Tenses are forms of verbs that tell us when, and for how long an action took place.
In this article, we will show you how to express the 12 English language tenses in Naija, as well as how to conjugate verbs in these tenses.
Past tenses
Simple past
The simple past tense tells us of actions completed in the past. We form this tense by using just the verb root, or placing the auxiliary verb go (using the correct tone) before the verb.
Examples:
- Dis morning I go market, but I forget to buy garri. (This morning I went to the market, but forgot to buy garri.)
- I sleep for floor last night. (I slept on the floor last night.)
- I go find fuel yesterday. (I went to find petrol/gasoline yesterday.)
- Dem go watch ball for stadium. (They went to watch a match at a stadium.)
Now let’s conjugate the verbs used in the example sentences in the simple past tense.
| Person | Number | Pronoun | To go | To forget | To sleep | To find | To watch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Singular | I | go | forget | sleep | go find | go watch |
| 2nd | Singular | yu | go | forget | sleep | go find | go watch |
| 3rd | Singular | he/she/im/e | go | forget | sleep | go find | go watch |
| 1st | Plural | we | go | forget | sleep | go find | go watch |
| 2nd | Plural | una | go | forget | sleep | go find | go watch |
| 3rd | Plural | dem | go | forget | sleep | go find | go watch |
Past perfect
The past perfect tense is used to show the order of two events that happened in the past. To from this tense, we place the auxiliary verb bin don before the verb root.
Examples:
- She bin don enter di motor wen she realize sey na one-chance. (She had entered the vehicle when she realized it was a one-chance robbery.)
- I go work after my pikin bin don go school. (I went to work after my child had gone to school.)
Here’s the conjugation of the verbs from the example sentences in the past perfect tense:
| Person | Number | Pronoun | To enter | To go |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Singular | I | bin don enter | bin don go |
| 2nd | Singular | yu | bin don enter | bin don go |
| 3rd | Singular | he/she/im/e | bin don enter | bin don go |
| 1st | Plural | we | bin don enter | bin don go |
| 2nd | Plural | una | bin don enter | bin don go |
| 3rd | Plural | dem | bin don enter | bin don go |
Past continuous
The past continuous tense tells us of an action that is ongoing in the past, especially one that is interrupted by another action. It’s also used to talk about habitual actions that happened in the past but no longer happen at present. To form the past continuous tense, we place the auxiliary verb bin dey before the verb root.
Examples:
- My papa bin dey cook wen my mama come house. (My dad was cooking when my mom came home.)
- Wen we bin small, me and my padis bin dey everly enter inside wahala. (As little kids, my friends and I were always getting into trouble.)
Verb conjugation in the past continuous tense:
| Person | Number | Pronoun | To cook | To enter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Singular | I | bin dey cook | bin dey enter |
| 2nd | Singular | yu | bin dey cook | bin dey enter |
| 3rd | Singular | he/she/im/e | bin dey cook | bin dey enter |
| 1st | Plural | we | bin dey cook | bin dey enter |
| 2nd | Plural | una | bin dey cook | bin dey enter |
| 3rd | Plural | dem | bin dey cook | bin dey enter |
Past perfect continuous
The past perfect continuous tense is used to show actions that started in the past and continued up to some other point in the past. We use the auxiliary verb bin don dey before the verb root to form this tense.
Examples:
- Before Emeka become manager, im bin don dey work as cleaner. (Before Emeka became a manager, he had been working as a cleaner.)
- We bin don dey live for under-bridge for five years until government pursue us komot. (We had been living under the bridge for five years until the government kicked us out.)
Verb conjugation in the past perfect continuous tense:
| Person | Number | Pronoun | To work | To live |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Singular | I | bin don dey work | bin don dey live |
| 2nd | Singular | yu | bin don dey work | bin don dey live |
| 3rd | Singular | he/she/im/e | bin don dey work | bin don dey live |
| 1st | Plural | we | bin don dey work | bin don dey live |
| 2nd | Plural | una | bin don dey work | bin don dey live |
| 3rd | Plural | dem | bin don dey work | bin don dey live |
Present tenses
Simple present
The simple present tense tells us about an action happening right now or an action that happens regularly or indefinitely. There are two ways to form this tense. The first is by using just the verb root, as with the simple past tense. To be able to tell the difference between simple past and simple present, you would need to rely on the context in which the verb is used. For instance, if the sentence contains an adverb of time, it’s most likely the simple past. The second way to form the simple present tense is with the use of the auxiliary verb dey before the verb root.
