.Na wa o, this traffic.
Naso“So you say”: I hear you, though I may not believe you.You’ll pay me tomorrow? Naso.
Next tomorrowThe day after tomorrow.I’ll see you next tomorrow.
OgaBoss, master, a senior person. From Yoruba ọ̀gá.Oga, how much for this one?
OkadaA motorcycle taxi.Take okada, it’s faster.
Omo!Wow! An exclamation of surprise, shock or delight. From Yoruba ọmọ, “child”.Omo! Look at the queue.
OversabiA know-it-all.Stop doing oversabi.
OyaCome on, let’s go. From Yoruba.Oya, let’s move.
OyinboA white person, a foreigner; also Western goods and habits. From Yoruba.They call him oyinbo because of his accent.
PalavaTrouble, a dispute. From Portuguese palavra, “word”.I don’t want any palava.
PikinChild. From Portuguese.Her pikin is sleeping.
SabiTo know, or to be good at. From Portuguese saber.I no sabi. (I don’t know.)
SapaBeing broke.Sapa don hold me.
SefAn end-of-sentence word for annoyance or emphasis.Who even asked you sef?
ShaAnyway, regardless. From Yoruba.I’ll come sha.
ShakaraShowing off, putting on airs.All this shakara for a new phone?
Sharp sharpImmediately, quickly.Do it sharp sharp.
UnaYou (plural), you all. From Igbo ụnụ.Una well done.
WahalaTrouble, a problem. From Yoruba and Hausa.No wahala.
WayoTrickery, cunning. From Hausa.That man get wayo.
WetinWhat. From English “what thing”.Wetin happen?
YangaVanity, showing off.All that yanga for one photo.

Where the words come from

A list like this is a small history lesson. Sabi, pikin and palava are Portuguese, left behind by Portuguese traders on the coast of the Bight of Benin. Wetin and comot are English, worn smooth (“what thing”, “come out”). Oga, oya, abi, sha, omo and japa are Yoruba, which is why Lagos Pidgin is full of them. Una is Igbo; wayo is Hausa; wahala is both Yoruba and Hausa and older than either, from Arabic. And amebo, which many people assume is Yoruba, is traced by Wiktionary to Urhobo; it became famous as a character’s name in the Nigerian radio and TV series The Village Headmaster.

Some of these have even made the dictionary. In January 2020 the Oxford English Dictionary added 29 Nigerian English words and phrases, including buka, chop, danfo, K-leg, mama put, next tomorrow, okada, gist and sef.

Where meanings vary

  • K-leg started as a word for knock knees. Its slang sense, a flaw or a catch, is the one you will hear most now.
  • Chop means eat, but in some contexts it means to get money quickly, often dishonestly. Context tells you which.
  • Ehen and na wa can be friendly or sharp; they lean on tone more than meaning.
  • Oyinbo means a white person, and by extension Western goods and habits. In AJ Cities it is also thrown at AJ, a Nigerian, because he sounds like London.

Slang in AJ Cities

AJ Cities is a free open-world game set on the edge of Ajegunle, Lagos, and its characters use some of these words. AJ comes home from London with a south London accent and is called oyinbo for it. Benny, who can sell anything, warns him: “Speak the English, AJ. The oyinbo price goes up.” Natasha keeps “no wahala” on her floor at Prizm. Everybody calls the officer with the radio Oga Radio. And the police at the north gate want to be settled, the polite word for being paid off; read what “settle the boys” means.

Want whole sentences rather than single words? Try 50 Nigerian Pidgin phrases or 40 everyday sentences in Pidgin.

Questions

What is the most common Nigerian slang word?

There is no official count, but “wahala” (trouble), “abeg” (please) and “oga” (boss) are among the words you will hear most in Lagos.

What does japa mean in Nigerian slang?

To emigrate, usually for better work or pay. It comes from the Yoruba “jápa”, meaning to run away or escape.

What does sabi mean?

To know, or to be good at something. It comes from the Portuguese “saber”. “I no sabi” means “I don’t know”.

Are Nigerian slang words in the dictionary?

Some are. In January 2020 the Oxford English Dictionary added 29 Nigerian English entries, including buka, danfo, okada, K-leg, next tomorrow and sef.

Sources

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