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Welcome to Lesson 32 of the Latinum Institute Modern Igbo Course. This lesson focuses on expressing the English preposition “by” in Igbo—a concept that requires understanding multiple Igbo constructions rather than a single word equivalent.
Course Index: https://latinum.substack.com/p/index
FAQ: What does “by” mean in Igbo?
The English preposition “by” has no single Igbo equivalent. Instead, Igbo uses several strategies depending on context: site na (through/by means of/from), n’aka (by the hand of), ji in serial verb constructions (using/with), and n’akụkụ (beside/by). This lesson teaches how Igbo speakers navigate these options to express agency, means, method, and proximity.
Igbo is classified as an isolating language with a single core preposition na (becoming n’ before vowels), which combines with other words to create precise meanings. Unlike English, Igbo lacks passive voice construction entirely—a fact that profoundly shapes how agency is expressed. Where English says “The book was written by Chinua,” Igbo restructures the sentence to maintain active voice while emphasizing the agent through focus constructions.
The primary expression taught in this lesson is site na, literally meaning “originating from” or “through,” which covers most uses of English “by” for means and agency. This construction appears constantly in modern Igbo discourse, from everyday conversation to formal writing.
Key Takeaways -
Igbo expresses “by” through multiple constructions, not a single word -
Site na is the primary expression for means, source, and agency -
N’aka (in the hand of) indicates direct personal agency -
Verb serialization with ji (to use) expresses instrumental “by/with” -
N’akụkụ expresses spatial proximity (by/beside) -
Igbo lacks passive voice—agent constructions use focus and word order
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Igbo uses the Latin alphabet with additional characters. The vowels ị, ọ, ụ (marked with subdots) represent open/retracted tongue root vowels, distinct from i, o, u.
Vowel Pairs: -
i (ee as in “see”) vs. ị (ih, more open, as in “bit”) -
o (oh as in “go”) vs. ọ (aw, more open, as in “bought”) -
u (oo as in “too”) vs. ụ (uh, more open, as in “put”)
Special Consonants: -
gb - voiced labial-velar (say “g” and “b” simultaneously) -
kp - voiceless labial-velar (say “k” and “p” simultaneously) -
ṅ (or n̄) - syllabic nasal, as in “singing” -
ny - palatal nasal, as in “canyon” -
nw - labialized nasal
Tones: Igbo has three tones—high (á), low (à), and mid (unmarked). Tone can change meaning entirely. In this lesson, critical tones are marked where necessary for disambiguation.
Transliteration Standard: This lesson uses standard Igbo orthography (Ọnwụ Alphabet) with pronunciation guidance in parentheses using simplified phonetic notation.
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32.1a Akwụkwọ book a this e PAST dere wrote site originating na PREP ya him/her
32.1b Akwụkwọ (a-kwụ-kwọ) book a (ah) this e (eh) PAST dere (deh-reh) wrote site (see-teh) originating na (nah) PREP ya (yah) him/her
32.2a Anyị we nụrụ heard ozi message ahụ that site originating na PREP redio radio
32.2b Anyị (ah-nyị) we nụrụ (nụ-rụ) heard ozi (oh-zee) message ahụ (a-hụ) that site (see-teh) originating na (nah) PREP redio (reh-dee-oh) radio
32.3a Ọ he/she bịara came site originating na PREP ụzọ road ọhụrụ new
32.3b Ọ (aw) he/she bịara (bya-rah) came site (see-teh) originating na (nah) PREP ụzọ (ụ-zọ) road ọhụrụ (ọ-hụ-rụ) new
32.4a E IMPERSONAL mere did ya it site originating na PREP aka hand
