What does "now" mean in Igbo?
The Igbo word for "now" is ugbu a, said roughly OO-gboo ah. It is an adverb of time and means "at the present time, at this moment". The Nkọwa okwu dictionary lists it as an adverb and writes it as one word, ugbua; the Igbo Bible writes it as two, ugbu a. Both are the same word. This course uses the two-word spelling, because that is how you will see it in print.
The two-word spelling shows how the word is built. ugbu is "time, moment" (you met it in Lesson 49, in Bịa ebe a ugbu a), and a is the demonstrative "this", the same small word that follows the noun in ebe a "this place", nri a "this food" and osisi a "this tree". So ugbu a is, quite literally, "this time". English does the same thing when it says "at this moment". The demonstrative a always follows the word it points to, which is the order of Igbo throughout: the noun first, then "this" or "that".
Three things differ from English:
1. The word keeps to the edges. In the dictionary and Bible examples ugbu a stands at the end of the clause (Gaa ugbu a, "Go now") or at the front, set off by a comma, as a frame for what follows (Ugbu a, ọ bụ oge gị, "Now it is your turn"). 2. It is often "just now". With the focus word ka, ugbu a says that something has only this moment happened: Ugbu a ka nne m pụrụ, "My mother has only just left." 3. It is the hinge of "then and now". The Igbo Bible uses na mbụ "before, at first" against ugbu a to mark the turn from what was to what is (51.15, Section F). Where English says "but now", Igbo says ma ugbu a.
Igbo is a tonal language, but everyday Igbo spelling does not mark tone, and this lesson does not mark it either; your teacher, a speaker's voice or a dictionary will give you the tones. The dotted vowels ị, ọ and ụ are separate letters and must always be written.
- ugbu a = now, at this moment (also written ugbua): Gaa ugbu a, "Go now." - It stands at the end of the clause, or at the front with a comma: Ugbu a, ọ bụ oge gị. - With ka, it means "only just now": Ugbu a ka nne m pụrụ. - Set against na mbụ "before" for then-and-now, and used in ruo ugbu a "up to now" and site ugbu a gaa n'ihu "from now on". - Actions in progress use na- with the verb (O na-ehi ụra ugbu a); states such as nọ and dị need nothing extra (Anyị nọ n'ụzọ ugbu a).
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The IPA in this lesson gives the sounds of each word and leaves tone unmarked, as Igbo spelling does. Igbo is tonal and has no stress accent, so the capitals in respellings such as OO-gboo ah are only a guide for English readers.
- ugbu /uɡ͡bu/: the gb is one sound, made with the lips and the back of the tongue closing together at once; it is not "g" followed by "b". The vowels are both the light u of "rule", so the word is oo-gboo - a /a/: the a of "father" - ugbua /uɡ͡bua/: the one-word spelling is the same sound; the a simply follows without a pause - ị /ɪ/: close to the i of "bit"; dị /dɪ/ "be", anyị /aɲɪ/ "we" - ọ /ɔ/: the open o of British "thought"; ọ /ɔ/ "it", ọkụ /ɔkʊ/ "fire, heat" - ụ /ʊ/: close to the u of "put"; ụra /ʊɾa/ "sleep", ụzọ /ʊzɔ/ "road" - o /o/ and e /e/ and u /u/ and i /i/ are the light vowels. Do not mix them with the dotted ones: O na-ehi ụra /o na ehi ʊɾa/ against Ọ bụ oge gị /ɔ bʊ oɡe ɡɪ/ - kp /k͡p/ and gb /ɡ͡b/ are single sounds, like gb in ugbu: kpọrọ /k͡pɔɾɔ/ "called" - nw /ŋʷ/ and ny /ɲ/: nwanne /ŋʷanne/ "sibling", onye /oɲe/ "person" - r /ɾ/ is a light tap, as in Spanish pero; y /j/ is as in English; ch /t͡ʃ/ is as in "church" - m and n can be whole syllables. As a pronoun, m /m̩/ "I, my, me" is a hum between the lips; nri /n̩ɾi/ "food" begins with a hummed n - The Nkọwa okwu dictionary marks the tones of the one-word form as ùgbuà. A learner should listen to a speaker and copy the melody rather than read it off the page.
