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Subject Line Nexal Code: @ᴵᴳᴮᴼ.19.ᴰᴱᴹᴼᴺˢᵀᴿᴬᵀᴵⱽᴱ.ᴾᴿᴼˣᴵᴹᴬᴸ
Welcome to Lesson 19 of the Latinum Institute Igbo Modern Language Course. In this lesson, we explore the demonstrative pronoun and determiner “this” in Igbo, expressed as a (when modifying a noun) and nke a (when standing alone as a pronoun meaning “this one”).
Igbo, spoken by approximately 31 million people primarily in southeastern Nigeria, is a tonal language belonging to the Niger-Congo language family. It uses a modified Latin alphabet that includes special characters with subdots (ị, ọ, ụ) and an overdot (ṅ) to represent sounds not found in English.
The Igbo demonstrative system distinguishes between proximal (”this/these”) and distal (”that/those”) reference. The proximal demonstrative a follows the noun it modifies, creating patterns like “ụlọ a” (this house) or “nwoke a” (this man). When used independently as a pronoun, it takes the form nke a (”this one” or simply “this”).
Frequently Asked Question: What does “this” mean in Igbo?
In Igbo, “this” is expressed as a when used with a noun (e.g., “akwụkwọ a” = “this book”) or as nke a when used as a standalone pronoun (e.g., “Nke a dị mma” = “This is good”). The plural form “these” is ndị a for people or ihe ndị a for things.
This lesson presents 30 example sentences demonstrating the use of “a” and “nke a” in various grammatical contexts, from simple identification to complex conversational exchanges.
Course Index:
https://latinum.substack.com/p/index
The demonstrative “a” in Igbo functions as a determiner that follows the noun it modifies, unlike English where “this” precedes the noun. When serving as an independent pronoun meaning “this one,” Igbo uses the construction “nke a.” The demonstrative system contrasts with “ahụ” (that) for distal reference. Understanding these patterns is essential for natural Igbo expression, particularly in everyday situations involving identification, shopping, and conversation.
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Igbo uses a Latin-based orthography with 36 letters including digraphs. Key features for English speakers:
Special vowels with subdots: -
ị [ɪ] - similar to “i” in “bit” -
ọ [ɔ] - similar to “o” in “bought” -
ụ [ʊ] - similar to “u” in “put”
Digraph consonants: -
ch [tʃ] - as in “church” -
gb [ɡ͡b] - simultaneous g and b (implosive) -
gh [ɣ] - voiced velar fricative -
gw [ɡʷ] - labialized g -
kp [k͡p] - simultaneous k and p -
kw [kʷ] - labialized k -
nw [ŋʷ] - labialized velar nasal -
ny [ɲ] - as in Spanish “ñ” -
sh [ʃ] - as in “ship”
Tones: Igbo has two primary tones (high and low). In standard orthography, tones are often unmarked. High tone may be marked with acute accent (á), low with grave accent (à).
Vowel harmony: Words contain either ATR+ vowels (i, e, u, o) or ATR- vowels (ị, a, ụ, ọ), but generally not both.