32.4b E (eh) IMPERSONAL mere (meh-reh) did ya (yah) it site (see-teh) originating na (nah) PREP aka (ah-kah) hand
32.5a Ha they zụtara bought nri food site originating na PREP ahịa market
32.5b Ha (hah) they zụtara (zụ-tah-rah) bought nri (n-ree) food site (see-teh) originating na (nah) PREP ahịa (a-hya) market
32.6a Nwata child ahụ that mụtara learned ihe thing site originating na PREP nne mother ya his/her
32.6b Nwata (nwah-tah) child ahụ (a-hụ) that mụtara (mụ-tah-rah) learned ihe (ee-heh) thing site (see-teh) originating na (nah) PREP nne (n-neh) mother ya (yah) his/her
32.7a Ụlọ house a this wuru built n’aka by-hand-of nna father m my
32.7b Ụlọ (ụ-lọ) house a (ah) this wuru (woo-roo) built n’aka (n-ah-kah) by-hand-of nna (n-nah) father m (mm) my
32.8a O he/she ji used mma knife bee cut ji yam
32.8b O (oh) he/she ji (jee) used mma (m-mah) knife bee (beh) cut ji (jee) yam
32.9a Site originating na PREP oge time ahụ that gara went aga past
32.9b Site (see-teh) originating na (nah) PREP oge (oh-geh) time ahụ (a-hụ) that gara (gah-rah) went aga (ah-gah) past
32.10a Anyị we ga will esi pass n’ụzọ by-road nta small gaa go
32.10b Anyị (ah-nyị) we ga (gah) will esi (eh-see) pass n’ụzọ (n-ụ-zọ) by-road nta (n-tah) small gaa (gah) go
32.11a Akụkọ story a this e PAST bipụtara published site originating na PREP ụlọ house akwụkwọ book
32.11b Akụkọ (ah-kụ-kọ) story a (ah) this e (eh) PAST bipụtara (bee-pụ-tah-rah) published site (see-teh) originating na (nah) PREP ụlọ (ụ-lọ) house akwụkwọ (ah-kwụ-kwọ) book
32.12a Ọ he/she nọ is-located n’akụkụ beside osimiri river
32.12b Ọ (aw) he/she nọ (naw) is-located n’akụkụ (n-ah-kụ-kụ) beside osimiri (oh-see-mee-ree) river
32.13a Ego money ahụ that nwetara obtained site originating na PREP ọrụ work ike hard
32.13b Ego (eh-goh) money ahụ (a-hụ) that nwetara (nweh-tah-rah) obtained site (see-teh) originating na (nah) PREP ọrụ (aw-rụ) work ike (ee-keh) hard
32.14a Ihe thing ọma good na PROG abịa comes site originating na PREP Chukwu God
32.14b Ihe (ee-heh) thing ọma (aw-mah) good na (nah) PROG abịa (ah-bya) comes site (see-teh) originating na (nah) PREP Chukwu (choo-kwoo) God
32.15a E IMPERSONAL zitere sent ozi message a this site originating na PREP ekwentị telephone
32.15b E (eh) IMPERSONAL zitere (zee-teh-reh) sent ozi (oh-zee) message a (ah) this site (see-teh) originating na (nah) PREP ekwentị (eh-kwen-tị) telephone
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32.1 Akwụkwọ a e dere site na ya. Akwụkwọ a e dere site na ya. “This book was written by him/her.”
32.2 Anyị nụrụ ozi ahụ site na redio. Anyị nụrụ ozi ahụ site na redio. “We heard that message by/through the radio.”
32.3 Ọ bịara site na ụzọ ọhụrụ. Ọ bịara site na ụzọ ọhụrụ. “He/she came by the new road.”
32.4 E mere ya site na aka. E mere ya site na aka. “It was done by hand.”
32.5 Ha zụtara nri site na ahịa. Ha zụtara nri site na ahịa. “They bought food from/by the market.”
32.6 Nwata ahụ mụtara ihe site na nne ya. Nwata ahụ mụtara ihe site na nne ya. “That child learned things through/by his mother.”
32.7 Ụlọ a wuru n’aka nna m. Ụlọ a wuru n’aka nna m. “This house was built by my father.” (lit: “by the hand of my father”)
32.8 O ji mma bee ji. O ji mma bee ji. “He cut the yam with/by using a knife.”
32.9 Site na oge ahụ gara aga. Site na oge ahụ gara aga. “From/by that time past.” (Since that time)
32.10 Anyị ga-esi n’ụzọ nta gaa. Anyị ga-esi n’ụzọ nta gaa. “We will go by the small road.”
32.11 Akụkọ a e bipụtara site na ụlọ akwụkwọ. Akụkọ a e bipụtara site na ụlọ akwụkwọ. “This story was published by the publishing house.”
