How to Ask “What’s Up?” in Igbo and Check on Someone

If you’re learning Igbo, greetings like Ndeewo and Ị bọọla chi? are a good place to start.

But real conversations don’t stop at hello.

Sometimes you want to ask someone “What’s up?”, “What are you doing?” or “How is your day going?”

These are simple phrases, but they can make your Igbo conversations feel much more natural.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to check on someone in Igbo using casual phrases you can actually use with friends and family.

This topic is taught as part of IgboLearn’s Basic Greetings and Introductions lesson. If you want to hear an Igbo tutor pronounce the phrases and practise along, you can watch the free sample and continue the lesson on IgboLearn.

👉👉 Take this Free Igbo lesson on IgboLearn

How Do You Say “What’s Up?” in Igbo?

A casual way to say “What’s up?” in Igbo is:

Kè nke na-eme?
What’s up? / What’s happening?

You can also say ‘Kedu nke na-eme?’ or ‘Kedu ihe na-eme?’

The lesson explains that Kè is a shortened form of Kedu, which makes this a more casual way of asking the question.

You can also say:

Kedu nke na-eme?
What’s up?

Or:

Kedu ihe na-eme?
What is happening? / What’s up?

So you have a few options:

You don’t need to memorise all three immediately. Start with one, say it several times and get comfortable using it naturally.

How Do You Say “What Are You Doing?” in Igbo?

If you want to check what someone is doing, say:

Gịnị ka ị na-eme?
What are you doing?

This is a useful everyday Igbo question.

Someone messages you.

You want to know what they’re up to.

Instead of switching immediately to English, try: Gịnị ka ị na-eme?

The lesson also gives another way to ask:

Kedu ihe ị na-eme?
What are you doing?

Again, you’re moving beyond knowing individual Igbo words and learning something you can actually use in a conversation.

Reading these phrases is a start. Hearing the pronunciation and repeating after an Igbo speaker makes them much easier to use when you actually need them.

In the Basic Greetings and Introductions lesson, an Igbo tutor takes you through these phrases, repeats them and shows you how they’re used when casually checking on someone.

👉👉Watch the free lesson sample on IgboLearn

How Do You Say “How Is Your Day Going?” in Igbo?

Another simple way to check on someone is to ask how their day is going.

In Igbo, say:

Kedu ka ụbọchị gị si aga?
How is your day going?

The lesson breaks part of this down:

Ụbọchị — day

Ụbọchị gị — your day

Then:

Kedu ka ụbọchị gị si aga?
How is your day going?

This is the kind of phrase that’s useful beyond an Igbo lesson.

You can ask your mum, dad, sibling, friend or someone you’re getting to know.

Kedu ka ụbọchị gị si aga?

That’s a real question you can start using today.

Three Igbo Phrases for Checking on Someone

Let’s put the main phrases together:

Kè nke na-eme?
What’s up?

Gịnị ka ị na-eme?
What are you doing?

Kedu ka ụbọchị gị si aga?
How is your day going?

Notice what we’re doing here.

We’re not learning random vocabulary. We’re building a small conversation.

You could start casually with:

Kè nke na-eme?

Then ask:

Gịnị ka ị na-eme?

And later:

Kedu ka ụbọchị gị si aga?

That’s already much closer to how you actually want to spreak Igbo: with another person.

Don’t Just Learn the Translation

It can be tempting to read:

Gịnị ka ị na-eme? = What are you doing?

…and consider the job done.

But will the phrase come to you when you’re actually talking to someone?

That’s the real test.

You need to hear it. Say it. Use it. Then use it again.

The tutor ends this topic with a very simple instruction: go out there and check on someone today.

That’s good practice.

You’ve already learnt the phrases. Now use one.

And if you want to hear exactly how they’re pronounced before trying them with someone, continue the topic in IgboLearn’s Basic Greetings and Introductions lesson.

Practise Checking on Someone in Igbo Today

Pick one person you would normally text in English.

Instead of:

What’s up?

Send:

Kè nke na-eme?

Instead of:

What are you doing?

Try:

Gịnị ka ị na-eme?

And instead of:

How’s your day going?

Ask:

Kedu ka ụbọchị gị si aga?

You don’t have to wait until your Igbo is perfect before you start using it.

Start with the phrases you know.

One question today is better than ten phrases sitting in your notes that you’ve never actually said to anyone.

Listen to Igbo Pronunciation

Igbo is a language you need to hear, not only read.

If you come across an Igbo word or phrase and you’re unsure how it should sound, use the IgboLearn Dictionary to search for it and listen to the pronunciation.

Then say it aloud.

The goal isn’t just to recognise Igbo on a screen. It’s to become comfortable enough to use it with real people.

Continue Learning How to Have Conversations in Igbo

You now know how to ask:

“What’s up?”

“What are you doing?”

and:

“How is your day going?”

in Igbo.

Don’t stop at reading them.

The Basic Greetings and Introductions lesson on IgboLearn teaches this topic with an Igbo tutor, so you can hear the phrases, follow along and continue building the Igbo you need for everyday conversations.

Start the Basic Greetings and Introductions lesson

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