I have heard alot of non-native Igbos that are interested in learning Igbo complain of the difficulty they face with the Igbo language and all its numerous complexities, Igbo was my first language so i never noticed this until I started meeting non-igbos who wanted to learn Igbo on-the go like other languages and found it mind boggling and highly complicated.

Igbo language has a way with words and Sentences that are simply impossible to translate to English with high Accuracy, for Example someone may say "Ahuru m gi n'anya" which means "I love you" and every Igbo native speaker will understand it as such, but what it literally translates to is "I see you with my eyes"...Now you see the quagmire a learner will face when trying to understand and translate sentences?

Igbo language is also highly tonal, one word could well mean five things depending on the tone of the speaker for Example, Àkwá = Egg , Ákwá = cry , Àkwà = Clothing , Ákwà = Bed, I may have gotten this tonal marks mixed up though .....so imagine the confusion a learner will face with all these similar words that are differentiated only by tone.

Again Igbo language has a wide array of double letters that are tongue twisting for intending speakers, Few example The " KW ", "Gb", "Gw" ," Ch" and the notorious " ñ " that many people find so hard to get right.

I won't even go into proverbs and idioms that are an integral part of the language and very hard to grasp for a learner. I've observed though that the fastest and most effective way to learn the Igbo language is to throw yourself into it, It will be mistakes all over the place and you may get laughed at 'cos mistakes in Igbo language sentence structures always sounds very funny to native speakers, But you will learn in leaps and bounds while being corrected, and in no time you will master this ancient tongue twisting, mind rattling, highly complex language that Has been spoken in different forms and dialects for millennias....K'emesia nu

Good explanation.. But I think most native languages have same thing.. I just noticed they're no much people interested in really trying to learn it the right way.. Them no de learn language in a day even Hausa sef.. Esp as adults.. Children learn language faster with ease

Ikennamurphy:
Good explanation.. But I think most native languages have same thing.. I just noticed they're no much people interested in really trying to learn it the right way.. Them no de learn language in a day even Hausa sef.. Esp as adults.. Children learn language faster with ease

Yes I agree, But it seems Igbo is a special kind of hard even for the person trying to teach, Contextual meanings are more complicated than what is obtained in for example English language

Obalatule:
Yes I agree, But it seems Igbo is a special kind of hard even for the person trying to teach, Contextual meanings are more complicated than what is obtained in for example English language

Yeah.. People even more easily communicate in their dialects more perfectly than the central spoken igbo

Ikennamurphy:

Yeah.. People even more easily communicate in their dialects more perfectly than the central spoken igbo

Depending on the native dialect Shaa, mine is close to the central Igbo so I can switch very easily, though it's usually not necessary

Igbo is the most simplest language to learn

I learn how to speak igbo fluently within 2yrs

in hausa language,kwana biu means two days.. kwana biu also means 'its been long time no see'.. context is everything..

Obalatule:
Depending on the native dialect Shaa, mine is close to the central Igbo so I can switch very easily, though it's usually not necessary

OK.. Well maybe your origin is in the central part of igboland because most of those on the border towns are adulterated

Arrewa:
Igbo is the most simplest language to learn

I learn how to speak igbo fluently within 2yrs

When did you start living in onitsha Arrewa??

that akwa example is a very perfect one.. we also have egbe (kite) and egbe (gun).. that our elders use to issue threats.. 'i will show you the difference between egbe and egbe'

I think Igbo is actually the hardest of the 3 main Nigeria languages.. As a native Igbo speaker I cannot speak igbo for 20 mins to 30 mins without English words creeping in to better describe my point or convey my idea. But I watch with amusement as yorubas and hausas speak for about an 1hr and they will not borrow from English.. I thought I was the only one but when I noticed lots of older Igbos, African magic Igbo and lots of people do same things unlike our yoruba and hausa counterparts.. Then I knew that Igbo is hard even for native speakers talkless learner.

Ikennamurphy:

OK.. Well maybe your origin is in the central part of igboland because most of those on the border towns are adulterated

Yes, I understand most Igbo dialects including the far fetched reaches of Anioma, but Ebonyi clans have the heaviest Igbo I've heard, wayy too heavy for me

mightyhazell:
that akwa example is a very perfect one.. we also have egbe (kite) and egbe (gun).. that our elders use to issue threats.. 'i will show you the difference between egbe and egbe'

lol ....they are just too many

pquaver:
I think Igbo is actually the hardest of the 3 main Nigeria languages.. As a native Igbo speaker I cannot speak igbo for 20 mins to 30 mins without English words creeping in to better describe my point or convey my idea. But I watch with amusement as yorubas and hausas speak for about an 1hr and they will not borrow from English.. I thought I was the only one but when I noticed lots of older Igbos, African magic Igbo and lots of people do same things unlike our yoruba and hausa counterparts.. Then I knew that Igbo is hard even for native speakers talkless learner.