32.12 Ọ nọ n’akụkụ osimiri. Ọ nọ n’akụkụ osimiri. “He/she is by the river.”
32.13 Ego ahụ nwetara site na ọrụ ike. Ego ahụ nwetara site na ọrụ ike. “That money was obtained through hard work.”
32.14 Ihe ọma na-abịa site na Chukwu. Ihe ọma na-abịa site na Chukwu. “Good things come by/from God.”
32.15 E zitere ozi a site na ekwentị. E zitere ozi a site na ekwentị. “This message was sent by telephone.”
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32.1 Akwụkwọ a e dere site na ya. A-kwụ-kwọ ah eh deh-reh see-teh nah yah.
32.2 Anyị nụrụ ozi ahụ site na redio. Ah-nyị nụ-rụ oh-zee ah-hụ see-teh nah reh-dee-oh.
32.3 Ọ bịara site na ụzọ ọhụrụ. Aw bya-rah see-teh nah ụ-zọ aw-hụ-rụ.
32.4 E mere ya site na aka. Eh meh-reh yah see-teh nah ah-kah.
32.5 Ha zụtara nri site na ahịa. Hah zụ-tah-rah n-ree see-teh nah ah-hya.
32.6 Nwata ahụ mụtara ihe site na nne ya. Nwah-tah ah-hụ mụ-tah-rah ee-heh see-teh nah n-neh yah.
32.7 Ụlọ a wuru n’aka nna m. Ụ-lọ ah woo-roo n-ah-kah n-nah mm.
32.8 O ji mma bee ji. Oh jee m-mah beh jee.
32.9 Site na oge ahụ gara aga. See-teh nah oh-geh ah-hụ gah-rah ah-gah.
32.10 Anyị ga-esi n’ụzọ nta gaa. Ah-nyị gah-eh-see n-ụ-zọ n-tah gah.
32.11 Akụkọ a e bipụtara site na ụlọ akwụkwọ. Ah-kụ-kọ ah eh bee-pụ-tah-rah see-teh nah ụ-lọ ah-kwụ-kwọ.
32.12 Ọ nọ n’akụkụ osimiri. Aw naw n-ah-kụ-kụ oh-see-mee-ree.
32.13 Ego ahụ nwetara site na ọrụ ike. Eh-goh ah-hụ nweh-tah-rah see-teh nah aw-rụ ee-keh.
32.14 Ihe ọma na-abịa site na Chukwu. Ee-heh aw-mah nah-ah-bya see-teh nah choo-kwoo.
32.15 E zitere ozi a site na ekwentị. Eh zee-teh-reh oh-zee ah see-teh nah eh-kwen-tị.
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These are the grammar rules for expressing “by” in Igbo.
Site na (pronounced see-teh nah) is the most versatile Igbo equivalent of English “by.” It literally means “originating from” or “through” and covers these English uses:
Means/Method: “by telephone” → site na ekwentị Agency: “written by him” → dere site na ya Source: “from the market” → site na ahịa Route: “by this road” → site na ụzọ a
The word site is a verb meaning “to originate” or “to come from.” Combined with the preposition na, it creates a prepositional phrase indicating source, means, or agency.
N’aka (pronounced n-ah-kah) literally means “in the hand of” and is used for direct personal agency, especially in craftsmanship or physical creation: -
Ụlọ a wuru n’aka nna m (This house was built by my father) -
E mere ya n’aka onye ọka (It was made by an expert)
This construction emphasizes the personal involvement of the agent and is more specific than site na.
Igbo frequently uses verb serialization—stringing multiple verbs together—to express what English conveys with prepositions. The verb ji (to hold/use) is pivotal: -
O ji mma bee ji (He cut yam with a knife) -
Literally: “He held knife cut yam”
This construction emphasizes the instrument used to perform an action.
