← Make We Learn English Small Small
the na di definite article (definite article) for English, and e be di word wey English pipo dey use pass for di whole language. E dey stand for front of noun, and e dey show sey di person wey dey tok and di person wey dey hear both sabi di exact tin wey dem dey tok about. Naija get im own article wey dey do almost di same work: di. Di word di sef come from English the. Na why for Part A, di gloss for the na di most of di time. But English dey use the pass as Naija dey use di: for plenty place wey Naija no put anytin, English must put the. For dat kain place, Part A go show -.
When English dey use the:
- di tin don show face before: I have a dog. The dog is black. = I get one dog. Di dog black. (Di second time, na "dat same dog".) - na only one of am dey: the sun, the moon, the capital of Nigeria. - di situation don show which one: Close the door = Close di door (di door wey open for dis room). - di sentence don show which one: the man who lives next door = di man wey dey live for next door. - before superlative and ordinal number: the longest river (di river wey long pass), the third floor (di third floor).
How Naija dey do di same work? Naija get di, and for plural e dey put dem for back of di noun: di book dem, di pikin dem. English no get dem. For English, the no dey change at all, and na di noun wey dey change: the book, the books; the child, the children. Again, Naija fit leave di article commot where English no fit: "Sun dey shine", "Market don close". For English, you must tok "The sun is shining", "The market is closed".
Where e come from: the come from one Old English demonstrative (se, sēo, þæt; later þe) wey mean something like "dat one". As time dey go, di word come weak and turn article. Naija di na di way Naija mouth dey pronounce English the: di "th" sound turn "d".
the get partner: di indefinite article a / an (a dog, an orange), wey dey bring new tin wey di person never hear about. For Naija, na one dey do dis work: I get one dog = I have a dog. We go learn a / an for im own lesson; for dis lesson e go just show face for di examples.
Key Takeaways:
- the = di; "dat same one wey we sabi" - first time: a dog; second time: the dog - only one dey: the sun, the moon, the world - di situation don show am: Close the door, Pass the salt - superlative and ordinal number: the best, the longest, the first, the third - rivers, seas and mountain ranges: the Niger, the Benue, the Atlantic Ocean - no the: people name, most countries and cities (Nigeria, Lagos, Abuja), languages (English, Yoruba) - Naija "di book dem" = English "the books": no "dem" for English, na -s dey show plural - pronunciation: /ðə/ before consonant sound, /ði/ before vowel sound
The English definite article the corresponds closely to Naija di, which descends from it, but English uses it far more often. This lesson shows Naija speakers when English requires the (a noun already mentioned, a unique thing, a thing clear from the situation, a superlative, a river or sea) and when it forbids it (personal names, most countries and cities, languages), and how English marks the plural with -s where Naija adds dem.
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1.1 The di book book is dey on for the di table table
1.2 Close close the di door door
1.3 The di sun sun is dey shining shine
1.4 Where where is dey the di market market?
1.5 The di children pikin dem are dey in inside the di house house
1.6 I I have get a one dog dog. The di dog dog is - black black
1.7 Please abeg pass pass the di salt salt
1.8 We we live dey live on for the di third third floor floor
1.9 Abuja Abuja is na the - capital capital of - Nigeria Nigeria
1.10 The - Niger River Niger is na the di longest wey long pass river river in for Nigeria Nigeria
1.11 I I saw watch a one film film yesterday yesterday. The di film film was - very well well long long
1.12 The di man man who wey lives dey live next door for next door is na a - doctor doctor
1.13 She im plays dey play the - guitar guitar, and and her im brother broda plays dey play the - drums drum
1.14 The - rich pipo wey get money should suppose help help the - poor pipo wey no get
1.15 The - more more you you read dey read, the - more more you you know go sabi
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1.1 The book is on the table. Di book dey for di table.
1.2 Close the door. Close di door.
1.3 The sun is shining. Di sun dey shine.
1.4 Where is the market? Where di market dey?
1.5 The children are in the house. Di pikin dem dey inside di house.
1.6 I have a dog. The dog is black. I get one dog. Di dog black.
1.7 Please pass the salt. Abeg pass di salt.
1.8 We live on the third floor. We dey live for di third floor.
1.9 Abuja is the capital of Nigeria. Abuja na Nigeria capital.
1.10 The Niger is the longest river in Nigeria. River Niger na di river wey long pass for Nigeria.
1.11 I saw a film yesterday. The film was very long. I watch one film yesterday. Di film long well well.
1.12 The man who lives next door is a doctor. Di man wey dey live for next door na doctor.
1.13 She plays the guitar, and her brother plays the drums. Im dey play guitar, and im broda dey play drum.
1.14 The rich should help the poor. Pipo wey get money suppose help pipo wey no get.
1.15 The more you read, the more you know. As you dey read more, na so you go sabi more.
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1.1 The book is on the table.