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19.1a Nke this a DEM bụ is ụlọ house m my
19.1b Nke (nkeh) this a (ah) DEM bụ (boo) is ụlọ (oo-law) house m (m) my
19.2a Akwụkwọ book a this dị is mma good
19.2b Akwụkwọ (ah-kwoo-kwaw) book a (ah) this dị (dee) is mma (mmah) good
19.3a Gịnị what bụ is nke one a this
19.3b Gịnị (gee-nee) what bụ (boo) is nke (nkeh) one a (ah) this
19.4a Nwoke man a this bụ is enyi friend m my
19.4b Nwoke (nwoh-keh) man a (ah) this bụ (boo) is enyi (eh-nyee) friend m (m) my
19.5a Nke one a this dị is ọcha white
19.5b Nke (nkeh) one a (ah) this dị (dee) is ọcha (aw-chah) white
19.6a Ọ it bụ is ụbọchị day a this ka that m I ga-abịa will-come
19.6b Ọ (aw) it bụ (boo) is ụbọchị (oo-baw-chee) day a (ah) this ka (kah) that m (m) I ga-abịa (gah-ah-bee-ah) will-come
19.7a Nwaanyị woman a this na-azụ is-buying azụ fish
19.7b Nwaanyị (nwah-ah-nyee) woman a (ah) this na-azụ (nah-ah-zoo) is-buying azụ (ah-zoo) fish
19.8a Lee look-at nke one a this
19.8b Lee (leh) look-at nke (nkeh) one a (ah) this
19.9a Oge time a this dị is mma good maka for ịmụta to-learn asụsụ language
19.9b Oge (oh-geh) time a (ah) this dị (dee) is mma (mmah) good maka (mah-kah) for ịmụta (ee-moo-tah) to-learn asụsụ (ah-soo-soo) language
19.10a Nke one a this adịghị is-not mma good
19.10b Nke (nkeh) one a (ah) this adịghị (ah-dee-yee) is-not mma (mmah) good
19.11a Ndị people a these bụ are ndị people obodo town anyị our
19.11b Ndị (ndee) people a (ah) these bụ (boo) are ndị (ndee) people obodo (oh-boh-doh) town anyị (ah-nyee) our
19.12a M I chọrọ want ịzụta to-buy nke one a this
19.12b M (m) I chọrọ (chaw-raw) want ịzụta (ee-zoo-tah) to-buy nke (nkeh) one a (ah) this
19.13a Ụlọ house akwụkwọ book a this dị is ukwu big
19.13b Ụlọ (oo-law) house akwụkwọ (ah-kwoo-kwaw) book a (ah) this dị (dee) is ukwu (oo-kwoo) big
19.14a Ihe thing a this dị is iche different na from nke one ahụ that
19.14b Ihe (ee-heh) thing a (ah) this dị (dee) is iche (ee-cheh) different na (nah) from nke (nkeh) one ahụ (ah-hoo) that
19.15a Ọ he/she kwuru said na that nke one a this bụ is eziokwu truth
19.15b Ọ (aw) he/she kwuru (kwoo-roo) said na (nah) that nke (nkeh) one a (ah) this bụ (boo) is eziokwu (eh-zee-oh-kwoo) truth
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19.1 Nke a bụ ụlọ m. Nke a bụ ụlọ m. “This is my house.”
19.2 Akwụkwọ a dị mma. Akwụkwọ a dị mma. “This book is good.”
19.3 Gịnị bụ nke a? Gịnị bụ nke a? “What is this?”
19.4 Nwoke a bụ enyi m. Nwoke a bụ enyi m. “This man is my friend.”
19.5 Nke a dị ọcha. Nke a dị ọcha. “This one is white.”
19.6 Ọ bụ ụbọchị a ka m ga-abịa. Ọ bụ ụbọchị a ka m ga-abịa. “It is this day that I will come.”
19.7 Nwaanyị a na-azụ azụ. Nwaanyị a na-azụ azụ. “This woman is buying fish.”
19.8 Lee nke a. Lee nke a. “Look at this.”
19.9 Oge a dị mma maka ịmụta asụsụ. Oge a dị mma maka ịmụta asụsụ. “This time is good for learning a language.”
19.10 Nke a adịghị mma. Nke a adịghị mma. “This one is not good.”
19.11 Ndị a bụ ndị obodo anyị. Ndị a bụ ndị obodo anyị. “These are people of our town.”
19.12 M chọrọ ịzụta nke a. M chọrọ ịzụta nke a. “I want to buy this one.”
19.13 Ụlọ akwụkwọ a dị ukwu. Ụlọ akwụkwọ a dị ukwu. “This school is big.”
19.14 Ihe a dị iche na nke ahụ. Ihe a dị iche na nke ahụ. “This thing is different from that one.”
19.15 Ọ kwuru na nke a bụ eziokwu. Ọ kwuru na nke a bụ eziokwu. “He/she said that this is the truth.”
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19.1 Nke a bụ ụlọ m. Nke a bụ ụlọ m.