For “by” meaning “beside” or “near,” Igbo uses n’akụkụ (pronounced n-ah-kụ-kụ): -
Ọ nọ n’akụkụ osimiri (He/she is by the river) -
Dọọ ya n’akụkụ ụlọ (Put it by the house)
Igbo has only ONE true preposition: na. Before vowels, it becomes n’. All other “prepositions” are actually compound constructions: -
na = in, at, on, with -
n’ime = inside (lit: “in inside”) -
n’elu = on top of (lit: “in top”) -
n’okpuru = under (lit: “in bottom”) -
n’akụkụ = beside (lit: “in side”) -
n’etiti = between (lit: “in middle”)
Linguists confirm that Igbo has no passive voice construction. Where English says “The book was written by John,” Igbo speakers restructure: -
Active reconstruction: “John wrote the book” → John dere akwụkwọ ahụ -
Impersonal e-construction: “One wrote the book by John” → E dere akwụkwọ ahụ site na John -
Focus construction: “It is John who wrote” → Ọ bụ John dere akwụkwọ ahụ
The impersonal prefix e- (or a- depending on vowel harmony) marks an unspecified subject, allowing agency to be expressed with site na.
Igbo exhibits vowel harmony—vowels within a word must belong to the same set:
Set A (closed): i, e, o, u Set B (open): ị, a, ọ, ụ
Prefixes and suffixes harmonize with the word stem: -
e-dere (wrote) - Set A harmony -
a-zụtara (bought) - Set B harmony
Mistake 1: Using “site na” for spatial proximity -
Wrong: Ọ nọ site na osimiri (He is by the river) -
Correct: Ọ nọ n’akụkụ osimiri
Mistake 2: Attempting direct passive constructions -
Wrong: *Akwụkwọ a dere na John (modeled on English) -
Correct: E dere akwụkwọ a site na John
Mistake 3: Forgetting vowel harmony with prefixes -
Wrong: *A-dere (mixing Set B prefix with Set A stem) -
Correct: E-dere
Mistake 4: Omitting “na” after “site” -
Wrong: *Site ya (through him) -
Correct: Site na ya
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In Igbo society, personal responsibility and agency are paramount values. The language reflects this through its active verb focus and absence of passive voice. When something is accomplished, Igbo speakers naturally emphasize WHO did it, not that it “was done.”
The expression n’aka (by the hand of) carries particular cultural weight. Igbo craftsmen, farmers, and artisans take immense pride in work done “by their own hands.” The phrase “Ọ bụ aka m mere ya” (It was my hand that did it) expresses not just agency but personal achievement and honor.
Igbo wisdom literature frequently employs site na: -
“Ihe ọma na-abịa site na Chukwu” (Good things come from/by God) - expressing divine providence -
“Site n’ọnụ nwata, a na-amata ihe dị n’obi ya” (Through a child’s mouth, one knows what is in their heart) - wisdom about truth and innocence
Formal/Literary: Full forms like “site na ya” (through him) are always used Colloquial Speech: May shorten to “si na ya” in rapid conversation Traditional Oratory: Elaborate constructions emphasizing agency are valued
Different Igbo dialects may have slight variations: -
Central Igbo: site na (standard) -
Onitsha dialect: may use esi na in some contexts -
Western Igbo (Enuani): similar patterns with phonetic variations
The standard literary Igbo (Igbo Izugbe) established in 1972 uses site na as the normalized form.
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The following proverb demonstrates the use of instrumental and means expressions in traditional Igbo wisdom:
F-A: Interlinear Construed Text
Onye person ji holds onye person n’ala on-ground ji holds onwe self ya his/her
Onye (oh-nyeh) person ji (jee) holds onye (oh-nyeh) person n’ala (n-ah-lah) on-ground ji (jee) holds onwe (on-weh) self ya (yah) his/her
F-B: Natural Text with Translation
Onye ji onye n’ala ji onwe ya. “He who holds another down in the mud must stay in the mud to keep him down.”