1.2 Close the door.
1.3 The sun is shining.
1.4 Where is the market?
1.5 The children are in the house.
1.6 I have a dog. The dog is black.
1.7 Please pass the salt.
1.8 We live on the third floor.
1.9 Abuja is the capital of Nigeria.
1.10 The Niger is the longest river in Nigeria.
1.11 I saw a film yesterday. The film was very long.
1.12 The man who lives next door is a doctor.
1.13 She plays the guitar, and her brother plays the drums.
1.14 The rich should help the poor.
1.15 The more you read, the more you know.
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Dis na di grammar rules for the:
1. the no dey change
- the no dey change for one or many, for man or woman: the book, the books, the man, the children (1.5). - Na di noun wey dey change for plural: book → books, child → children. English no dey use dem like Naija: di pikin dem = the children (1.5), no be "the child dem". - the dey stand before di noun, and if adjective dey, e go stand before di adjective: the third floor (1.8), the longest river (1.10).
2. Di tin don dey known
- First time na a, second time na the: I have a dog. The dog is black (1.6); I saw a film yesterday. The film was very long (1.11). Naija dey do am di same way: one dog, den di dog. - Di situation don show am: Close the door (1.2), Please pass the salt (1.7), Where is the market? (1.4). Di person dey tok about one particular door, di salt wey dey dis table, di market for dis area. - Di sentence don show am: The man who lives next door (1.12) = di man wey dey live for next door. English who dey do di work of Naija wey.
3. Na only one dey
- the sun (1.3), the moon, the sky, the world. - the capital of Nigeria: Nigeria get only one capital. But see 1.9: Naija fit tok "Nigeria capital" without di; English must tok "the capital of Nigeria".
4. Superlative and ordinal number
- the longest river (1.10), the best, the worst, the most beautiful. - the third floor (1.8), the first day, the last time. - Here English need the every time. Naija "di one wey long pass" = English "the longest".
5. Place names
- With the: rivers (the Niger, the Benue), seas and oceans (the Atlantic Ocean), mountain ranges (the Alps), names wey get plural or wey get words like Kingdom, States, Republic (the United Kingdom, the United States, the Federal Republic of Nigeria). - Without the: most countries, cities, streets, single mountains and lakes: Nigeria, Abuja (1.9), Lagos, Broad Street, Lake Chad.
6. Other fixed patterns
- Music instrument: She plays the guitar (1.13). (For American English, some pipo dey drop the here.) - the + adjective = one group of pipo: the rich, the poor (1.14), the young, the old. Naija dey tok am with "pipo wey…". - the + comparative, the + comparative: The more you read, the more you know (1.15). Naija dey tok am with "as … na so …".
7. When English no need the
- People name: ✗ the Chinedu → ✓ Chinedu. - Languages: ✗ I speak the English → ✓ I speak English. (But: the English language.) - Uncountable and plural nouns wey dey tok about everything in general: Life is sweet, Children like sweets. Compare: The children are in the house (1.5): na particular pikin dem. - Meals and many expressions with school, work, home, bed, church: have breakfast, go to school, at work, at home, go to bed, go to church.
Common Mistakes:
- ✗ The book them are on the table. ← ✓ The books are on the table. (Naija dem no dey enter English: na -s dey show plural.) - ✗ The book dey on the table. / ✗ The book on the table. ← ✓ The book is on the table. (English sentence need verb: is, are.) - ✗ The dog black. ← ✓ The dog is black. (For Naija, adjective fit stand like verb; for English, you must put is.) - ✗ Sun is shining. ← ✓ The sun is shining. - ✗ Where the market is? ← ✓ Where is the market? - ✗ The book is for the table. ← ✓ The book is on the table. (Naija for dey cover plenty English prepositions: on, in, at, to.) - ✗ Abuja na the capital. ← ✓ Abuja is the capital. - ✗ The Lagos is a big city. ← ✓ Lagos is a big city. - ✗ I like the music. (if you mean music in general) ← ✓ I like music. - ✗ This the book is mine. ← ✓ This book is mine. (the no dey stand together with this, that, my, your.)