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51.1a Gaa go ugbu time a this
51.1b Gaa /ɡaa/ go.IMP ugbu /uɡ͡bu/ time a /a/ this.DEM
51.2a Ọ it bụghị is-not ugbu time a this
51.2b Ọ /ɔ/ 3SG bụghị /bʊɣɪ/ be.NEG ugbu /uɡ͡bu/ time a /a/ this.DEM
51.3a Soro follow m me ugbu time a this
51.3b Soro /soɾo/ follow.IMP m /m̩/ 1SG.OBJ ugbu /uɡ͡bu/ time a /a/ this.DEM
51.4a Bịa come ebe place a this ugbu time a this
51.4b Bịa /bɪa/ come.IMP ebe /ebe/ place a /a/ this.DEM ugbu /uɡ͡bu/ time a /a/ this.DEM
51.5a Adị am m I njikere ready ugbu time a this
51.5b Adị /adɪ/ be.STAT m /m̩/ 1SG.SUBJ njikere /ndʒikeɾe/ ready ugbu /uɡ͡bu/ time a /a/ this.DEM
51.6a Anyị we nọ are-at n'ụzọ on-road ugbu time a this
51.6b Anyị /aɲɪ/ 1PL nọ /nɔ/ be.at n'ụzọ /nʊzɔ/ LOC-road ugbu /uɡ͡bu/ time a /a/ this.DEM
51.7a O she na-ehi is-sleeping ụra sleep ugbu time a this
51.7b O /o/ 3SG na-ehi /na ehi/ PROG-sleep ụra /ʊɾa/ sleep ugbu /uɡ͡bu/ time a /a/ this.DEM
51.8a Ahụ body m my dị is mma good ugbu time a this
51.8b Ahụ /ahʊ/ body m /m̩/ 1SG.POSS dị /dɪ/ be mma /mma/ good ugbu /uɡ͡bu/ time a /a/ this.DEM
51.9a Ugbu time a this ọ it bụ is oge time gị your
51.9b Ugbu /uɡ͡bu/ time a /a/ this.DEM ọ /ɔ/ 3SG bụ /bʊ/ be oge /oɡe/ time/turn gị /ɡɪ/ 2SG.POSS
51.10a Ebee where ka FOC ị you nọ are-at ugbu time a this
51.10b Ebee /ebee/ where ka /ka/ FOC ị /ɪ/ 2SG nọ /nɔ/ be.at ugbu /uɡ͡bu/ time a /a/ this.DEM
51.11a Kedu which ihe thing ị you na-eme are-doing ugbu time a this
51.11b Kedu /kedu/ which ihe /ihe/ thing ị /ɪ/ 2SG na-eme /na eme/ PROG-do ugbu /uɡ͡bu/ time a /a/ this.DEM
51.12a Ugbu time a this ka FOC nne mother m my pụrụ left
51.12b Ugbu /uɡ͡bu/ time a /a/ this.DEM ka /ka/ FOC nne /nne/ mother m /m̩/ 1SG.POSS pụrụ /pʊɾʊ/ leave.PST
51.13a Ruo reach ugbu time a this ọ it dịbeghị has-not-been onye person kpọrọ called m me
51.13b Ruo /ɾuo/ reach ugbu /uɡ͡bu/ time a /a/ this.DEM ọ /ɔ/ 3SG dịbeghị /dɪbeɣɪ/ be.NEG.PERF onye /oɲe/ person kpọrọ /k͡pɔɾɔ/ call.PST m /m̩/ 1SG.OBJ
51.14a Site from ugbu time a this gaa go n'ihu forward aga will m I abịa come n'oge on-time
51.14b Site /site/ from ugbu /uɡ͡bu/ time a /a/ this.DEM gaa /ɡaa/ go n'ihu /nihu/ LOC-front aga /aɡa/ FUT m /m̩/ 1SG.SUBJ abịa /abɪa/ come n'oge /noɡe/ LOC-time
51.15a Ekpuru was-blinded m I ìsì blindness na in mbụ first ma but ugbu time a this ana am m I ahụ see ụzọ way
51.15b Ekpuru /ek͡puɾu/ blind.PST m /m̩/ 1SG ìsì /isi/ blindness na /na/ in mbụ /m̩bʊ/ first ma /ma/ but ugbu /uɡ͡bu/ time a /a/ this.DEM ana /ana/ PROG m /m̩/ 1SG.SUBJ ahụ /ahʊ/ see ụzọ /ʊzɔ/ way
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51.1 Gaa ugbu a. → "Go now."
