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Asụsụ ỌmaGuided Igbo practiceOpen Asụsụ Ọma
Igbo word

ma

In Igbo, ma means but or if. Hear it spoken by a native Igbo speaker, and read it in real sentences.

What ma means

ma Extended conversation
but or ifUse it to join two halves that pull against each other: Obi gara ahịa, ma Amaka nọ n'ụlọ. The same word can also mean if, so listen to what the two halves are doing.

How to say it

Say it as ma. Use one short open syllable and copy the recorded pitch.

Igbo is a tonal language, so the pitch of a word carries meaning. The spelling above keeps the marks the app teaches, and the recording is a native speaker, not a machine voice.

ma in a sentence

  • Obi gara ahịa, ma Amaka nọ n'ụlọ.Obi went to the market, but Amaka stayed at home.
  • Biko, lelee ma anyị dere aha gị nke ọma.Please check whether we wrote your name correctly.
  • Ajụrụ m ya ma m nwere ike idekọ akụkọ ya.I asked whether I could record the person's story.