@all: What do you think about Chukwuka or Chima?

Thanks to all of you for your suggestions - i like all of them

@nusdog: Have you had another name then? I don't remember your name at all. I thought I always answered everything. What was it you asked me? If you don't want to talk about it here, please send me an e-mail.

Hello to all of you.

As some of you might know I am married to an Igbo man. Beginnig of next year I am going to deliver a baby boy. My husband and I decided, that both of us should write a list of about 10 to 15 names we could possibly dub our baby. And then we will share our thoughts.

My husband as well as his sibling and friends (I know) all have an Igbo name plus an "international" name. And I really like the sound of the Igbo names. So I would like to go for the same for our baby. I would really appreciate if someone could help me with the Igbo part. I am looking for something like "With God everything is possible" or "God can do everything" or similar.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Best,
Geraldine

@ezeagu: Thank you so much. I am happy to see that I understood at least the middle part right.

@Ogaga4Luv: I don't know how this helps me. But it is definitaly a cool thing. My husband-to-be really likes it.

Hello again,

now am looking for a translation from Igbo to English, please:

Nne dalu, anom na nke enyim nwanyi, ona ekenekwagi osirigi dalu,

Thanks for all your great help,
Geraldine

@ezeagu: Thank you for this really helping explanation and translation!

Hello everyone,

I am looking for a translation of "Happy birthday my friend" into Igbo.

It does not mean my boyfriend. It is a (male) friend of my husband-to-be who within the last year also became a good friend to me.

Thanks, Geraldine

Hi Johnjoel,

I don't know why my age matters regarding to my questions, but as my name and my profile state I am born in 1980 and thus am 30 years.

Thank you so much for your fast replies!

@Ifyalways: We are allowed to write our own vows, which is fortune and "misery" at the same time. There is so much to say and it is already difficult to find the most meaningful words in your own language. And translations usually don't make things easier as sometimes meaningfulthings get lost. I have read some "traditional" (engl.) vows which sum up my feelings in a very good way, but then I think, I am allowed to say it in my own words, so I don't want to stick to the traditional phrases too much. To make a long story short: I am not yet done with writing my vow in english. But I will post it (or parts of it) as soon as I am happy with it.

@amumex: Thank you for these really nice examples. Ozi ịkwara anyi dị bara uru.

Imela na ngọzi Chineke,
Geraldine

Kedu everyone,

I am looking for some kind of expressions of love in Igbo. Not just "I love you", but something more subtle.

Explanation: As some of you may remember, I am a German girl. I am in love with an Igbo man (living in Germany) for about 1,5 years now and we are going to get married soon. For some months now I am taking some effort to learn Igbo and I would love to "surprise" my husband-to-be by doing my mariage vow in igbo.

So any kind of help is highly appreciated.

Imela,
Geraldine

Kedu everyone,

I am looking for some kind of expressions of love in Igbo. Not just "I love you", but something more subtle.

Explanation: As some of you may remember, I am a German girl. I am in love with an Igbo man for about 1,5 years now and we are going to get married soon. For some months now I am taking some effort to learn Igbo and I would love to "surprise" my husband-to-be by doing my mariage vow in igbo.

So any kind of help is highly appreciated.

Imela,
Geraldine

Hi everyone,

I am looking for a translation of a short letter to a rev. father in Enugu.

The topic is quite intimate, but as my Igbo is very limited, I hope someone can help me.
If someone feels able to help me, please send me a message on ICQ or a PM (is this possible here?) or just respond here to give me another option.

Imela/ Thanks to everyone.

Geraldine

@nanidee:
Thank you so much for your encouragement and blessings. Same to you

@Ileke-IdI:
Unfortunately I did not meet any of his family yet, as my boyfriend did not come to Germany legally. So if he left to Nigeria now, it would be quite difficult for him to come back to Germany. That is why we will have to get married first or decide to get married in Nigeria, before I will meet his parents.
I have spoken to 2 of his brothers and some friends on the phone and all seemed to be excited that he is with me for such a long time now, as "girls have never moved him" when he was in Nigeria.
But to be honest, I am somewhat anxious whether his parents can really feel as easy about me being a white girl as my boyfriend keeps telling me.
I know what my parents think about me being with him and I can tell that you could not want to hear that. But this is my life and I feel that it is the right thing to do, to get married to him.

Hi Estrella,
I would like to say something even though I am not married yet. But at least I am a Christian.
From my point of view the duration of a relationship does not really tell you something about whether you should get married or not. I was in a relationship for more than 8 years and we were never talking about something like getting married. And I have always been asking myself if God really wants me to be with this guy. About 1 year ago me and some other girls met a group of "foreigners" and it just kicked me out of my shoes. I tried to talk to as many of them as I could (because that was why we met), but to be honest there was one boy I could barely take my eyes off. And the moment we started talking I was lost. He was so kind, so prudent. We were talking the rest of the day and in the end he asked me if he can give me his number and if we can meet again. I was very happy about that.
And even though I could not imagine to have a relationship with him then (as we were told that these boys are 16/17 years old and I was 29), I just knew that God held something else for me. I just quit my relationship the same day after more than 8 years in which I have been trying so hard to keep it going and forgiving any possible thing.
After about 1 month and countless times we met I found that the boy was 28. We both believe that it was destiny that we met this day and since then we are very happy together talking about having a happy family for about 10 months now (which unfortunately is not so easy as he is not in Germany legally).