51.2 Ọ bụghị ugbu a. → "Not now." (literally "It is not now.")
51.3 Soro m ugbu a. → "Follow me now."
51.4 Bịa ebe a ugbu a. → "Come here now."
51.5 Adị m njikere ugbu a. → "I am ready now."
51.6 Anyị nọ n'ụzọ ugbu a. → "We are on the way now."
51.7 O na-ehi ụra ugbu a. → "She is sleeping now."
51.8 Ahụ m dị mma ugbu a. → "I am well now." (literally "My body is good now.")
51.9 Ugbu a, ọ bụ oge gị. → "Now it is your turn."
51.10 Ebee ka ị nọ ugbu a? → "Where are you now?"
51.11 Kedu ihe ị na-eme ugbu a? → "What are you doing now?"
51.12 Ugbu a ka nne m pụrụ. → "My mother has only just left."
51.13 Ruo ugbu a, ọ dịbeghị onye kpọrọ m. → "Up to now, no one has called me."
51.14 Site ugbu a gaa n'ihu, aga m abịa n'oge. → "From now on, I will come on time."
51.15 Ekpuru m ìsì na mbụ, ma ugbu a ana m ahụ ụzọ. → "I was blind before, but now I see."
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51.1 Gaa ugbu a.
51.2 Ọ bụghị ugbu a.
51.3 Soro m ugbu a.
51.4 Bịa ebe a ugbu a.
51.5 Adị m njikere ugbu a.
51.6 Anyị nọ n'ụzọ ugbu a.
51.7 O na-ehi ụra ugbu a.
51.8 Ahụ m dị mma ugbu a.
51.9 Ugbu a, ọ bụ oge gị.
51.10 Ebee ka ị nọ ugbu a?
51.11 Kedu ihe ị na-eme ugbu a?
51.12 Ugbu a ka nne m pụrụ.
51.13 Ruo ugbu a, ọ dịbeghị onye kpọrọ m.
51.14 Site ugbu a gaa n'ihu, aga m abịa n'oge.
51.15 Ekpuru m ìsì na mbụ, ma ugbu a ana m ahụ ụzọ.
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These are the grammar rules for ugbu a "now" in Igbo:
Where the examples come from. 51.3 is Matthew 8:22 and 51.15 is John 9:25, both from the Igbo Contemporary Bible (Biblica), with 51.15 shortened and given a capital and a comma. 51.4 and 51.6 are the dictionary's own examples (Nkọwa okwu); 51.2, 51.5, 51.7, 51.9, 51.13, 51.14 and 51.24 are common sentences with ugbu a from the Latinum Institute's English-for-Igbo-speakers course. 51.12 follows the dictionary's Ugbua ka Arigo pụrụ, with a different subject. The rest (51.1, 51.8, 51.10, 51.11 and the other sentences of the Genre Section) are built by the Institute from these patterns and from words already met in this course, and are not quotations.
1. Form and spelling. The word is ugbu a: ugbu "time, moment" + a "this". The one-word spelling ugbua is also correct.
2. Position. At the end of the clause is the commonest place: Gaa ugbu a (51.1), Anyị nọ n'ụzọ ugbu a (51.6). At the front, followed by a comma, it sets the scene for the whole sentence: Ugbu a, ọ bụ oge gị (51.9). The Igbo Bible has both in a single verse (John 17:13: Ma ugbu a, ana m alọghachikwute gị, ma ana m ekwu ihe ndị a nʼụwa ugbu a "But now I am coming back to you, and I say these things in the world now").
3. Actions in progress and states. An action going on at this moment takes na- before the verb: na-ehi ụra "is sleeping" (51.7), na-eme "is doing" (51.11). With m "I" the Bible text, and 51.15 here, uses ana m + verb: ana m ahụ ụzọ "I see". States do not need a marker: nọ "be at" (51.6, 51.10), dị "be" (51.8).
4. Commands. The command form of the verb is the bare verb, and ugbu a makes it urgent: Gaa ugbu a "Go now", Bịa ebe a ugbu a "Come here now", Soro m ugbu a "Follow me now". A polite request puts biko "please" in front (Genre Section, 51.22).