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- Naija and English for di same mouth. Plenty Nigerians dey use Naija for market, for street and for house, and dem dey use English for school, office and church. Many pipo dey change from one to di other inside di same conversation. Dis course dey help you know exactly where di two languages no follow di same road, so dat your English go stand well for di place wey e matter. - di for writing. Naija no get one official spelling, but for newspaper, for social media and for BBC News Pidgin (wey start for 2017), pipo dey write di article as di. If you see "di" for Naija text, na di same work wey the dey do for English. - the for book titles. Some famous Nigerian books get the for dia title: Wole Soyinka play The Lion and the Jewel, Buchi Emecheta novel The Joys of Motherhood, Ben Okri novel The Famished Road. But Chinua Achebe Things Fall Apart no get article, becos "things" dey tok about everything in general. - Strong the. If you pronounce the strong, /ðiː/, e mean "di famous one, di real one": Is that the Fela? = Na di real Fela be dat? - Nigerian names for English. Rivers dey take the, like English rivers: the Niger, the Benue. Most cities, states and lakes no dey take am: Lagos, Kano, Lake Chad. But note: the Niger Delta, the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
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In for the di beginning beginning God God created create the di heaven heaven and and the di earth earth. And - the di earth earth was - without no get form shape, and - void e empty; and - darkness darkness was - upon cover the di face - of - the di deep deep water. And and the di Spirit Spirit of of God God moved dey move upon for top of the di face - of - the di waters water.
— Genesis 1:1–2, The Holy Bible, King James Version (1611) (Project Gutenberg text)
"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters."
"For di beginning, God create di heaven and di earth. Di earth no get shape, e empty; darkness cover di deep water. And di Spirit of God dey move for top of di water."
(Dis Naija translation na for dis lesson, word by word; e no come from any published Naija Bible.)
Na so di King James Bible take start, di English translation wey come out for 1611 and wey don shape English language for over four hundred years. For Nigeria, plenty pipo sabi dis verses by heart from church and from school. Di sentences short and dem dey waka like drum beat: "And … and … and …". Look how many times the show face: the beginning, the heaven, the earth, the face, the deep, the Spirit, the waters. Every time, the dey point to one particular tin: no be any beginning, na di beginning; no be any earth, na dis earth. Naija di fit enter almost all di same place, and na why di Naija translation for F-B still sound natural.
- the beginning, the heaven, the earth: tins wey only one of dem dey (see Part D, no. 3), so dem take the. - God: name, so e no take the (see Part D, no. 7). But the Spirit of God: the + noun + of + noun; di words after of show which spirit, so di first noun take the. - darkness: no the, becos e dey tok about darkness in general, as uncountable noun. - the deep, the waters: old-fashioned English way to tok "di deep sea". the deep na the + adjective wey turn noun (see Part D, no. 6, the rich, the poor). waters na plural with -s, no be "the water dem". - was without form, and void: English need was here; Naija fit tok "e empty" without verb (see Common Mistakes, Part D). - created, moved: past tense with -ed. Naija no dey change di verb for past: "God create", "di Spirit move". We go learn dis for later lessons.
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Efe, one student from Warri, just land for Manchester and she dey tok with di woman for di university reception. Efe words: 1.16, 1.18, 1.20, 1.23, 1.25, 1.27, 1.30; di woman words: 1.17, 1.19, 1.21–1.22, 1.24, 1.26, 1.28–1.29.
1.16 Good morning good morning. Is na this dis the di reception reception for for the di new new students students?
1.17 Yes yes, it na is am. Welcome welcome to to the di university university!
1.18 Thank you thank you. I I arrived land from from Lagos Lagos last night last night
1.19 How how was be the di flight flight?
1.20 The di flight flight was - long long, but but the di food food was - good sweet
1.21 This dis is na the di key key to for your your room room
1.22 Your your room room is dey on for the di second second floor floor of for the di blue blue building building
1.23 Thank you thank you. Where where is dey the di library library?
1.24 The di library library is dey opposite opposite the di bank bank, next to near the di church church
1.25 Is - the di library library open dey open on for Sunday Sunday?
1.26 No no, the di library library is dey closed close on for Sundays Sunday
1.27 And and where where can fit I I buy buy the di bus bus ticket ticket?
1.28 Buy buy it am at for the di station station or or on for the di app app
1.29 The di bus bus stops dey stop in front of for front of the di gate gate
1.30 Thank you thank you! You na you are be the di first first person person I wey I have met meet in for Manchester Manchester!
