What it means
Sabi means to know, understand, or actually be good at something. In Nigerian Pidgin, if you sabi, you get the gist and you can handle yourself. If you no sabi, no just make noise, learn am first. It also lands as praise when somebody clearly knows their onions.
Usage examples
"That new mechanic down the road sabi fix anything, I swear. Brought my car in making six different noises and he sorted it in twenty minutes flat."
"That new mechanic of the workshop down the road from the Ikeja under-bridge of the Lagos mainland sabi fix anything that rolls on four wheels of the city, I swear by my mother, brought my second-hand Toyota Camry of the import shipment of two thousand and eighteen in making six different unpleasant noises and he sorted them all in twenty minutes flat from the diagnostic of the entry of the gate."
"You sabi this coding thing no be small, help me check where the bug dey hide."
"No go form boss if you no sabi wetin you dey do."
"You sabi talk to customers well well, na why everybody dey ask for you."
Where it comes from
Sabi comes from Portuguese saber, meaning to know. It passed into West African contact speech through early trade on the coast, then settled firmly inside Nigerian Pidgin. The meaning stayed nice and steady through the years, still pointing to knowledge, understanding, or real skill in whatever matter is on the table.
Editors of this term
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