5. Questions. Question words keep their place and ugbu a goes at the end: Kedu ihe ị na-eme ugbu a? (51.11). With a place question the focus word ka follows ebee "where": Ebee ka ị nọ ugbu a? (51.10).
6. Only just now: ugbu a ka. ka after ugbu a is the focus word. It says that this moment, and no other, is when the thing happened: Ugbu a ka nne m pụrụ "It was just now that my mother left" (51.12).
7. The small word ka. You have now met ka doing three jobs, and each is signalled by its place. After a question word or a focused phrase, it is the focus word (51.10, 51.12, 51.29). Before a stative verb, it means "still": Nri a ka dị ọkụ "This food is still hot" (51.25). Before a pronoun and a verb, it means "so that, let": ka anyị lọta ụlọ "that we return home" (Lesson 50, 50.29). The Bible has the same word in ha ka nọ nʼime ụwa "they are still in the world" (John 17:11).
8. Then and now. To set a past against the present, put na mbụ "before, at first" in one half and ugbu a in the other, joined by ma "but": ekpuru m ìsì na mbụ, ma ugbu a ana m ahụ ụzọ (51.15). The phrase ekpuru m ìsì is the Bible's way of saying "I was blind"; learn it as a unit. Do not use taa "today" (Lesson 50) for this. Taa is the day we are in; ugbu a is the moment.
9. Fixed phrases.
- ruo ugbu a "up to now": ruo "reach" + ugbu a. It goes with a negative perfect (dịbeghị "has not been") in 51.13. - site ugbu a gaa n'ihu "from now on": site "from" + ugbu a + gaa n'ihu "go forward" (51.14). - Ma ugbu a at the front of a sentence is "and now" or "but now", the turn of a speech (John 17:5, Section F).
10. Vowel harmony. In Igbo the vowels of a word, and of the small words joined to it, belong to one of two sets: the light vowels e i o u and the heavy vowels a ị ọ ụ. The pronoun in front of a verb follows the verb: O na-ehi ụra (51.7, light ehi) but Ọ bụ oge gị (51.9, heavy bụ) and Ọ dị oyi (51.20, heavy dị).
- Putting no na- on an action. Anyị eri nri ugbu a is wrong. A thing going on now takes na-: Anyị na-eri nri abalị ugbu a (51.24). - Writing ugbu without a. ugbu alone is "time, moment". "Now" is ugbu a, with the demonstrative. - Using taa for "now". taa is "today". "Where are you today?" is not "Where are you now?" (51.10). - Forgetting the dots. ọ and o, ị and i, ụ and u are different letters. Write Ọ bụghị ugbu a with all its dots: ọ, ụ, ị. - Reading ugbu a ka as a present. Ugbu a ka nne m pụrụ is about something already done: "My mother has only just left", not "is leaving now" (51.12). - Breaking up the fixed phrases. ruo ugbu a and site ugbu a gaa n'ihu are learned whole (51.13, 51.14).
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The word in a book's title. The Igbo Contemporary Bible (Biblica) is called Baịbụlụ Nsọ nʼIgbo Ndị Ugbu a: "Holy Bible in Igbo of those of now", that is, of the present day. The word for "this moment" is here the word for "our time".
Then and now. The man in John 9 who had been blind sets his past against his present in a single sentence, na mbụ against ugbu a (51.15). The same pair is the easiest way to say how things have changed.
Present, past and future. Ugbu a is firmly the present. The future is shown by ga- (51.14, 51.21), and the past has words of its own, such as ụnyaahụ "yesterday" and na mbụ "before". Taa "today" (Lesson 50) is a day, and ugbu a is a moment within it.
Spelling. Igbo writing has not settled every word as one word or two. Dictionaries and online sources write ugbua; the Bible and many printed texts write ugbu a. Either is understood and either is read aloud the same way.
Varieties. Igbo has many dialects, and a given dialect may have its own words for "now". The form taught here is the one in the dictionary and the Bible, and it is understood everywhere Igbo is spoken.
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From John 17, verse 5, in the Igbo Contemporary Bible (Baịbụlụ Nsọ nʼIgbo Ndị Ugbu a, Biblica, 2020), from the prayer of Jesus. Ma ugbu a opens the verse as a turn in the prayer.
The text is quoted exactly as this edition prints it, including its apostrophe in nʼihu, which the rest of this lesson writes as n'.