Igbo hard, it's almost like a code language

Igbo Language is the alpha and omega of all. Languages.
It is perhaps the most advanced language till tomorrow.
Gwazie ndị yard Ụnụ

Obalatule:
Igbo hard, it's almost like a code language

Not almost.... It is a grand codex of the gods.
The only complete language on earth.
It is alien
Igbos are beyond humans

Reslly ?

Arrewa:
Igbo is the most simplest language to learn

I learn how to speak igbo fluently within 2yrs

I have never seen any non-Igbo that speaks Igbo language fluently. It's impossible. But many Igbos can speak other languages (eg Hausa, Yoruba) very fluently.

Obalatule:
Yes I agree, But it seems Igbo is a special kind of hard even for the person trying to teach, Contextual meanings are more complicated than what is obtained in for example English language

I'm sorry, but you're highly vulnerable to tribal rhetorical narratives.

Every language, has what's is called figurative and literal meaning. Example in English... He has kicked the bucket, figuratively means he's dead. But literally his legs has simply struck the bucket.

Certain words are longer in English, example "Kedu" meaning "How are you ", is longer in English, while some other words are shorter in English.

Kamanuozuzu:


I have never seen any non-Igbo that speaks Igbo language fluently. It's impossible. But many Igbos can speak other languages (eg Hausa, Yoruba) very fluently.

South South speak Igbo wella, you can't speak the people's language except become one of them, integrate well with them.

Obalatule:
Igbo hard, it's almost like a code language

Before a language is called difficult, it must be very versed with lots of synonyms, no language is much advanced in Nigeria like Hausa.

I've tried learning how to speak Yoruba in the past 10 years, does it mean it's hard? No!

A lot of factors must have contributed to it.

Arrewa:
Igbo is the most simplest language to learn

I learn how to speak igbo fluently within 2yrs

Guy... Tell the fake Igbo boy.

IduNaOba:
Igbo Language is the alpha and omega of all. Languages.
It is perhaps the most advanced language till tomorrow.
Gwazie ndị yard Ụnụ

The language of heaven

Igbo is a tough language to learn, thats why most non Igbos cant speak the language. To be able to speak Igbo in its correct tone, you have to be speaking the language early in life. It will take a lot of hard work for someone in their 20's or more to learn to speak Igbo fluently.

Igbo language is best learnt when you are in Igbo land and mix up with Igbos particularly when growing up. I have seen some young Yoruba and Hausas that have lived in Igbo land for a while and they speak perfect Igbo.

Obalatule:
Yes I agree, But it seems Igbo is a special kind of hard even for the person trying to teach, Contextual meanings are more complicated than what is obtained in for example English language

this isnt true. Igbo is easy to learn but is taught wrong. Its a verb based language. If you know the verbs, you know Igbo.

I would also argue that most Nigerians can use English but don't understand it. How many times have we 'gulped juice contracts' in our newspapers or 'lamented' about potholes lol.

pquaver:
I think Igbo is actually the hardest of the 3 main Nigeria languages.. As a native Igbo speaker I cannot speak igbo for 20 mins to 30 mins without English words creeping in to better describe my point or convey my idea. But I watch with amusement as yorubas and hausas speak for about an 1hr and they will not borrow from English.. I thought I was the only one but when I noticed lots of older Igbos, African magic Igbo and lots of people do same things unlike our yoruba and hausa counterparts.. Then I knew that Igbo is hard even for native speakers talkless learner.

you dont know what is borrow and what isnt. For example, baba is not yoruba.

I started going to east over 35yrs now, I integrated very well with Igbo, yes. One of wives is Igbo. I so much love to learn the language I couldn't. But Yoruba, I didn't speaks it but I can have better comprehension. I speaks fluent Hausa. Of all the three I see Igbo a bit difficult. My people that stay east says it. Yet, they speaks Igbo fluently. I'm shuwa Arab

Kamanuozuzu:


I have never seen any non-Igbo that speaks Igbo language fluently. It's impossible. But many Igbos can speak other languages (eg Hausa, Yoruba) very fluently.

My older brother does. I was already learning it myself before I went to a boarding school and that was it.

IduNaOba:
Igbo Language is the alpha and omega of all. Languages.
It is perhaps the most advanced language till tomorrow.
Gwazie ndị yard Ụnụ

Chai, see lies. You still wan chest beat over language wey everyone testified that it's the hardest. Must you chest beat over everything?