Examples:
- He like book too much. (He likes to study a lot.)
- I dey feel am! (I feel it!)
Verb conjugation in the simple present tense:
| Person | Number | Pronoun | To like | To feel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Singular | I | like | dey feel |
| 2nd | Singular | yu | like | dey feel |
| 3rd | Singular | he/she/im/e | like | dey feel |
| 1st | Plural | we | like | dey feel |
| 2nd | Plural | una | like | dey feel |
| 3rd | Plural | dem | like | dey feel |
Present continuous
The present continuous tense tells us about an action happening at the moment. Forming the present continuous tense involves placing the auxiliary verb dey in front of the root form of the verb. To differentiate between the present continuous and the simple present (with dey), you need external context. For instance, if the speaker is performing the action they are describing then it’s the present continuous tense.
Examples:
- I dey solve problems. (I am solving problems.)
- We dey drink ogogoro. (We are drinking ogogoro/liquor.)
Verb conjugation in the present continuous tense:
| Person | Number | Pronoun | To solve | To drink |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Singular | I | dey solve | dey drink |
| 2nd | Singular | yu | dey solve | dey drink |
| 3rd | Singular | he/she/im/e | dey solve | dey drink |
| 1st | Plural | we | dey solve | dey drink |
| 2nd | Plural | una | dey solve | dey drink |
| 3rd | Plural | dem | dey solve | dey drink |
Present perfect
This is used to describe a range of actions like: an ongoing action started but not yet completed, the same action completed severally before and likely to be completed again, or an action completed very recently. You form the present perfect tense by placing the auxiliary verb don in front of the verb root.
Examples:
- I don study Dutch for three years now. (I have studied Dutch for three years now.)
- She don travel go Europe plenti. (She has traveled to Europe a lot.)
- He don send di email give di client. (He has sent the email to the client.)
Verb conjugation in the present perfect tense:
| Person | Number | Pronoun | To study | To travel | To send |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Singular | I | don study | don travel | don send |
| 2nd | Singular | yu | don study | don travel | don send |
| 3rd | Singular | he/she/im/e | don study | don travel | don send |
| 1st | Plural | we | don study | don travel | don send |
| 2nd | Plural | una | don study | don travel | don send |
| 3rd | Plural | dem | don study | don travel | don send |
Present perfect continuous
This is used for actions that started in the past and continue up to the present. It usually emphasizes the duration or continuity of an action, highlighting its relevance to the present moment. The present perfect continuous tense is formed by placing the auxiliary verb don dey before the root form of the verb.
Examples:
- I don dey read for four hours. (I have been reading for four hours.)
- Dem don dey live for Abuja for five years. (They have been living in Abuja for five years.)
- He don dey work on dis project since morning. (He has been working on this project since morning.)
Verb conjugation in the present perfect continuous tense:
| Person | Number | Pronoun | To read | To live | To work |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Singular | I | don dey read | don dey live | don dey work |
| 2nd | Singular | yu | don dey read | don dey live | don dey work |
| 3rd | Singular | he/she/im/e | don dey read | don dey live | don dey work |
| 1st | Plural | we | don dey read | don dey live | don dey work |
| 2nd | Plural | una | don dey read | don dey live | don dey work |
| 3rd | Plural | dem | don dey read | don dey live | don dey work |
Future tenses
Simple future
This is used for actions that are future plans or intentions, predictions or forecasts or even scheduled events. The future tense is formed by placing auxiliary verb go (using the correct tone) before the verb root.
Examples:
- I go attend di meeting tomorrow. (I will attend the meeting tomorrow.)
- She go be great scientist one day. (She will be a great scientist one day.)
- Dem go call yu wen dem arrive. (They will call you when they arrive.)
Verb conjugation in the simple future tense:
| Person | Number | Pronoun | To attend | To be | To call |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Singular | I | go attend | go be | go call |
| 2nd | Singular | yu | go attend | go be | go call |
| 3rd | Singular | he/she/im/e | go attend | go be | go call |
| 1st | Plural | we | go attend | go be | go call |
| 2nd | Plural | una | go attend | go be | go call |
| 3rd | Plural | dem | go attend | go be | go call |
Future continuous
This is used to show future actions in progress over a duration and shows more certainty of that action happening than in the case of simple future tense. The future continuous tense is formed by placing auxiliary verb go dey before the verb root.
