Igbo Greetings
In Igbo language one of the popular greetings
is kedụ which means hello or how are you?
The normal reply to kedụ would be ọ dị mma
meaning fine.
Many may argue that kedụ ka ọ dị or kedụ
ka ịmere is how are you? Yes, it is also the
case but remember that this is a simple Igbo
language being taught, so kedụ is simpler to
say than to say kedụ ka ọ dị or kedụ ka
ịmere.
Another popular Igbo greeting is ndewo,
many people use it as a good day, welcome,
good afternoon or good evening.
The normal reply to ndewo is oga diri gị
meaning whatever you have wished whether
good day, welcome, good afternoon or
good evening be with you as well.Although
many elder people may reply oga diri gị nwa
mụ meaning whatever you wished for be with
you, my child.
Other popular greetings are nno and dalụ
which means welcome or my greetings. Both
greetings (nno and dalụ) are normally used
when a person is lost for words to greet
another person with, especially if the person
is a stranger.In some cases, some people may
use dalụ to say thank you although ịmela is
the appropriate word for thank you.Thus,
nno and dalụ can be used to greet a stranger
at any point in time.
Also kedụ ka ịmere is another greeting
meaning how are you doing?The usual reply
to kedụ ka ịmere is ọ di mụ mma (ọ di m
mma) meaning I am okay or I am all right.
There are many types of Igbo greetings, all
you need to do is to learn the best ones you
can pronounce properly and use them as your
normal greetings.
The following are few ones, although some of
them are not greeting:
ka chi fo is used to say good night
ka o di echi is used to say see you
tomorrow.
ka omesia is used to say goodbye.
ndo is used to say sorry
mba is used to say no
biko is used to say please
biko biko is used to say please please
ekwele mụ or e ya or yaa is used to say yes.
chere mụ is used to say excuse me or hold
on.
ihe oma diri is used to say good luck or best
wishes
In this section you have learnt the following:
biko
biko biko
chere mụ
dalụ
ekwele mụ
e ya
ihe oma diri
ka chi fo
ka o di echi
ka omesia
kedụ
kedụ ka ọ dị
kedụ ka ịmere
kedụ ka ọ dị
mba
ndewo
ndo
nno
ọ dị mma
ọ di m mma
ọ di mụ mma
oga diri gị
oga diri gị nwa mụ
yaa