1.16 Good morning. Is this the reception for the new students? Good morning. Na dis di reception for di new students?
1.17 Yes, it is. Welcome to the university! Yes, na am. Welcome to di university!
1.18 Thank you. I arrived from Lagos last night. Thank you. I land from Lagos last night.
1.19 How was the flight? How di flight be?
1.20 The flight was long, but the food was good. Di flight long, but di food sweet.
1.21 This is the key to your room. Dis na di key for your room.
1.22 Your room is on the second floor of the blue building. Your room dey for di second floor for di blue building.
1.23 Thank you. Where is the library? Thank you. Where di library dey?
1.24 The library is opposite the bank, next to the church. Di library dey opposite di bank, near di church.
1.25 Is the library open on Sunday? Di library dey open for Sunday?
1.26 No, the library is closed on Sundays. No, di library dey close for Sunday.
1.27 And where can I buy the bus ticket? And where I fit buy di bus ticket?
1.28 Buy it at the station or on the app. Buy am for di station or for di app.
1.29 The bus stops in front of the gate. Di bus dey stop for front of di gate.
1.30 Thank you! You are the first person I have met in Manchester! Thank you! Na you be di first person wey I meet for Manchester!
1.16 Good morning. Is this the reception for the new students?
1.17 Yes, it is. Welcome to the university!
1.18 Thank you. I arrived from Lagos last night.
1.19 How was the flight?
1.20 The flight was long, but the food was good.
1.21 This is the key to your room.
1.22 Your room is on the second floor of the blue building.
1.23 Thank you. Where is the library?
1.24 The library is opposite the bank, next to the church.
1.25 Is the library open on Sunday?
1.26 No, the library is closed on Sundays.
1.27 And where can I buy the bus ticket?
1.28 Buy it at the station or on the app.
1.29 The bus stops in front of the gate.
1.30 Thank you! You are the first person I have met in Manchester!
the for di dialogue:
1. Superlative and ordinal number
- the second floor (1.22), the first person (1.30). Compare: Your room (1.22): here your don take di place of the, so the no dey again.
2. Tins wey di situation don show
- the reception, the new students (1.16), the university (1.17): Efe dey inside di university; everybody sabi which reception and which university. - the flight (1.19, 1.20), the food (1.20): di same flight wey bring Efe from Lagos (1.18), and di food wey dem give for inside am. - the key (1.21): di one key wey open Efe room. - the library, the bank, the church (1.23–1.24): di ones wey dey for dis university. - the bus ticket, the station, the app, the gate (1.27–1.29): di bus wey dey serve di university, di station for dat area, di gate of di university.
3. Second time
- the library (1.24, 1.25, 1.26): Efe don ask about am for 1.23, so na di same library. - the bus (1.29): di bus wey Efe ask about for 1.27.
4. No article
- Lagos (1.18), Manchester (1.30): city names no dey take the. - on Sunday (1.25), on Sundays (1.26): days of di week no dey take the. on Sundays with -s mean "every Sunday". - last night (1.18): no the.
5. Verbs: wetin Naija no dey tok but English must tok
- is / are / was: The flight was long (1.20) = Di flight long. The library is closed (1.26) = Di library dey close. Naija fit leave di verb out before adjective; English no fit. - Is the library open …? (1.25): for English question, is go jump come front of di sentence. Naija keep di same order and just change di voice: "Di library dey open for Sunday?" - Where is the library? (1.23): Naija "Where di library dey?" put dey for di end; English put is after where.
6. Vocabulary and patterns
- arrived (1.18) = land, reach. I have met (1.30) = I don meet. Dis na Present Perfect, wey Naija dey tok with don; we go learn am later. - next to (1.24) = near, beside. - in front of (1.29) = for front of. English no dey put for before am. - the first person I have met (1.30): English fit drop who or that here; Naija must put wey: di first person wey I meet.
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- the before consonant sound – /ðə/: the book /ðə bʊk/, the station /ðə ˈsteɪʃn/. Di vowel short well well and e no get stress. - the before vowel sound – /ði/: the apple /ði ˈæpl/, the earth /ði ɜːθ/, the end /ði end/. - Na di sound matter, no be di letter: the hour /ði ˈaʊə/ (di h no dey sound, so di word start with vowel), but the university /ðə ˌjuːnɪˈvɜːsəti/ (di word start with /j/, like "y"). - th /ð/ – di sound wey dey start the, this, that. Plenty Nigerians dey pronounce am like "d": na why Naija dey write di, dis, dat. Pipo go still understand you, but for standard English, put di tip of your tongue small between your teeth, and push air out with voice. E no be "d" and e no be "z". - th /θ/ – di sound for thank, think, earth: tongue between teeth too, but without voice. Many Nigerians dey pronounce am like "t" (tank you): try make you no do am. - Strong the – /ðiː/: Is that the Fela? (Na di real Fela be dat?) - For normal tok, the no get stress and e dey join di next word: the_book, on_the_table /ɒn ðə ˈteɪbl/.
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