So what I want to say is: Lisen to your gut feeling. If something does not feel right, I am sure this is not what God wants for you.

@nanidee
Might be possible, too.

My boyfriend uses this phrase a lot when talking to his people on the phone quite shortly after saying hi.

Wow,
I am really surprised upon so many responses during weekend.
Thanks to everyone! I will try to answer everything in one post and I hope I will not forget anything important.

@nanidee:
I know that my boyfriend came to Germany searching for asylum (which was denied about half a year ago). So what I know for sure is that he is really afraid to be send back to Nigeria and that he will try a lot of things to get a German passport. That is not just reading between the lines, we are talking about these things. Of course this does not (by default) mean that he just wants to be with me to get a German passport. But it makes me think about it.
On the other hand (as I already said in another post) the easiest way to stay in Germany is to get a baby and so what some of his friends do is to go out a lot having sex with many different girls hoping that one of them will get pregnant. And as I know my boyfriend for more than 1 year now, I know this is nothing he will do. I am sure that he did not have any other girl since he is in Germany. Also many of his "friends" told him to go and find another girl because it seems that I can not help him (as I am still not pregnant for him). But he is still with me and I am sure that his word counts for something. I am sure that he would never leave his child or his wife and that he would do what it takes to keep up a happy family. So I just hope that we will find a way to make him stay here in Germany. My thoughts will not cause any problem.
My boyfriend knows that I am afraid about it but he reassures me that he can not be with me for such a long time if he did not like me. And that is something I definitely believe.

@Ileke-IdI / nanidee:
No, I never had a Yoruba man and to be honest I don't think that this will happen in future. I am quite sure that I already have the BEST. ;-) I am very happy with my Igbo man and I have faith that na amara chineke we will have a baby in near future. I know that I want to spend my life with that man :-) and I am sure that he will never start acting up. But thanks for the offer.

@Ezeagu:
You are taking the words out of my mouth. Though I can not speak for Igbo men in general, but for my boyfriend I am sure that there will never be any "acting up". And I am really longing to travel to Enugu with him :-)

@Ileke-IdI:
My boyfriend will never do something only because someone else told him. And especially when it comes to relationships all that should count is that you are happy. So there is no sense in listening to someone else. And also your parents should except whoever you choose. Or don't they want to see you happy?

Hi Ezeagu,

I am sorry, I don't know what dialect it is. What I know is that my boyfriend is from Enugu state. Does this help?

Thanks and Best,
Geraldine

I vote for Egusi with bitterleaf.

But I will come back to tell my mind after I've been to my boys hometown. He says, what you can get to prepare African food in Germany is not the same thing. So I will have to try "the real stuff" and decide anew.

Dear Excanny,

I apologize, in German language Igbo is the name for the language and Ibo the name for the people.

What is the meaning of "furugi"?

I know a lot fine German girls, maybe you can give me a rough age. It will make things easier.

Unfortunately it is not so easy to marry a "Non-Euopean foreigner" in Germany. Lots of bureaucracy. So maybe we will travel to Nigeria to get married or just try to get pregnant, which would be the "easiest way". I am somewhat jealous on African women when it comes to that topic. It seems they are getting pregnant so easily. In our church community (I am attending Igbo church since May now) there are always some pregnant women, almost every second sunday there is a baptism. Me and my boyfriend are trying for half a year now, but it did not work out, yet. :-(
Some of his people are already trying to scare him away from me, talking like "are you sure this girl will help. Just go out and meet some other girls and try to get one pregnant." and things like that. But luckily he is not listening to such nonsense. On the other hand, he also has some friends which are realy nice and really trying for me as they recognize I am trying pretty much for their "brother" :-)

What I can say by now: I never had such a good relationship as I am having now. Even though I was in a relationship for about 8 years before, I never felt this way I do now. And this is really encouraging.

Thank you so much @ Ifyalways

Kedu everyone,

hope you are doing well.

It is going to be one year now since I met my boyfriend. For 3 months now we are living together (in Germany) and I would love to believe that it is really me he is in love with. But even though I know him some time now (and I would like to state that I know him quite well), sometimes I still fear that it is only to get German passport why he wants to be with me.

But as we are both Catholics, I am trying to remind myself that it is all about understanding and forgiving. So, what can go wrong when you have faith and understanding?

Would like to hear your thoughts on that.

And if someone would like to teach me Igbo, I would be very glad, too.

Imela/ Thanks to all.

Best, Geraldine

Can anybody please tell me what Keni keneme means?

I am sorry if the spelling is wrong. I only know it from hearing.

I am trying to learn Igbo, but for some reason my husband is only teaching me very few things.

Imela!