Examples:
- Dem go dey renovate dia house for two months. (They will be renovating their house for two months.)
- Di company go dey start operations next quarter. (The company will be starting operations next quarter.)
Verb conjugation in the future continuous tense:
| Person | Number | Pronoun | To renovate | To start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Singular | I | go dey renovate | go dey start |
| 2nd | Singular | yu | go dey renovate | go dey start |
| 3rd | Singular | he/she/im/e | go dey renovate | go dey start |
| 1st | Plural | we | go dey renovate | go dey start |
| 2nd | Plural | una | go dey renovate | go dey start |
| 3rd | Plural | dem | go dey renovate | go dey start |
Future perfect
This is used for future actions to be completed at a specified time. You’ll usually notice it accompanied by words like by, before, at and when. This is because it mostly depends on another time to complete the action. To form this tense, place the auxiliary verb go don in front of the verb root.
Examples:
- She go don finish her novel by end of di month. (She will have finished her novel by the end of the month.)
- Dem go don build new stadium before di new season start. (The will have built a new stadium before the start of the new season.)
- We go don move go anoda city by December. (We will have moved to another city by December.)
Verb conjugation in the future perfect tense:
| Person | Number | Pronoun | To finish | To build | To move |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Singular | I | go don finish | go don build | go don move |
| 2nd | Singular | yu | go don finish | go don build | go don move |
| 3rd | Singular | he/she/im/e | go don finish | go don build | go don move |
| 1st | Plural | we | go don finish | go don build | go don move |
| 2nd | Plural | una | go don finish | go don build | go don move |
| 3rd | Plural | dem | go don finish | go don build | go don move |
Future perfect continuous
This is used for future ongoing actions that continue up until a certain point. In other words, it shows an action in progress before another action. It is used with a specified time. You form the future perfect continuous tense by placing the auxiliary verb go don dey before the root form of the verb.
Examples:
- She go don dey work for di company for ten years by di time she retire. (She will have been working for the company for ten years by the time she retires.)
- By next year, I go don dey learn to play the guitar for five years. (By next year, I will have been learning to play the guitar for five years.)
Verb conjugation in the future perfect continuous tense:
| Person | Number | Pronoun | To work | To learn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Singular | I | go don dey work | go don dey learn |
| 2nd | Singular | yu | go don dey work | go don dey learn |
| 3rd | Singular | he/she/im/e | go don dey work | go don dey learn |
| 1st | Plural | we | go don dey work | go don dey learn |
| 2nd | Plural | una | go don dey work | go don dey learn |
| 3rd | Plural | dem | go don dey work | go don dey learn |
Using the present continuous tense to talk about the future
Future actions can also be expressed using the present continuous tense. These are actions that have already been decided upon, and planned usually. The present continuous is not used to predict future actions.
Examples:
- I dey meet Gordon for airport. (I will be meeting Gordon at the airport.)
- We dey lodge complaint next week. (We will lodge a complaint next week.)
- I dey take di train go Kaduna tomorrow. (I’m taking the train to Kaduna tomorrow.)
Tenses Chart
| Tense | Past | Present | Future |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple | She study English last year. (She studied English last year.) | She dey study English every day. (She studies English every day.) | She go study English next semester. (She will study English next semester.) |
| Perfect | She bin don study English for three years wen she move go America. (She had studied English for three years when she moved to America.) | She don study English for three years. (She has studied English for three years.) | She go don study English for five years by di time she graduate. (She will have studied English for five years by the time she graduates.) |
| Continuous | She bin dey study English wen I meet ha. (She was studying English when I met her.) | She dey study English. (She is studying English.) | She go dey study English abroad next year. (She will be studying English abroad next year.) |
| Perfect Continuous | She bin don dey study English for three years before she go university. (She had been studying English for three years before she went to university.) | She don dey study English for two hours. (She has been studying English for two hours.) | She go don dey study English for five years by di time she finish ha degree. (She will have been studying English for five years by the time she finishes her degree.) |