19.2 Akwụkwọ a dị mma. Akwụkwọ a dị mma.
19.3 Gịnị bụ nke a? Gịnị bụ nke a?
19.4 Nwoke a bụ enyi m. Nwoke a bụ enyi m.
19.5 Nke a dị ọcha. Nke a dị ọcha.
19.6 Ọ bụ ụbọchị a ka m ga-abịa. Ọ bụ ụbọchị a ka m ga-abịa.
19.7 Nwaanyị a na-azụ azụ. Nwaanyị a na-azụ azụ.
19.8 Lee nke a. Lee nke a.
19.9 Oge a dị mma maka ịmụta asụsụ. Oge a dị mma maka ịmụta asụsụ.
19.10 Nke a adịghị mma. Nke a adịghị mma.
19.11 Ndị a bụ ndị obodo anyị. Ndị a bụ ndị obodo anyị.
19.12 M chọrọ ịzụta nke a. M chọrọ ịzụta nke a.
19.13 Ụlọ akwụkwọ a dị ukwu. Ụlọ akwụkwọ a dị ukwu.
19.14 Ihe a dị iche na nke ahụ. Ihe a dị iche na nke ahụ.
19.15 Ọ kwuru na nke a bụ eziokwu. Ọ kwuru na nke a bụ eziokwu.
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These are the grammar rules for “a” (this) and “nke a” (this one) in Igbo:
In Igbo, the demonstrative determiner “a” meaning “this” follows the noun it modifies. This is the opposite of English word order:
English: this house Igbo: ụlọ a (house this)
The pattern is consistently: NOUN + a
Examples: -
nwoke a (this man) - nwoke (man) + a (this) -
nwaanyị a (this woman) - nwaanyị (woman) + a (this) -
akwụkwọ a (this book) - akwụkwọ (book) + a (this) -
oge a (this time) - oge (time) + a (this) -
ụbọchị a (this day) - ụbọchị (day) + a (this) -
ihe a (this thing) - ihe (thing) + a (this)
When “this” stands alone as a pronoun (meaning “this one” or simply “this”), Igbo uses the construction nke a: -
nke = “one” or “the one that” -
a = demonstrative marker “this”
Examples: -
Nke a dị mma. (This one is good / This is good.) -
Gịnị bụ nke a? (What is this?) -
M chọrọ nke a. (I want this one.) -
Lee nke a. (Look at this.)
For plural “these,” Igbo uses:
ndị a (these people) - “ndị” means “people” or serves as a plural marker for persons ihe ndị a (these things) - for objects, “ihe” (thing) may precede
The distal demonstrative “ahụ” (that) follows the same grammatical pattern: -
nke a (this one) vs. nke ahụ (that one) -
ụlọ a (this house) vs. ụlọ ahụ (that house) -
ndị a (these people) vs. ndị ahụ (those people)
In demonstrative sentences, two copular verbs appear frequently:
bụ (to be) - used for identification and equation: -
Nke a bụ akwụkwọ m. (This is my book.) - identifying what something is
dị (to be) - used for describing qualities or states: -
Nke a dị mma. (This is good.) - describing a quality -
Akwụkwọ a dị ukwu. (This book is big.) - describing a quality
To negate quality statements, “dị” becomes “adịghị”: -
Nke a dị mma. (This is good.) -
Nke a adịghị mma. (This is not good.)
English speakers often make these errors with Igbo demonstratives:
Incorrect word order: Placing “a” before the noun (like English “this book” becoming “a akwụkwọ”) instead of after (akwụkwọ a).
Confusing “a” and “nke a”: Using “a” alone when an independent pronoun is needed. “A dị mma” is incomplete; it should be “Nke a dị mma.”
Mixing “bụ” and “dị”: Using “bụ” for quality descriptions or “dị” for identification. “Nke a bụ mma” is incorrect; use “Nke a dị mma” (This is good) or “Nke a bụ ihe mma” (This is a good thing).
Forgetting vowel harmony: When adding particles or suffixes, ensure vowels match the ATR harmony of the word.
