Common Nupe Phrases

Nupe is a language spoken mainly in Nigeria, particularly in the central regions of the country. Rich in culture, traditions, and everyday expressions, this article explores common Nupe phrases you can use in daily conversations to better connect with the language and its speakers.

Greetings in Nupe

English Nupe
Good evening. Okú lozìn.
Good morning. Okúnnà.
Good afternoon. Okú sáné.
How are you? Ke wun rá?
How are you today? Ke wun rá enyí nne?
I am fine. Mò dèn gě.
Have a good day. Okú sáné. Sókó á yǎ we lozìn gǎ.
I am doing great. Mò dèn gě sányí.
Hi / Hello. Okú.
Nice to meet you. Mò lǎyé gǎ nwu.
See you soon. A nì yé gǎ dǎdǎ.
See you later. A nì yé gǎ dágí.

 

Love Words in Nupe

English Nupe
I love you. Mò yé nwu.
I miss you. Mò kún we.
Love you so much I want to see you. Mò yé nwu sányí, mò wán nì yé gǎ nwu.
I love you with all my heart. Mò yé nwu be fídí mi kpátí.
I love you too. Mò yé nwu gǎ.
I want to see you. Mò wán nì yé gǎ nwu.
I like you. Mò yé nwu.
You are beautiful. We gě dédé.
My love. Enyí yé mi.
You look beautiful. We gě nì yé.
My beautiful wife. Nyímí gě mi.
I miss you so much, darling. Mò kún we sányí, enyí yé mi.
I need you. Mò wán we.
You will miss me. We á kún mi.
Goodbye, my love. O yé gǎ, enyí yé mi.
See you tomorrow. A nì yé gǎ esu.
I will marry you. Mò á lǎ we.
I want some space. Yǎ mi fó.
I need your love. Mò wán chin-nyí we.
You are mine. Nmi we dèn nni.

 

Directions in Nupe

English Nupe
Where are you? We dèn bèe?
Where did you go? Bèe we lo nni?
Where do you live? Bèe we dèn nni?
Where are you going? Bèe we lo rá?
Where were you? Bèe we dèn bo nni?

 

Common Questions in Conversations in Nupe

English Nupe
How much? Eké dèn nni?
How are you feeling? Ke wun rá we?
How have you been? Ke we dèn rá nni?
What is your name? Ke dèn sun we nni?
What are you doing? Ke we lǒ rá nni?
What are you cooking/eating? Ke we dǐn / gi rá nni?
Are you okay, dear? We dèn gě, enyí yé mi?
When are you coming? Màná we bè rá nni?
How was your night/day? Ke lǎzì / lozìn dèn rá nni?
How are you doing? Ke we dèn rá?
How is your family? Ke ezà bè kún we rá nni?
How was your day? Ke lozìn dèn rá nni?
What is wrong? Ke gǔn nni?
What do you mean? Ke we wán gǎ nni?
How's the weather over there? Ke sáné dèn rá nni bo?
Have you gone to church? We lo adǔwà-yǎ-kò nni?
What is this? Ke dèn nánà nni?
What's going on? Ke lǒ rá nni?
Are you listening? We dèn wò nni?
Have you heard? We wò gǎnni?
Can I go home? Mò nǐ lo kpá nni?
Can I ask something? Mò nǐ gí we gbín nni?
How is everything? Ke kpátí dèn rá nni?
What’s your phone number? Ke dèn nánba-fón we nni?

 

Everyday Conversations in Nupe

English Nupe
Happy birthday. Okú tswá-mání.
Thank you. Kubéchi.
I am sorry. Gáfárà / Yǎ mi fó.
You are welcome. A nì bè gě.
Me too! Mi gǎ!
God bless you. Sókó á yǎ we ná kpé.
May god protect you. Sókó á fò we.
She is happy. Wun lǎyé.
Please help me. Chìn mi jí.
I don't know. Mò kpé nni.
I will come tomorrow. Mò á bè esu.
Come here! Bè nânà!
Feel at home. Lǎ nwu káró nì kpá we.
Be blessed. De ná kpé.
I am coming soon. Mò dèn bè rá dádá.
Excuse me. Gáfárà.
Leave me alone. Yǎ mi kán.
It is okay. Wun gě.
I am going home. Mò lo kpá.
I don't want. Mò wán nni.
Love is a beautiful thing. Chin-nyí dèn enyí gě.
Let me try. Yǎ mò kò wun yé.
Welcome home. Okú kpá.
I reached home safely. Mò bǐ kpá be sùláíyì be.
God is good. Sókó gě.
I don't understand. Mò kpé nni / Mò wò gǔn nni.
We are happy to see you. Yì lǎyé gǎ nì yé gǎ nwu.
I have it. Wun dèn bé mi.
Rest in peace. Fó be sùláíyì be.
I don't have money. Mò de eyé nni.
I am done. Mò lǒ wun fo nni.
I am going to the shop. Mò lo kintí.
Happy New Year. Okú tswá-mání-vun.
Bad manners. Édà dǎdà.
Stop using your phone. Yǎ fón lǒ.
I need a favour, please. Mò wán èyě-gě, jín kùn.
Haven’t seen you for ages. A nì yé gǎ sàndókó nni.
Great to see you again. Wun gě dédé gǎ nì yé gǎ nwu tún.
I really appreciate it. Mò bèchi sányí.
You made my day. We lǎ mi yé sányí enyí nne.
No problem. Wàálà dèn nni.
We are hiring. Yì dèn wán ezà lǒ-lǒ.

This is just the beginning. You have to practice constantly to learn a new language, but it doesn't have to be complicated. The best trick is to master at least five Nupe words daily from the Nupe dictionary.

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