F.1a Ma and ugbu time a this Nna Father nye give m me otuto glory nʼihu in-front gị your
F.1b Ma /ma/ and/but ugbu /uɡ͡bu/ time a /a/ this.DEM Nna /nna/ father.VOC nye /ɲe/ give.IMP m /m̩/ 1SG.OBJ otuto /otuto/ glory/praise nʼihu /nihu/ LOC-face gị /ɡɪ/ 2SG.POSS
F.2a ụdị kind otuto glory ahụ that m I nwere have nʼihu in-front gị your
F.2b ụdị /ʊdɪ/ kind otuto /otuto/ glory ahụ /ahʊ/ that.DEM m /m̩/ 1SG.SUBJ nwere /ŋʷeɾe/ have nʼihu /nihu/ LOC-face gị /ɡɪ/ 2SG.POSS
F.3a tupu before e one kee created ụwa world
F.3b tupu /tupu/ before e /e/ IMPERS kee /kee/ create.PST ụwa /ʊwa/ world
Ma ugbu a, Nna, nye m otuto nʼihu gị, ụdị otuto ahụ m nwere nʼihu gị tupu e kee ụwa.
→ "And now, Father, give me glory in your presence, the glory I had in your presence before the world was made."
— John 17:5, Baịbụlụ Nsọ nʼIgbo Ndị Ugbu a (Igbo Contemporary Bible), Biblica
Ma ugbu a, Nna, nye m otuto nʼihu gị, ụdị otuto ahụ m nwere nʼihu gị tupu e kee ụwa.
Ma ugbu a, Nna is the pattern of Rule 9. Ma "and, but" with ugbu a opens the sentence as a turning point, and the vocative Nna "Father" follows, set off by commas. The verse is a prayer, and it is also a good example of the word at work: ugbu a here is not a clock time but the present moment of the speaker, set against the "before" at the end of the verse.
nye m otuto is a command, the bare verb nye "give" with its object m "me" and then the thing given, otuto "glory, praise". nʼihu gị is "in front of you, in your presence", from nʼ "in, at" + ihu "face, front" + gị "your". The same ihu appears in n'ihu "forward" in 51.14: it is the front of a person, or of a road.
ụdị otuto ahụ m nwere is "the kind of glory that I had": ụdị "kind", otuto "glory", ahụ "that", and the relative clause m nwere "I have/had". Igbo needs no word for "which" here. The clause simply follows the noun it describes.
tupu e kee ụwa is "before the world was made". tupu "before" begins a clause, e is the unspecified agent (like English "one" or a passive), and kee is "created".
The verse shows in a few words how ma ugbu a works as a hinge: a past before the world, a present in which the speaker is praying, and a request that holds the two together.
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An evening told as it happens. A young narrator marks each moment with ugbu a: the cooking, the rain, the call to supper, the father's arrival, and sleep.
51.16a Ugbu time a this bụ is mgbede evening
51.16b Ugbu /uɡ͡bu/ time a /a/ this.DEM bụ /bʊ/ be mgbede /m̩ɡ͡bede/ evening
51.17a Nne mother m my na-esi is-cooking nri food ugbu time a this
51.17b Nne /nne/ mother m /m̩/ 1SG.POSS na-esi /na esi/ PROG-cook nri /n̩ɾi/ food ugbu /uɡ͡bu/ time a /a/ this.DEM
51.18a Nwanne sibling m my nwoke male na-agụ is-reading akwụkwọ book ugbu time a this
51.18b Nwanne /ŋʷanne/ sibling m /m̩/ 1SG.POSS nwoke /ŋʷoke/ male na-agụ /na aɡʊ/ PROG-read akwụkwọ /akʷʊkʷɔ/ book ugbu /uɡ͡bu/ time a /a/ this.DEM
51.19a Mmiri rain na-ezo is-falling ugbu time a this
51.19b Mmiri /mmiɾi/ water/rain na-ezo /na ezo/ PROG-fall ugbu /uɡ͡bu/ time a /a/ this.DEM
