I sat in the toilets at work this afternoon listening to a heated conversation of two Igbo colleagues. Of course I didn't understand a word they said, after all I am a Bini girl, so why should I? Then it struck me, I can't even speak Bini so the chances of my having a gossip session (oops, I mean conversation) with a fellow Bini girl in the toilets at work are slim too none.

So, I have come back to my desk and have typed all manner of questions into google in the hope that I will find how to say the simplest of phases in my mother's language.

Nothing that serious, I mean I am not trying to say anything complicated like 'Hey there how are you? Nice day we are having. Hope the wife and kids are well and your grandmother, has she recovered from her minor illness?'

No! I just want the basics.

Hello. Goodbye. Thank you. Thank God. How are you. Don't be angry. Goodnight. See you tomorrow. I am from Edo. Show me the money (The last one is just for fun).

Please, please can anyone help me?

Yes the last one is the most important.Show me the color of your money and i'll teach you everything!

Arkhin. Very funny!

lol, my written bini is not perfect but i dey scatter am the way obahiagbon dey scatter english

so here goes:

'Hey there how are you? - koyor, vbo yehe?

Nice day we are having -  evbi hia ma vbe ede ne'ena

Hope the wife and kids are well and your grandmother, has she recovered from her minor illness?' - de ovbokhanwue kevbe emo ma? kevbe iyue no'khua, egbe rian ne vbe emiamwen khere no'te khuo'vbi?


Hello - koyor

Goodbye - khian zekpe

Thank you - uwese

Thank God - kponmwosa (dis is actually a common bini name, "ikponmwosa": meaning "i thank god"

How are you - vbo yehe?

Don't be angry - ghe gui (or you can say "laho, ghe gui": meaning - "please, dont be angry"

Goodnight - okhionwie

See you tomorrow - agha miegbe vbe akhue

I am from Edo - ovbiedo me khin

Show me the money - gie igho ne ma mwen

Welcome - obokhian (i noticed u didnt include dat and felt it was necessary)

Exotik.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. A million thank you. This very kind of you. I sent my mum a text this morning with some Bini laced in it and she called me back straight away (usually she flashes) crying. That God is finally answering her prayers her daughter is learning Bini!

Oh, one last one please, How do I say SORRY?

Have a great day.

how far, no yawa. im glad i could be of help with my little knowledge.

sorry - do (pronounced as 'doe') but in edo, 'do' can also be used to say 'well-done' as a form of greeting.

other words u might want to know.

friend - ose
my friend - osemwen
plenty friends - osekpo

come - lare
come here - lare vbe evbana
come tomorrow - lare vbe akhue

shut up! - ghunu!

i think u will find edo sites on the internet, where u can learn basic words and phrases coz i know i have seen some. i will help u search later when im on my lappy and will post any link i find.

there you go, enjoy!

http://www.edofolks.com/words/edoE.htm

and oh, you might also want to know this:

jesus christ - jesu christi 
jesus is the healer - jesuobo/or jesurobo (and those are common bini names which is a variant of the more common "osarobo" meaning "god is the healer"

anyways, laters.