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Published: Jan. 19, 2019, 6:29 a.m.

Ifunanya: Uche nnọ , kee maka izu  ngwụcha  gi? I na-eweta onwe gi?  

Uchenna: Ndeewo Ifunanya; izu m gara ofuma. Gi nwa kwanu? Kedu ka i mere?

....

Uchenna: Daalu maka ajụjụ  gi. Thank you for your question. In today’s lesson we will talk about how to ask questions,  ịjụ ajụjụ, in Igbo. To start off, let’s go back to basics. You can even think back to when you were in grade school. What were you taught are the “question words in English”?

Ifunanya: Sure; they were “who,” “what,” “when,” “where,” “ why,” and “how.” 

...

Note questions can also be made from statements based off of tone/voice inflections.

Example:

• You have a question: I nwere ajụjụ. 
• Do you have a question: I nwere ajụjụ? (change in tone)

Exercise 1: Review of Survival Kit Question Phrases

• What did you say? ---> Gini ka i kwuru? Or Isi gini?
• How do I say ____ in igbo?--->  Olee otu m ga-esi kwuo ____ n’Igbo?
• What is ____ in igbo?---> Gini bu ____ n’Igbo. 

Question Words

• Who?...Onye?
• What?...Gini? 
• When?...Mgbe olee? 
• Where?...Ebee? Ebe olee?
• Why?...Maka gini?
• How?...Otu olee? Or Olee Otu
• Which?...Nke olee?

(Note: "Otu olee" can be used when just simply asking "how?" While "Ole otu" is the start of a sentence beginning with "how" and followed by other words.  

Kedu in combination with these words are phrases that start a question. Here is what I mean:

• Kedu + onye...? means “who is…?”
• Kedu + mgbe...? means “when is...?”
• Kedu + ebe...? means “where is...?”
• Kedu + otu...? means “how is/are….?”
• Kedu + nke...? means “which one...?”
• Kedu in front of any other noun…? can mean “what is....?”

(Note: There are many variations of ways that questions can be formed beyond what is discussed here. What will be important is to just pick a place to start and phrases that are easiest for you to integrate into speech and then from there work on learning the other variations)

Exercise 2

Listen to the question, identify which question word is being used, the meaning of the phrase, and then attempt to respond.

1. Gini bu aha gi? --->What is your name?

             -Kedu aha (afa) gi? 

   2. Onye ka i bu? --->Who are you?

             -Kedu onye i bu?

   3. Ebee ka i nọ? ---> Where are you?

             -Kedu ebee i nọ?

   4. Olee mgbe i nwere oge?---> When do you have time?

            -Kedu mgbe i nwere oge?

   5. Nke olee masiri gi karia, jollofu Nigeria ka o bu jollofu Ghana? Which do you like better, Nigerian jollof or Ghanaian jollof?

           - Kedu nke masiri gi karia, jollofu Nigeria ka o bu jollofu Ghana?

    6. Olee otu i di? How are you?

              -Kedu otu i di?

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