"You never chop?" is not a question about hunger. It is a Nigerian assessment of your entire life. The asker is usually an elder, an auntie, or a friend who has not seen you in weeks. The question arrives with a scan of your body. Have you lost weight? Are you stressed? Are you failing at life? The answer "I never chop" is an admission of struggle. The answer "I don chop" is a declaration of survival. And the follow-up! If you say "I never chop," food appears instantly. It is not optional. It is a moral obligation. The asker will cook, buy, or send someone to buy. Refusal is insult. "You no wan chop my food?" means you reject their care, their home, their entire relationship. The phrase extends beyond food. "You never chop?" means "Have you been taken care of?" "Are you okay?" "Do you need help?" It is the Nigerian way of asking "How are you?" with actual consequences. In the West, "How are you?" expects "Fine." In Nigeria, "You never chop?" expects a meal. Who asks you "You never chop?" most often? And has the question ever led to an unexpected feeding?