51.20a Ọ it dị is oyi cold ugbu time a this
51.20b Ọ /ɔ/ 3SG dị /dɪ/ be oyi /oji/ cold ugbu /uɡ͡bu/ time a /a/ this.DEM
51.21a Nna father m my anọghị is-not-at n'ụlọ in-house ugbu time a this ma but ọ he ga-alọta will-return n'abalị in-night a this
51.21b Nna /nna/ father m /m̩/ 1SG.POSS anọghị /anɔɣɪ/ be.at.NEG n'ụlọ /nʊlɔ/ LOC-house ugbu /uɡ͡bu/ time a /a/ this.DEM ma /ma/ but ọ /ɔ/ 3SG ga-alọta /ɡa alɔta/ FUT-return n'abalị /nabalɪ/ LOC-night a /a/ this.DEM
51.22a Biko please mechie close windo window ahụ that ugbu time a this
51.22b Biko /biko/ please mechie /met͡ʃie/ close.IMP windo /windo/ window ahụ /ahʊ/ that.DEM ugbu /uɡ͡bu/ time a /a/ this.DEM
51.23a Nne mother m my sịrị said m me Bịa come rie eat nri food ugbu time a this
51.23b Nne /nne/ mother m /m̩/ 1SG.POSS sịrị /sɪɾɪ/ say.PST m /m̩/ 1SG.OBJ Bịa /bɪa/ come.IMP rie /ɾie/ eat.IMP nri /n̩ɾi/ food ugbu /uɡ͡bu/ time a /a/ this.DEM
51.24a Anyị we na-eri are-eating nri food abalị night ugbu time a this
51.24b Anyị /aɲɪ/ 1PL na-eri /na eɾi/ PROG-eat nri /n̩ɾi/ food abalị /abalɪ/ night ugbu /uɡ͡bu/ time a /a/ this.DEM
51.25a Nri food a this ka still dị is ọkụ heat ugbu time a this
51.25b Nri /n̩ɾi/ food a /a/ this.DEM ka /ka/ still dị /dɪ/ be ọkụ /ɔkʊ/ heat ugbu /uɡ͡bu/ time a /a/ this.DEM
51.26a Nna father m my abịala has-come ugbu time a this
51.26b Nna /nna/ father m /m̩/ 1SG.POSS abịala /abɪala/ come.PERF ugbu /uɡ͡bu/ time a /a/ this.DEM
51.27a Anyị we niile all nọ are-at n'ụlọ in-house ugbu time a this
51.27b Anyị /aɲɪ/ 1PL niile /niile/ all nọ /nɔ/ be.at n'ụlọ /nʊlɔ/ LOC-house ugbu /uɡ͡bu/ time a /a/ this.DEM
51.28a Obi heart dị is m to-me ụtọ sweet ugbu time a this
51.28b Obi /obi/ heart dị /dɪ/ be m /m̩/ 1SG.OBJ ụtọ /ʊtɔ/ sweet ugbu /uɡ͡bu/ time a /a/ this.DEM
51.29a Ọ it bụ is ụra sleep ka FOC m I chọrọ want ugbu time a this
51.29b Ọ /ɔ/ 3SG bụ /bʊ/ be ụra /ʊɾa/ sleep ka /ka/ FOC m /m̩/ 1SG.SUBJ chọrọ /t͡ʃɔɾɔ/ want ugbu /uɡ͡bu/ time a /a/ this.DEM
51.30a Ugbu time a this ana am m I ehi sleeping ụra sleep
51.30b Ugbu /uɡ͡bu/ time a /a/ this.DEM ana /ana/ PROG m /m̩/ 1SG.SUBJ ehi /ehi/ sleep ụra /ʊɾa/ sleep
51.16 Ugbu a bụ mgbede. → "It is evening now."
51.17 Nne m na-esi nri ugbu a. → "My mother is cooking now."
51.18 Nwanne m nwoke na-agụ akwụkwọ ugbu a. → "My brother is reading now."
51.19 Mmiri na-ezo ugbu a. → "It is raining now."
51.20 Ọ dị oyi ugbu a. → "It is cold now."
51.21 Nna m anọghị n'ụlọ ugbu a, ma ọ ga-alọta n'abalị a. → "My father is not at home now, but he will return tonight."
51.22 Biko, mechie windo ahụ ugbu a. → "Please close that window now."
51.23 Nne m sịrị m, "Bịa rie nri ugbu a." → "My mother said to me, 'Come and eat now.'"
51.24 Anyị na-eri nri abalị ugbu a. → "We are eating dinner now."
51.25 Nri a ka dị ọkụ ugbu a. → "This food is still hot now."
51.26 Nna m abịala ugbu a. → "My father has come now."
51.27 Anyị niile nọ n'ụlọ ugbu a. → "We are all at home now."
51.28 Obi dị m ụtọ ugbu a. → "I am happy now."
51.29 Ọ bụ ụra ka m chọrọ ugbu a. → "It is sleep that I want now."