This proverb was cited by Chinua Achebe to illustrate Igbo practical wisdom. It demonstrates how ji (to hold/use) functions in expressing means and method.
F-C: Original Script Only
Onye ji onye n’ala ji onwe ya. Oh-nyeh jee oh-nyeh n-ah-lah jee on-weh yah.
F-D: Vocabulary and Grammar Notes -
onye - person, someone (generic human reference) -
ji - to hold, to use, with (instrumental verb) -
n’ala - on the ground, in the earth (na + ala) -
onwe ya - himself/herself (reflexive pronoun)
The proverb uses ji twice: first as the main action verb (holding someone), second implying the consequent position (holding oneself). This doubling creates a parallelism that emphasizes the reciprocal nature of the action.
The construction illustrates how Igbo uses verb serialization rather than passive voice: both the agent and the consequence are expressed through active constructions.
F-E: Literary Commentary
This proverb encapsulates the Igbo philosophy of egbe bere, ugo bere (let the kite perch, let the eagle perch)—mutual respect and the understanding that harm done to others ultimately affects oneself. Achebe cited this proverb in discussing the moral implications of colonialism, showing how traditional Igbo wisdom anticipated concepts of mutual destruction and karma. The proverb’s power lies in its concrete imagery: the mud is literal and metaphorical, and the instrument of oppression becomes the oppressor’s prison.
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This section presents a short narrative using site na and related constructions in the context of traditional Igbo storytelling.
32.16a N’oge in-time ochie ancient otu one nwoke man bịara came site from na PREP obodo town ọzọ other
32.16b N’oge (n-oh-geh) in-time ochie (oh-chee-eh) ancient otu (oh-too) one nwoke (nwoh-keh) man bịara (bya-rah) came site (see-teh) from na (nah) PREP obodo (oh-boh-doh) town ọzọ (aw-zaw) other
32.17a O he ji held ogu hoe bịa came maka because ịrụ to-work ọrụ work ubi farm
32.17b O (oh) he ji (jee) held ogu (oh-goo) hoe bịa (bya) came maka (mah-kah) because ịrụ (ị-rụ) to-work ọrụ (aw-rụ) work ubi (oo-bee) farm
32.18a Site through na PREP ọrụ work ike hard ya his o he wuru built ụlọ house mara beautiful mma beauty
32.18b Site (see-teh) through na (nah) PREP ọrụ (aw-rụ) work ike (ee-keh) hard ya (yah) his o (oh) he wuru (woo-roo) built ụlọ (ụ-lọ) house mara (mah-rah) beautiful mma (m-mah) beauty
32.19a Ndị people obodo town hụrụ saw ihe thing o he mere did n’aka by-hand ya his
32.19b Ndị (n-dee) people obodo (oh-boh-doh) town hụrụ (hụ-rụ) saw ihe (ee-heh) thing o (oh) he mere (meh-reh) did n’aka (n-ah-kah) by-hand ya (yah) his
32.20a Ha they jụrụ asked ya him sị saying kedu what ka COMP i you si from wee then mara knew ihe thing a this
32.20b Ha (hah) they jụrụ (jụ-rụ) asked ya (yah) him sị (sị) saying kedu (keh-doo) what ka (kah) COMP i (ee) you si (see) from wee (weh) then mara (mah-rah) knew ihe (ee-heh) thing a (ah) this
32.21a O he zara answered sị saying a one na PROG amụta learns site from na PREP ịnọ being n’akụkụ beside ndị people maara know ihe thing
