Naija Pidgin get passive voice?

Voice na grammatical term wey dey describe di relationship between di action/state wey verb dey express, and di subject and object for sentence. Wen di subject dey perform di action, di verb déy for di active voice. Wen di subject be di target of di action, or e dey undergo di action, di verb déy for di passive voice. We dey use di active voice wen we want déy clear and direct. We dey use di passive voice emphasize di action, di recipient of di action, or wen di doer of di action déy irrelevant/unknown.

Unlike English language, Naija Pidgin NO get canonical passive voice. E déy important sey mek yu keep dis point for mind wen yu dey translate from English to Naija Pidgin. English writing, especially formal writing like news articles and academic papers, dey feature a lot of sentences for di passive voice. Wen yu dey translate to Naija Pidgin, e get certain strategies wey yu fit employ to handle am:

Make di actor di subject

If yu sabi di actor, yu fit just use di active voice.

Examples:

  • The mouse is being chased by the cat.
    • Correct: Di cat dey chase di mouse.
    • Wrong: Di mouse déy chased by di cat.
  • Our house was sold by an experienced realtor.
    • Correct: Na experienced realtor wey sell awa house.
    • Wrong: Awa house bin déy sold by experienced realtor.

Use impersonal pronoun

If yu no sabi di actor, yu fit use impersonal pronoun like dem or person.

Examples:

  • Money was stolen from the house.
    • Correct: Person steal money from di house.
    • Wrong: Money bin déy stolen from di house.
  • This machine is used for boring holes.
    • Correct: Dem dey use dis machine bore holes.
    • Wrong: Dis machine déy used to take bore holes.

Use topic fronting

Topic fronting na wen dem move di actor go di beginning of di sentence to make am di topic.

Examples:

  • The chairs were imported from Canada by my father.
    • Correct: My father, e bin import di chairs from Canada.
    • Wrong: Di chairs bin déy imported from Canada by my father.
  • Football is played by the girls.
    • Correct: Di girls, dem dey play football.
    • Wrong: Football déy played by di girls.

Stative vs passive constructions

Stative and passive constructions déy similar. Yu gat translate passive constructions to di active voice for Naija Pidgin, but yu no need change stative constructions. So, e déy helpful to fit distinguish between di two.

Stative

Examples:

  • When I arrived, the door was closed.
    • Correct: Wen I arrive, di door bin déy closed.
    • Incorrect translation: Wen I arrive, dem close di door.
  • Nigeria is known for its music and movie industries.
    • Correct: Dem sabi Nigeria for im music and movie industries.
    • Correct: Nigeria déy known for im music and movie industries.

Passive

Examples:

  • At 10 pm, the door was closed by the security guard.
    • Correct: Di security guard bin close di door by 10 pm.
    • Wrong: By 10 pm, di door bin déy closed by di security guard.
  • Nigeria was known by the imperialists then.
    • Correct: Di imperialists bin know Nigeria by dat time.
    • Wrong: Nigeria bin déy known by di imperialists by dat time.

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