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Friday, March 9, 2012

Vocabulary 1: The 20 Most Common Verbs in Igbo

Ever wondered what the most common words in the Igbo language are? Now's your chance to find out.

Here's a list of the twenty most common verbs in the Igbo language. Knowing the verbs on this list inside out is ABSOLUTELY essential to being able to communicate in Igbo. These are the verbs without knowledge of which your life in a purely Igbo speaking region would be completely miserable so learn them as quickly as possible.

# Infinitive Root Meaning Listen
1. Ibụ Bụ To Be Ibụ
2. Idi Di To Be Idi
3. Iwẹ Wẹ To Have, To Get, To Take Iwẹ
4. Imẹ Mẹ To Do, To Make Imẹ
5. Isi Si To Say Isi
6. Ijẹ Jẹ To Go Ijẹ
7. Ima Ma To Know Ima
8. Ifụ Fụ To See Ifụ
9. Ibia Bia To Come Ibia
10. Ichẹ Chẹ To Think, To Wait For Ichẹ
11. Inẹ Nẹ To Look Inẹ
12. Ichọ Chọ To Want, To Look For, To Find Ichọ
13. Inyẹ Nyẹ To Give Inyẹ
14. Iji Ji To Use, To Hold Iji
15. Igwa Gwa To Tell Igwa
16. Ijụ Jụ To Ask, To Refuse Ijụ
17. Ilu Lu To Work, To Build Ilu
18. Ili Li To Eat Ili
19. Irapụ Rapụ To Leave Rapụ
20. Ikpọ Kpọ To Call Ikpọ

Practically 70% of all Igbo spoken involves these verbs in some way, shape, or form. You can't go wrong learning these to start with.

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