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Demonstratives in Igbo serve not merely grammatical but deeply social functions. In traditional Igbo marketplaces (ahịa), the ability to precisely point out items using “nke a” (this one) versus “nke ahụ” (that one) is essential for haggling and commerce. Markets remain central to Igbo economic and social life, and demonstrative precision reflects the culture’s emphasis on clarity in trade.
The demonstrative “a” remains consistent across formal and informal registers. However, in formal or respectful contexts, speakers may elaborate their pointing with additional politeness markers or by naming the object more specifically rather than simply saying “nke a.”
While Standard Igbo (Igbo Izugbe) uses the forms taught in this lesson, various dialects across Igboland may show slight variations in pronunciation or stress patterns. The Onitsha dialect in the north and the Owerri dialect in the south represent two major dialect zones, though the demonstrative system remains fundamentally consistent.
Igbo wisdom literature (ilu) often employs demonstratives for vivid illustration: -
“Onye wetara ọjị wetara ndụ” (He who brings kola brings life) - though not using “a” directly, such proverbs often employ demonstrative constructions in fuller versions to point to moral lessons.
In Igbo culture, pointing with the whole hand (rather than a single finger) is considered more polite. The verbal demonstrative “nke a” accompanies such gestures, creating a unified verbal-gestural communication system.
In contemporary Nigeria, Igbo demonstratives function naturally in code-switching with English. A speaker might say “I want nke a” (I want this one) in casual speech, demonstrating how traditional Igbo grammar integrates with bilingual expression.
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The following passage draws from the tradition of Igbo prose narrative, reflecting patterns found in works such as Pita Nwana’s Omenuko (1933), the first Igbo novel. This pedagogical excerpt demonstrates authentic demonstrative usage in narrative context.
Source: Adapted from traditional Igbo narrative style
Nwoke man a this nọrọ sat n’okpuru under osisi tree ukwu big ahụ that . Ọ he na-eche was-thinking echiche thought banyere about obodo town a this . Ihe thing niile all gbanwere changed n’ime in oge time a this . Mana but nke one a this bụ is eziokwu truth : ndị people obodo town a this ga-adị will-be ndụ alive .
Nwoke (nwoh-keh) man a (ah) this nọrọ (naw-raw) sat n’okpuru (noh-kpoo-roo) under osisi (oh-see-see) tree ukwu (oo-kwoo) big ahụ (ah-hoo) that . Ọ (aw) he na-eche (nah-eh-cheh) was-thinking echiche (eh-chee-cheh) thought banyere (bah-nyeh-reh) about obodo (oh-boh-doh) town a (ah) this . Ihe (ee-heh) thing niile (nee-leh) all gbanwere (gbahn-weh-reh) changed n’ime (nee-meh) in oge (oh-geh) time a (ah) this . Mana (mah-nah) but nke (nkeh) one a (ah) this bụ (boo) is eziokwu (eh-zee-oh-kwoo) truth : ndị (ndee) people obodo (oh-boh-doh) town a (ah) this ga-adị (gah-ah-dee) will-be ndụ (ndoo) alive .
Nwoke a nọrọ n’okpuru osisi ukwu ahụ. Ọ na-eche echiche banyere obodo a. Ihe niile gbanwere n’ime oge a. Mana nke a bụ eziokwu: ndị obodo a ga-adị ndụ.
“This man sat under that big tree. He was thinking thoughts about this town. Everything changed during this time. But this is the truth: the people of this town will survive.”
Nwoke a nọrọ n’okpuru osisi ukwu ahụ. Ọ na-eche echiche banyere obodo a. Ihe niile gbanwere n’ime oge a. Mana nke a bụ eziokwu: ndị obodo a ga-adị ndụ.
