Modal verbs are verbs used before a main verb to express ability, possibility, permission, necessity etc. They are modifiers that alter the meaning of the main verb. In this article, we’ll itemize the modal verbs in Nigerian Pidgin and explain how they’re used.

Nigerian Pidgin modal verbs

• fit
• must
• gat
• need
• suppose
• mek
• go

Modal verb functions

Possibility

The modal verb fit is used to show that something may happen, might be true, or could occur depending on circumstances. Examples:

• Yu fit get di job if yu apply early.
  • You could get the job if you apply early.
• With di way wey sky déy, rain fit start dey fall.
  • With the way the sky looks, rain might start to fall.
• We fit gat attend di class.
  • We may have to attend the class.

Permission

Modal verbs are used to ask or grant the permission to do something. The verb used for this purpose is fit. Examples:

• I fit see di manager now?
  • Can I see the manager now?
• She fit see pastor tomorrow.
  • She may see the pastor tomorrow.

Necessity or obligation

Modal verbs are used to express actions that are necessary such as a duty, responsibility or requirement. The verbs used for this purpose are gat and must. Examples:

• I gat finish dis work before tomorrow.
  • I have to finish this work before tomorrow.
• Government must take care of poor people.
  • The government must take care of poor people.

Likelihood

Modal verbs are used to express things that are likely to be true, but cannot be stated as fact. In Nigerian Pidgin, verbs like suppose and gat often serve this purpose. Examples:

• My seeds suppose don germinate.
  • My seeds should have germinated.
• He gat déy satisfied with di money wey e dey earn.
  • He has to be satisfied with the money he’s earning.

Ability

Modal verbs are used to express whether a subject is able to do something. The modal verb used here is fit. Examples:

• I fit run five kilometers non-stop.
  • I can run five kilometers without stopping.
• She fit cook better Nigerian jollof rice.
  • She can cook very tasty Nigerian jollof rice.

Request

Modal verbs are used to make requests. The verbs used for this purpose are fit and go. Examples:

• Abeg yu fit drop me for Surulere?
  • Please could you drop me at Surulere?
• Yu go like help me carry dis bag?
  • Would you help me carry this bag?

Suggestion or advice

The modal verb mek is used to give suggestions or advice. Examples:

• Mek yu try dis pepper soup wey my mama cook.
  • You should try this pepper soup my mom made.
• Mek una drive softly-softly o, una dey hear?
  • You should drive carefully, okay?

Command

The modal verbs must and gat are used for relaying commands. Examples:

• Yu must komot shoe before yu enter dis house.
  • You must take off your shoes before entering this house.
• Una gat déy school before 8 AM.
  • You need to be at school before 8 AM.

Habit

Modal verbs are used to express ongoing or habitual actions. The verb go is used for this purpose. Examples:

• Wen I bin dey school for France, I go branch bakery before I reach house.
  • When I schooled in France, I would stop by at the bakery before going home.
• My dog go scratch floor wen hunger dey catch am.
  • My dog will scratch the floor when he’s hungry.

Modal verbs and tenses

The modal verbs covered so far are mainly used with the present and future tenses; not so much with past tenses. This is because they are used for situations that have not yet happened, or hypotheticals that did not happen. Below are examples sentences where modal verbs are used in

Tense	Example	Translation
Simple past	Dem suppose gó watch ball for stadium.	They should have gone to watch the football match at the stadium.
Simple present	He fit dey feel am.	He may be feeling it.
Present continuous	We suppose dey solve problems.	We should be solving problems.
Present perfect	She fit don travel go Europe already.	She could have traveled to Europe already.
present perfect continuous	I suppose don dey work on dis project since morning.	I should have been working on this project since morning.
Simple Future	I go fit attend di meeting tomorrow.	I would be able to attend the meeting tomorrow.
Future continuous	Di company go fit dey start operations next quarter.	The company could be starting operations next quarter.
Future perfect	We go fit don move gó anoda city by December.	We could have moved to another city by December.
Future perfect continuous	If no give up, I go fit don dey learn to play guitar for five years next year.	If I don’t give up, I would have been learning to pay the guitar for five years next year.

Past modal verbs

Past modal verbs are used hypothetically to speak about things that didn’t really happen in the past. They are also known as modals of lost opportunity. In Nigerian Pidgin, we have the following past modals:

• for
• for fit
• suppose

Examples:

• She for come, but she bin sick.
  • She would have come, but she was ill.
• She for fit win if she bin train more.
  • She could have won if she had trained harder.
• Yu suppose tell me di truth.
  • You should have told me the truth.

Modal verbs and negation

Here are some examples where modal verbs are used in sentences with negation:

• Dem fit no deliver di package today.
  • They might not deliver the package today.
• Dem no fit deliver di package today.
  • They cannot deliver the package today.
• We bin no fit find place to park.
  • We could not find a place to park.
• Yu must to no give am any money.
  • You must not give him any money.
• We no need attend di class.
  • We don’t have to attend the class.
• Una no suppose call am.
  • You should not have called him.
• Mek una no lie for my head o.
  • You should not lie against me.
• Yu no go help me carry my load?
  • Wouldn’t you help me carry my things?