32.21b O (oh) he zara (zah-rah) answered sị (sị) saying a (ah) one na (nah) PROG amụta (ah-mụ-tah) learns site (see-teh) from na (nah) PREP ịnọ (ị-naw) being n’akụkụ (n-ah-kụ-kụ) beside ndị (n-dee) people maara (mah-rah) know ihe (ee-heh) thing
32.22a Ilu proverb anyị our na is ekwu says na that onye person kwụrụ stood n’akụkụ beside onye person tọrọ tall atọ tall ga will ahụ see ebe place dị is anya far
32.22b Ilu (ee-loo) proverb anyị (ah-nyị) our na (nah) is ekwu (eh-kwoo) says na (nah) that onye (oh-nyeh) person kwụrụ (kwụ-rụ) stood n’akụkụ (n-ah-kụ-kụ) beside onye (oh-nyeh) person tọrọ (taw-raw) tall atọ (ah-taw) tall ga (gah) will ahụ (ah-hụ) see ebe (eh-beh) place dị (dee) is anya (ah-nyah) far
32.23a Site through na PREP nkwurịta conversation okwu word anyị we na PROG amụta learn ihe things ọhụrụ new
32.23b Site (see-teh) through na (nah) PREP nkwurịta (n-kwu-rị-tah) conversation okwu (oh-kwoo) word anyị (ah-nyị) we na (nah) PROG amụta (ah-mụ-tah) learn ihe (ee-heh) things ọhụrụ (aw-hụ-rụ) new
32.24a Akụkọ story a this e PAST kọrọ told site from na PREP nna father nna father anyị our ha their
32.24b Akụkọ (ah-kụ-kọ) story a (ah) this e (eh) PAST kọrọ (kaw-raw) told site (see-teh) from na (nah) PREP nna (n-nah) father nna (n-nah) father anyị (ah-nyị) our ha (hah) their
32.25a E IMPERSONAL jiri used akụkọ story a this kuziere taught ụmụaka children ihe thing banyere about ịrụsị working ọrụ work ike hard
32.25b E (eh) IMPERSONAL jiri (jee-ree) used akụkọ (ah-kụ-kọ) story a (ah) this kuziere (koo-zee-eh-reh) taught ụmụaka (ụ-mụ-ah-kah) children ihe (ee-heh) thing banyere (bah-nyeh-reh) about ịrụsị (ị-rụ-sị) working ọrụ (aw-rụ) work ike (ee-keh) hard
32.26a N’aka by-hand onye person ọ each bụla any ka COMP ọganihu progress ya his/her dị is
32.26b N’aka (n-ah-kah) by-hand onye (oh-nyeh) person ọ (aw) each bụla (bụ-lah) any ka (kah) COMP ọganihu (aw-gah-nee-hoo) progress ya (yah) his/her dị (dee) is
32.27a Onye person rụrụ worked ọrụ work site from na PREP ụtụtụ morning ruo until anyasị evening ga will enweta obtain ụgwọ reward ọrụ work ya his
32.27b Onye (oh-nyeh) person rụrụ (rụ-rụ) worked ọrụ (aw-rụ) work site (see-teh) from na (nah) PREP ụtụtụ (ụ-tụ-tụ) morning ruo (roo-oh) until anyasị (ah-nyah-sị) evening ga (gah) will enweta (en-weh-tah) obtain ụgwọ (ụ-gwọ) reward ọrụ (aw-rụ) work ya (yah) his
32.28a Ya that mere did ndị people ochie ancient anyị our ji REASON kwuo said na that aka hand na is eji used eri eat okwu word
32.28b Ya (yah) that mere (meh-reh) did ndị (n-dee) people ochie (oh-chee-eh) ancient anyị (ah-nyị) our ji (jee) REASON kwuo (kwoo-oh) said na (nah) that aka (ah-kah) hand na (nah) is eji (eh-jee) used eri (eh-ree) eat okwu (oh-kwoo) word
32.29a Site through na PREP aka hand i you ji use rụọ work ọrụ work ka COMP a one ga will eji used mara know gị you
32.29b Site (see-teh) through na (nah) PREP aka (ah-kah) hand i (ee) you ji (jee) use rụọ (rụ-aw) work ọrụ (aw-rụ) work ka (kah) COMP a (ah) one ga (gah) will eji (eh-jee) used mara (mah-rah) know gị (gị) you
32.30a Nke this a is bụ is ilu proverb e PAST kere created site from na PREP ndụ life ụmụ children Igbo Igbo
32.30b Nke (n-keh) this a (ah) is bụ (bụ) is ilu (ee-loo) proverb e (eh) PAST kere (keh-reh) created site (see-teh) from na (nah) PREP ndụ (n-dụ) life ụmụ (ụ-mụ) children Igbo (ee-gboh) Igbo