Key vocabulary: -
nọrọ - sat (past tense of nọ, to sit/be located) -
n’okpuru - under (preposition na + okpuru) -
osisi - tree -
ukwu - big -
na-eche echiche - was thinking (progressive aspect) -
banyere - about, concerning -
ihe niile - everything (thing + all) -
gbanwere - changed (past tense) -
n’ime - in, within -
mana - but -
eziokwu - truth (ezi = good + okwu = word) -
ga-adị ndụ - will be alive/survive (future marker ga- + adị + ndụ life)
Grammar points illustrated: -
Contrast between “a” (this) and “ahụ” (that): “osisi ukwu ahụ” (that big tree) vs. “obodo a” (this town) -
Multiple uses of “a” showing its versatility with different nouns -
“Nke a bụ eziokwu” as standalone pronoun construction
This passage exemplifies the contemplative narrative voice common in Igbo literary tradition. The protagonist’s reflection “under that big tree” employs a distal demonstrative (ahụ), establishing spatial distance, while his concern for “this town” (obodo a) uses the proximal demonstrative, creating emotional closeness. The final declaration “nke a bụ eziokwu” (this is the truth) shows the demonstrative in its most emphatic function—asserting conviction. Such patterns echo throughout Omenuko and subsequent Igbo novels, where demonstratives serve both spatial and emotional deixis.
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The following dialogue takes place at a traditional Igbo market where a customer (Onye Ọzụzụ) is shopping for fabric (akwa) and the vendor (Onye Ahịa) is showing various options.
19.16a Onye person Ahịa market : Nnọọ welcome . Lee look-at akwa cloth ndị PL a these . Nke one a this mara is mma beautiful .
19.16b Onye (oh-nyeh) person Ahịa (ah-hee-ah) market : Nnọọ (nnaw-aw) welcome . Lee (leh) look-at akwa (ah-kwah) cloth ndị (ndee) PL a (ah) these . Nke (nkeh) one a (ah) this mara (mah-rah) is mma (mmah) beautiful .
19.17a Onye person Ọzụzụ buying : Ego money ole how-much bụ is nke one a this ?
19.17b Onye (oh-nyeh) person Ọzụzụ (aw-zoo-zoo) buying : Ego (eh-goh) money ole (oh-leh) how-much bụ (boo) is nke (nkeh) one a (ah) this ?
19.18a Onye person Ahịa market : Akwa cloth a this bụ is naira naira puku thousand abụọ two .
19.18b Onye (oh-nyeh) person Ahịa (ah-hee-ah) market : Akwa (ah-kwah) cloth a (ah) this bụ (boo) is naira (nai-rah) naira puku (poo-koo) thousand abụọ (ah-boo-aw) two .
19.19a Onye person Ọzụzụ buying : Ọ it dị is oke too-much . Gịnị what bụ is ọnụahịa price nke one a this ọzọ other ?
19.19b Onye (oh-nyeh) person Ọzụzụ (aw-zoo-zoo) buying : Ọ (aw) it dị (dee) is oke (oh-keh) too-much . Gịnị (gee-nee) what bụ (boo) is ọnụahịa (aw-noo-ah-hee-ah) price nke (nkeh) one a (ah) this ọzọ (aw-zaw) other ?
19.20a Onye person Ahịa market : Nke one a this bụ is naira naira puku thousand otu one . Ọ it dị is mma good nke very ukwuu much .
19.20b Onye (oh-nyeh) person Ahịa (ah-hee-ah) market : Nke (nkeh) one a (ah) this bụ (boo) is naira (nai-rah) naira puku (poo-koo) thousand otu (oh-too) one . Ọ (aw) it dị (dee) is mma (mmah) good nke (nkeh) very ukwuu (oo-kwoo) much .
19.21a Onye person Ọzụzụ buying : Agam I-will ele look-at nke one a this nso close . Biko please , nye give m me ya it .
19.21b Onye (oh-nyeh) person Ọzụzụ (aw-zoo-zoo) buying : Agam (ah-gahm) I-will ele (eh-leh) look-at nke (nkeh) one a (ah) this nso (nsoh) close . Biko (bee-koh) please , nye (nyeh) give m (m) me ya (yah) it .
19.22a Onye person Ahịa market : Ọ it dị is mma good . Metụ touch akwa cloth a this aka hand . Ọ it dị is nro soft .
