Whether you’re flying back to see family for the first time or going as a tourist, knowing even a handful of Igbo phrases changes the trip. Aunties soften. Market women drop the oyibo price. Strangers nod with approval. The phrase Ị maara asụsụ Igbo? (you know Igbo?) gets answered with a small “ehe, ntakịrị” (a little) and that “a little” earns you a different reception than zero.
Here are 20 phrases organized by situation. Memorize the first ten. Print the rest.
Greetings (master these first)
- Ndewo — n-DEH-woh — Hello (universal)
- Kedu? — KEH-doo — How are you?
- Ọ dị mma — oh dee m-MAH — I’m fine / It’s good
- Ka chi fo — kah chee FOH — Good night / goodbye
- Daalụ — DAH-loo — Thank you
Polite essentials
- Biko — BEE-koh — Please
- Ndo — n-DOH — Sorry / my condolences
- Cheere — CHEH-reh — Wait / hold on
- Aha m bụ ___ — AH-hah m boo ___ — My name is ___
- Ị nwere ike inyere m aka? — ee n-WEH-reh ee-keh ee-NYEH-reh m AH-kah — Can you help me?
At the market
- Ego ole? — EH-goh OH-leh — How much?
- Ọ dị oke ọnụ — oh dee oh-keh OH-noo — It’s too expensive
- Belata ọnụ ya — beh-LAH-tah OH-noo yah — Lower the price
- Ọ dị mma — agbara m gị — oh dee m-MAH — ah-g-BAH-rah m gee — Okay — I’ll take it
Family / social
- Kedu ka ezinụlọ gị mere? — KEH-doo kah eh-zee-noo-LOH gee MEH-reh — How is your family?
- Ụnụ ji ndewo — OO-noo jee n-DEH-woh — Greetings to you all (group greeting, very polite)
- Mụ na gị — moo nah gee — Me and you / both of us
Getting around
- Ebee ka ahịa dị? — eh-BEH kah ah-HEE-ah dee — Where is the market?
- Ụgbọ ala — OO-gboh AH-lah — Car / vehicle
- Ana m aga ___ — ah-nah m AH-gah ___ — I am going to ___
A few pronunciation tips
- The dot below a vowel (ụ, ọ, ị) means the sound is deeper / further back in the mouth. Ụ is closer to “oo” in book than in moon.
- Tones matter. Ákwà (cloth) vs àkwá (egg) vs àkwà (bed) — same letters, different meaning. Don’t stress about getting tones perfect. Speakers usually figure out what you mean from context.
- When in doubt, smile and try. Igbos are forgiving of foreigners attempting the language. Trying matters more than perfection.
One trick
If you only learn one phrase: Daalụ rinne (DAH-loo REEN-neh) — Thank you very much. It’s gracious, slightly old-school, and signals you respect the culture. Use it liberally.
For 200+ more travel phrases organized by scenario — airport, restaurant, hospital, family visit — IgboLearn’s beginner course gets you trip-ready in 14 days.