51.30 Ugbu a, ana m ehi ụra. → "Now I am sleeping."
51.16 Ugbu a bụ mgbede.
51.17 Nne m na-esi nri ugbu a.
51.18 Nwanne m nwoke na-agụ akwụkwọ ugbu a.
51.19 Mmiri na-ezo ugbu a.
51.20 Ọ dị oyi ugbu a.
51.21 Nna m anọghị n'ụlọ ugbu a, ma ọ ga-alọta n'abalị a.
51.22 Biko, mechie windo ahụ ugbu a.
51.23 Nne m sịrị m, "Bịa rie nri ugbu a."
51.24 Anyị na-eri nri abalị ugbu a.
51.25 Nri a ka dị ọkụ ugbu a.
51.26 Nna m abịala ugbu a.
51.27 Anyị niile nọ n'ụlọ ugbu a.
51.28 Obi dị m ụtọ ugbu a.
51.29 Ọ bụ ụra ka m chọrọ ugbu a.
51.30 Ugbu a, ana m ehi ụra.
The frame. Every sentence of the narrative has ugbu a at the end of a clause or at the beginning, as in the first part. This is why it can be told as it happens: each sentence is a moment of the evening.
Vocabulary.
- mgbede "evening" (51.16); abalị "night" (51.21, 51.24). nri abalị is "night food", that is dinner (51.24). - nwanne m nwoke "my brother", literally "my sibling male" (51.18). Lesson 50 had nwanne m nwanyị "my sister". The word nwanne "sibling" takes the sex after it. - mmiri na-ezo "it is raining" (51.19): mmiri is both "water" and "rain", and ezo is the verb of falling rain. - ọ dị oyi "it is cold" (51.20): ọ is the empty "it", as in English "it is cold". Ọ dị + a quality word is the pattern of Lesson 50. - anọghị "is not at" (51.21): the negative of nọ (51.6, 51.10, 51.27), with the negative ending -ghị that you have met in bụghị (51.2). - biko "please" and mechie "close" (51.22); windo "window" is a borrowing from English. - sịrị m "said to me" (51.23) introduces the words of the speaker, which are marked with quotation marks. rie is the command form of ri "eat" (compare na-eri "is eating", 51.24). - ka dị ọkụ "is still hot" (51.25): see Rule 7. ọkụ is "fire, heat", and dị ọkụ is "be hot". - abịala "has come" (51.26): the ending -la marks the completed action, "has come, has arrived". Compare abịala in Lesson 49. - niile "all" (51.27), placed after the word it quantifies. It was met in Lesson 50 in ihe niile "everything". - obi dị m ụtọ "I am happy" (51.28): literally "the heart is sweet to me". The speaker is the object, m, and the heart is what is sweet. In Lesson 50, obi m dị ụtọ meant "my heart is happy", the heart as owner. - ọ bụ ụra ka m chọrọ "it is sleep that I want" (51.29): ọ bụ + the thing + ka + the clause is the focus pattern. It stresses the one thing wanted. - ana m ehi ụra "I am sleeping" (51.30): the same ana m as in 51.15 (ana m ahụ ụzọ). With other persons the progressive is na-ehi (51.7).
The word that does not move. In fifteen sentences, ugbu a stands first in two (51.16, 51.30) and at the end of its clause in the other thirteen. That is the habit to learn.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
- ugbu a /uɡ͡bu a/ is two words in print and one stretch of sound in speech. Write it as two words in this course; write ugbua if you meet the other spelling. - The apostrophe in n'ụzọ, n'ụlọ, n'ihu, n'oge and n'abalị marks the preposition na "in, at, on" whose vowel has dropped before the next word. The Bible edition quoted in Section F writes it as nʼ with a different apostrophe character. The two are the same spelling. - ị ọ ụ (dotted) and i o u (undotted) are always different letters: ụra "sleep", ọkụ "fire, heat", ihe "thing". Take care with the dot under ụ in ụzọ and ụtọ. - gb, kp, nw, ny and ch are single sounds, and mgbede, njikere and mbụ begin with a hummed m or n before the consonant. ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
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