19.22b Onye (oh-nyeh) person Ahịa (ah-hee-ah) market : Ọ (aw) it dị (dee) is mma (mmah) good . Metụ (meh-too) touch akwa (ah-kwah) cloth a (ah) this aka (ah-kah) hand . Ọ (aw) it dị (dee) is nro (nroh) soft .
19.23a Onye person Ọzụzụ buying : Agụ color nke of a this amasịghị does-not-please m me . Ị you nwere have agụ color ọzọ other ?
19.23b Onye (oh-nyeh) person Ọzụzụ (aw-zoo-zoo) buying : Agụ (ah-goo) color nke (nkeh) of a (ah) this amasịghị (ah-mah-see-yee) does-not-please m (m) me . Ị (ee) you nwere (nweh-reh) have agụ (ah-goo) color ọzọ (aw-zaw) other ?
19.24a Onye person Ahịa market : E yes , lee look-at ndị PL a these . Nke one a this bụ is uhie red , nke one a this bụ is edo yellow .
19.24b Onye (oh-nyeh) person Ahịa (ah-hee-ah) market : E (eh) yes , lee (leh) look-at ndị (ndee) PL a (ah) these . Nke (nkeh) one a (ah) this bụ (boo) is uhie (oo-hee-eh) red , nke (nkeh) one a (ah) this bụ (boo) is edo (eh-doh) yellow .
19.25a Onye person Ọzụzụ buying : Nke one uhie red a this mara is mma beautiful . M I ga-ewe will-take nke one a this .
19.25b Onye (oh-nyeh) person Ọzụzụ (aw-zoo-zoo) buying : Nke (nkeh) one uhie (oo-hee-eh) red a (ah) this mara (mah-rah) is mma (mmah) beautiful . M (m) I ga-ewe (gah-eh-weh) will-take nke (nkeh) one a (ah) this .
19.26a Onye person Ahịa market : Ị you họrọ chose nke one dị is mma good . Nke one a this ga-adị will-be mma good n’ahụ on-body gị your .
19.26b Onye (oh-nyeh) person Ahịa (ah-hee-ah) market : Ị (ee) you họrọ (haw-raw) chose nke (nkeh) one dị (dee) is mma (mmah) good . Nke (nkeh) one a (ah) this ga-adị (gah-ah-dee) will-be mma (mmah) good n’ahụ (nah-hoo) on-body gị (gee) your .
19.27a Onye person Ọzụzụ buying : M I ga-akwụ will-pay naira naira narị hundred asaa seven maka for nke one a this .
19.27b Onye (oh-nyeh) person Ọzụzụ (aw-zoo-zoo) buying : M (m) I ga-akwụ (gah-ah-kwoo) will-pay naira (nai-rah) naira narị (nah-ree) hundred asaa (ah-sah) seven maka (mah-kah) for nke (nkeh) one a (ah) this .
19.28a Onye person Ahịa market : Mba no , nke one a this dị is oke expensive . Narị hundred asatọ eight bụ is ọnụahịa price ikpeazụ final .
19.28b Onye (oh-nyeh) person Ahịa (ah-hee-ah) market : Mba (mbah) no , nke (nkeh) one a (ah) this dị (dee) is oke (oh-keh) expensive . Narị (nah-ree) hundred asatọ (ah-sah-taw) eight bụ (boo) is ọnụahịa (aw-noo-ah-hee-ah) price ikpeazụ (ee-kpeh-ah-zoo) final .
19.29a Onye person Ọzụzụ buying : Ọ it dị is mma good . M I kwere agree . Were take ego money a this .
19.29b Onye (oh-nyeh) person Ọzụzụ (aw-zoo-zoo) buying : Ọ (aw) it dị (dee) is mma (mmah) good . M (m) I kwere (kweh-reh) agree . Were (weh-reh) take ego (eh-goh) money a (ah) this .
19.30a Onye person Ahịa market : Daalụ thank-you . Bịa come ọzọ again . Ahịa market a this nọ is ebe place a this mgbe time ọ any bụla every .