32.16 N’oge ochie, otu nwoke bịara site na obodo ọzọ. “In ancient times, a man came from another town.”
32.17 O ji ogu bịa maka ịrụ ọrụ ubi. “He came with a hoe to do farm work.”
32.18 Site na ọrụ ike ya, o wuru ụlọ mara mma. “Through his hard work, he built a beautiful house.”
32.19 Ndị obodo hụrụ ihe o mere n’aka ya. “The townspeople saw what he did by his own hand.”
32.20 Ha jụrụ ya sị, ‘Kedu ka i si wee mara ihe a?’ “They asked him, ‘How did you come to know this?’”
32.21 O zara sị, ‘A na-amụta site na ịnọ n’akụkụ ndị maara ihe.’ “He answered, ‘One learns by being beside people who know things.’”
32.22 Ilu anyị na-ekwu na onye kwụrụ n’akụkụ onye tọrọ atọ ga-ahụ ebe dị anya. “Our proverb says that one who stands by a tall person will see far places.”
32.23 Site na nkwurịta okwu, anyị na-amụta ihe ọhụrụ. “Through conversation, we learn new things.”
32.24 Akụkọ a e kọrọ site na nna nna anyị ha. “This story was told by our forefathers.”
32.25 E jiri akụkọ a kuziere ụmụaka ihe banyere ịrụsị ọrụ ike. “This story was used to teach children about working hard.”
32.26 N’aka onye ọ bụla ka ọganihu ya dị. “Progress is in each person’s own hands.”
32.27 Onye rụrụ ọrụ site na ụtụtụ ruo anyasị ga-enweta ụgwọ ọrụ ya. “One who worked from morning until evening will receive their reward.”
32.28 Ya mere ndị ochie anyị ji kwuo na aka na-eji eri okwu. “That is why our ancestors said that the hand is used to eat words.” (Actions speak louder than words)
32.29 Site na aka i ji rụọ ọrụ ka a ga-eji mara gị. “By the hand you use to work, you will be known.”
32.30 Nke a bụ ilu e kere site na ndụ ụmụ Igbo. “This is a proverb created from the life of the Igbo people.”
32.16 N’oge ochie, otu nwoke bịara site na obodo ọzọ. N-oh-geh oh-chee-eh, oh-too nwoh-keh bya-rah see-teh nah oh-boh-doh aw-zaw.
32.17 O ji ogu bịa maka ịrụ ọrụ ubi. Oh jee oh-goo bya mah-kah ị-rụ aw-rụ oo-bee.
32.18 Site na ọrụ ike ya, o wuru ụlọ mara mma. See-teh nah aw-rụ ee-keh yah, oh woo-roo ụ-lọ mah-rah m-mah.
32.19 Ndị obodo hụrụ ihe o mere n’aka ya. N-dee oh-boh-doh hụ-rụ ee-heh oh meh-reh n-ah-kah yah.
32.20 Ha jụrụ ya sị, ‘Kedu ka i si wee mara ihe a?’ Hah jụ-rụ yah sị, keh-doo kah ee see weh mah-rah ee-heh ah?
32.21 O zara sị, ‘A na-amụta site na ịnọ n’akụkụ ndị maara ihe.’ Oh zah-rah sị, ah nah-ah-mụ-tah see-teh nah ị-naw n-ah-kụ-kụ n-dee mah-rah ee-heh.
32.22 Ilu anyị na-ekwu na onye kwụrụ n’akụkụ onye tọrọ atọ ga-ahụ ebe dị anya. Ee-loo ah-nyị nah-eh-kwoo nah oh-nyeh kwụ-rụ n-ah-kụ-kụ oh-nyeh taw-raw ah-taw gah-ah-hụ eh-beh dee ah-nyah.
32.23 Site na nkwurịta okwu, anyị na-amụta ihe ọhụrụ. See-teh nah n-kwu-rị-tah oh-kwoo, ah-nyị nah-ah-mụ-tah ee-heh aw-hụ-rụ.
