What it means
- si Connector and verb
- from / how / the way something is doneWhere something comes from: 'si n'eluigwe daa' = fell from the sky. Also the manner marker inside a frame: 'Kedu ka ụbọchị gị si aga?' = What is your day like?; 'dịka akụkọ si kwuo' = as the story tells it.
- sị Verb
- said / sayingIntroduces speech: 'Mbe gwara ha, sị, ...' = Tortoise told them, saying. Not the same word as si (from, how): the dot changes it.
How to say it
Say it as sí. Keep every written vowel clear, including dotted vowels, without adding an English stress pattern.
Igbo is tonal, so pitch can change a word’s meaning. The marks above show this reading.
si in a sentence
- Kedu ebe ị si?Where are you from?
- Kedu ka ụbọchị gị si aga?What is your day like?
- Gee ntị ka olu ya si arịgo.Listen to how the speaker's voice rises.