19.30b Onye (oh-nyeh) person Ahịa (ah-hee-ah) market : Daalụ (dah-loo) thank-you . Bịa (bee-ah) come ọzọ (aw-zaw) again . Ahịa (ah-hee-ah) market a (ah) this nọ (naw) is ebe (eh-beh) place a (ah) this mgbe (mgbeh) time ọ (aw) any bụla (boo-lah) every .
19.16 Onye Ahịa: Nnọọ. Lee akwa ndị a. Nke a mara mma. “Vendor: Welcome. Look at these fabrics. This one is beautiful.”
19.17 Onye Ọzụzụ: Ego ole bụ nke a? “Customer: How much is this one?”
19.18 Onye Ahịa: Akwa a bụ naira puku abụọ. “Vendor: This fabric is two thousand naira.”
19.19 Onye Ọzụzụ: Ọ dị oke. Gịnị bụ ọnụahịa nke a ọzọ? “Customer: That’s too much. What is the price of this other one?”
19.20 Onye Ahịa: Nke a bụ naira puku otu. Ọ dị mma nke ukwuu. “Vendor: This one is one thousand naira. It’s very good quality.”
19.21 Onye Ọzụzụ: Agam ele nke a nso. Biko, nye m ya. “Customer: I will look at this one closely. Please, give it to me.”
19.22 Onye Ahịa: Ọ dị mma. Metụ akwa a aka. Ọ dị nro. “Vendor: Alright. Touch this fabric. It is soft.”
19.23 Onye Ọzụzụ: Agụ nke a amasịghị m. Ị nwere agụ ọzọ? “Customer: I don’t like the color of this one. Do you have another color?”
19.24 Onye Ahịa: E, lee ndị a. Nke a bụ uhie, nke a bụ edo. “Vendor: Yes, look at these. This one is red, this one is yellow.”
19.25 Onye Ọzụzụ: Nke uhie a mara mma. M ga-ewe nke a. “Customer: This red one is beautiful. I will take this one.”
19.26 Onye Ahịa: Ị họrọ nke dị mma. Nke a ga-adị mma n’ahụ gị. “Vendor: You chose a good one. This will look good on you.”
19.27 Onye Ọzụzụ: M ga-akwụ naira narị asaa maka nke a. “Customer: I will pay seven hundred naira for this one.”
19.28 Onye Ahịa: Mba, nke a dị oke. Narị asatọ bụ ọnụahịa ikpeazụ. “Vendor: No, this one is valuable. Eight hundred is the final price.”
19.29 Onye Ọzụzụ: Ọ dị mma. M kwere. Were ego a. “Customer: Alright. I agree. Take this money.”
19.30 Onye Ahịa: Daalụ. Bịa ọzọ. Ahịa a nọ ebe a mgbe ọ bụla. “Vendor: Thank you. Come again. This market is here anytime.”