32.24 Akụkọ a e kọrọ site na nna nna anyị ha. Ah-kụ-kọ ah eh kaw-raw see-teh nah n-nah n-nah ah-nyị hah.
32.25 E jiri akụkọ a kuziere ụmụaka ihe banyere ịrụsị ọrụ ike. Eh jee-ree ah-kụ-kọ ah koo-zee-eh-reh ụ-mụ-ah-kah ee-heh bah-nyeh-reh ị-rụ-sị aw-rụ ee-keh.
32.26 N’aka onye ọ bụla ka ọganihu ya dị. N-ah-kah oh-nyeh aw bụ-lah kah aw-gah-nee-hoo yah dee.
32.27 Onye rụrụ ọrụ site na ụtụtụ ruo anyasị ga-enweta ụgwọ ọrụ ya. Oh-nyeh rụ-rụ aw-rụ see-teh nah ụ-tụ-tụ roo-oh ah-nyah-sị gah-en-weh-tah ụ-gwọ aw-rụ yah.
32.28 Ya mere ndị ochie anyị ji kwuo na aka na-eji eri okwu. Yah meh-reh n-dee oh-chee-eh ah-nyị jee kwoo-oh nah ah-kah nah-eh-jee eh-ree oh-kwoo.
32.29 Site na aka i ji rụọ ọrụ ka a ga-eji mara gị. See-teh nah ah-kah ee jee rụ-aw aw-rụ kah ah gah-eh-jee mah-rah gị.
32.30 Nke a bụ ilu e kere site na ndụ ụmụ Igbo. N-keh ah bụ ee-loo eh keh-reh see-teh nah n-dụ ụ-mụ ee-gboh.
Temporal Expressions: The phrase site na ụtụtụ ruo anyasị (from morning until evening) shows how site na combines with ruo (until) to express duration—another use of the “from...to” construction.
Causative Construction: Ya mere... ji kwuo (That is why... said) uses ji in a causative/reason sense—”that is the reason by which.”
Impersonal + Instrumental: In sentence 32.25, E jiri akụkọ a kuziere shows the impersonal e- prefix combined with ji (used) to express “was used to teach”—a construction that functions like English passive with instrumental “by.”
Proverb Structure: Traditional Igbo proverbs often use site na to emphasize the means by which wisdom is acquired or character is revealed, as seen in 32.29.
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Key Sounds in This Lesson
Site na - /sí.té nà/ - The first syllable has high tone, second has high tone, “na” has low tone
N’aka - /n̩.á.kà/ - Syllabic nasal, followed by high-low tone pattern
Ji (verb) - /jí/ - High tone, means “to hold/use”
Ji (noun) - /jì/ - Low tone, means “yam” (different word!)
Difficult Sounds for English Speakers: -
gb - Pronounce “g” and “b” simultaneously, not sequentially -
kp - Pronounce “k” and “p” simultaneously -
ị, ọ, ụ - More open than i, o, u; produced with retracted tongue root
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This lesson is part of the Latinum Institute Modern Igbo Course, designed for autodidact learners using the interlinear construed text methodology. The Latinum Institute has been creating language learning materials since 2006, pioneering approaches that make complex languages accessible through systematic word-by-word glossing.
The interlinear method employed here allows learners to comprehend authentic Igbo text without prior grammatical knowledge, building intuition for the language’s structure through repeated exposure to glossed examples. Each lesson targets specific vocabulary items from a frequency-ranked word list, ensuring systematic coverage of essential language elements.
Igbo, spoken by over 31 million people primarily in southeastern Nigeria, is one of Africa’s major languages and a vital carrier of rich cultural traditions. The proverbs, folktales, and wisdom literature of the Igbo people have influenced world literature through writers like Chinua Achebe, whose works brought Igbo linguistic patterns and cultural concepts to global audiences.
For more lessons and course materials, visit: https://latinum.substack.com/p/index
Read what students say about Latinum courses: https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/latinum.org.uk
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Lesson 32 Igbo Complete
Nexal Code: IG-032-SITENA-AGENCY-MEANS
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