19.16 Onye Ahịa: Nnọọ. Lee akwa ndị a. Nke a mara mma.
19.17 Onye Ọzụzụ: Ego ole bụ nke a?
19.18 Onye Ahịa: Akwa a bụ naira puku abụọ.
19.19 Onye Ọzụzụ: Ọ dị oke. Gịnị bụ ọnụahịa nke a ọzọ?
19.20 Onye Ahịa: Nke a bụ naira puku otu. Ọ dị mma nke ukwuu.
19.21 Onye Ọzụzụ: Agam ele nke a nso. Biko, nye m ya.
19.22 Onye Ahịa: Ọ dị mma. Metụ akwa a aka. Ọ dị nro.
19.23 Onye Ọzụzụ: Agụ nke a amasịghị m. Ị nwere agụ ọzọ?
19.24 Onye Ahịa: E, lee ndị a. Nke a bụ uhie, nke a bụ edo.
19.25 Onye Ọzụzụ: Nke uhie a mara mma. M ga-ewe nke a.
19.26 Onye Ahịa: Ị họrọ nke dị mma. Nke a ga-adị mma n’ahụ gị.
19.27 Onye Ọzụzụ: M ga-akwụ naira narị asaa maka nke a.
19.28 Onye Ahịa: Mba, nke a dị oke. Narị asatọ bụ ọnụahịa ikpeazụ.
19.29 Onye Ọzụzụ: Ọ dị mma. M kwere. Were ego a.
19.30 Onye Ahịa: Daalụ. Bịa ọzọ. Ahịa a nọ ebe a mgbe ọ bụla.
Market vocabulary with demonstratives:
The dialogue showcases frequent demonstrative usage typical of market contexts:
Pointing constructions: -
“Lee akwa ndị a” (Look at these fabrics) - ndị a marks plural “these” -
“Lee ndị a” (Look at these) - shortened form -
“Nke a bụ uhie, nke a bụ edo” (This one is red, this one is yellow) - multiple demonstratives for comparison
Price negotiation patterns: -
“Ego ole bụ nke a?” (How much is this one?) - standard haggling opener -
“Nke a dị oke” (This one is expensive/too much) - price objection
Demonstrative + quality descriptions: -
“Nke a mara mma” (This one is beautiful) - mara mma = is beautiful -
“Nke a dị mma” (This one is good) - dị mma = is good (quality) -
“Akwa a dị nro” (This fabric is soft) - noun + a + quality verb
Demonstrative objects in transactions: -
“Were ego a” (Take this money) - demonstrative with transaction verb -
“M ga-ewe nke a” (I will take this one) - purchase declaration -
“M ga-akwụ...maka nke a” (I will pay...for this one) - payment structure
Concluding formula: -
“Ahịa a nọ ebe a mgbe ọ bụla” (This market is here anytime) - double demonstrative emphasis (ahịa a + ebe a)
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Demonstratives: -
a [a] - this (demonstrative determiner) -
nke a [ŋkɛ a] - this one (pronoun) -
ahụ [ahʊ] - that -
ndị a [ⁿdɪ a] - these (people)
Common Nouns: -
ụlọ [ʊlɔ] - house -
akwụkwọ [akʷʊkʷɔ] - book -
nwoke [nwoke] - man -
nwaanyị [nwaːɲɪ] - woman -
obodo [obodo] - town -
akwa [akʷa] - cloth, fabric -
ego [ego] - money -
ahịa [ahɪa] - market
Verbs: -
bụ [bʊ] - to be (equative) -
dị [dɪ] - to be (quality/location) -
nọ [nɔ] - to be (located), to sit -
lee [le] - look at (imperative) -
chọrọ [tʃɔrɔ] - want (past/completed)
Common pronunciation challenges for English speakers: -
The subdot vowels (ị, ọ, ụ) are more “open” or lax than their counterparts -
kp and gb are produced simultaneously, not sequentially -
The syllabic nasals m and n can carry tone -
All syllables end in vowels or syllabic nasals
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This lesson is part of the Latinum Institute Modern Language Course series, designed for autodidact learners seeking comprehensive language instruction in the world’s major languages.
The Latinum Institute has been creating high-quality language learning materials since 2006. Our methodology emphasizes:
Interlinear Glossing: By presenting target language text with word-by-word English equivalents, learners develop direct comprehension skills without excessive reliance on full translations.
Authentic Materials: Literary citations and culturally authentic dialogues expose learners to genuine language use from the earliest stages.
Systematic Vocabulary: Our CSV-based curriculum ensures methodical coverage of the most frequent and useful vocabulary items.
Complete Grammar Integration: Each lesson introduces and reinforces grammatical patterns within meaningful contexts.
The Igbo language curriculum follows Standard Igbo (Igbo Izugbe), making these materials accessible to learners planning to engage with any major Igbo-speaking community in Nigeria or the diaspora.
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Igbo is one of the four official languages of Nigeria and represents one of Africa’s most vibrant literary traditions, from Pita Nwana’s pioneering novel Omenuko (1933) to the internationally acclaimed works of Chinua Achebe and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
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✓ Lesson 19 Igbo complete
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