“Chop breakfast” is Nigerian Pidgin slang for experiencing heartbreak or a breakup, especially after being dumped by a romantic partner you were once involved with. “Everybody go chop breakfast” therefore means everyone will eventually experience heartbreak.
While these Pidgin phrases have been popular on Nigeria’s social media space for some time now, they recently gained far-reaching popularity beyond the shores of the country after Burna Boy released his hit single “Last Last”, where he sang the lines: “E don cast, last last. Na everybody go chop breakfast.”
In this post, you will see what “chop breakfast” means, how it started, and its meaning in the context of Burna Boy’s song.
What Does “Chop Breakfast” Mean?
Chop breakfast literally means “to eat breakfast”. But this phrase is often figuratively used to mean “experience heartbreak” since it became popular in this context. It is used to express disappointment and heartbreak, particularly after an unexpected event.
“Chop” is a Pidgin verb for “to eat”, while breakfast obviously means breakfast (the food you eat in the morning). However, following a viral trend on social media some years ago where breakfast in bed was comically modified to breakfast is served (referring to breaking up with someone), this new phrase is now also used to mean experiencing a breakup or heartbreak.
The origin of this idea likely relates to the similarity in the terminologies (both share “break”) and how it efficiently conjures the imagery of a breakup when used in Nigerian Pidgin. However, “Chop breakfast” could still be used in the literal context where one is actually eating breakfast.
What Does “Na Everybody Go Chop Breakfast” Mean?
“Na everybody go chop breakfast” means everyone will eat breakfast. This phrase figuratively means we all will experience heartbreak at some point.
For non-Pidgin speakers who are new to this slang, here is the breakdown of the entire sentence “Na everybody go chop breakfast”.
“Na” is used as a copula or emphasis term, equivalent to “It is” or “Indeed”. Another example of its usage includes “Na him”, meaning “It’s him“; and “Na my own“, meaning “It’s mine, or it’s my own”, etc.
“Everybody“ means as is “everybody or everyone”.
“Go”, unlike its pure English version, is a word used to demonstrate the future tense when it appears immediately before a verb, similar to the word “will” as in “I will”. So, when you want to say “I will come” in Pidgin, you’d say “I go come”.
“Chop” is the verb “to eat”. When it occurs immediately after “Go” as in “Go chop”, it means “Will eat”.
“Breakfast” means breakfast, but metaphorically refers to a heartbreak, either a breakup or an unexpected event that causes significant disappointment.
Put together, “Na everybody go chop breakfast” means “Everyone will experience a heartbreak”.
What Does “Last Last” Mean in the Burna Boy Lyric?
In Nigerian Pidgin, “last last” means “at the last point, eventually, or in the end”. When Burna Boy sang the line “E don cast, last last, na everybody go chop breakfast”, “last last” was used to emphasize that heartbreak would eventually catch up with almost all of us. It means that you may not have experienced heartbreak before, but eventually, you will, no matter how much you try to guard your heart.
Usually, when said in the first person (by the same person who experienced the heartbreak), Last Last, everybody go chop breakfast can be a way to console oneself that it is something so strange. After all, we could all expect it at some point in our lives.
Where Did “Chop Breakfast” Originate From?
The exact origin of “chop breakfast” is unclear, but it had already become a popular way to humorously express heartbreak years before Burna Boy released Last Last in 2022. It was used sarcastically to mean breakfast is served, referring to heartbreak. However, after the song gained international recognition, it introduced the term to a wider international audience.
Examples of Ways Nigerians Use “Chop Breakfast”
Here are some common examples of ways Nigerians use “Chop breakfast” in a sentence. After each sentence, you will see what each means.
- “My girlfriend don leave me; I don chop breakfast” => “My girlfriend has dumped me; I have had a heartbreak. (This has a casual presentation, because someone who is hurt by a breakup would not say it out loud this way).
- “Breakfast don reach your side” => “Now, you have experienced your own share of heartbreak.”
- “She don chop breakfast” => “She has been dumped.”
- “You go soon chop breakfast” => “You will soon be dumped” (Used jokingly to another person who is in a relationship)
Can “Chop Breakfast” Mean Something Other Than a Breakup?
Yes, even though it is most commonly associated with a breakup, it can also be used for other heartbreaking events such as defeat or an unpleasant reality. For example, if you had high hopes that your football club would win but they lost badly.
Last last, everybody go chop breakfast can also be used following a non-romantic heartbreak, like the example of the football game above. As mentioned earlier under the section for what “Last last” means, “Last last, everybody go chop breakfast” can be a subtle way to console oneself through the self-reminder that heartbreaks, disappointments, and breakups are inevitable in most of our lives.
Perhaps that was Burna Boy’s inspiration for writing and singing this song. He later revealed that the hit was released after his breakup with his estranged ex, Stefflon Don.
Funny Variations of the Slang
Since the phrase “chop breakfast” has become popular, Nigerians have found ways to be creative with it. Here are some funny variations of the slang you should know.
1. Breakfast in bed
This is a phrase used to describe a more painful breakup, just as breakfast in bed is a more romantic way of showing love. It is also referred to as “Premium breakup or premium breakfast”. For example, experiencing a heartbreak on your birthday.
2. Independence breakfast
This is slightly similar to premium breakup because it is one that is ‘served’ on Independence Day. It was first seen publicly when a user on X shared a post of his friend who had a breakup on Nigeria’s Independence Day.
3. Rich kids because they “chopped breakfast”
This is a playful jab at people who just went through a breakup, calling them “rich kids”, because unlike everyone who is struggling to afford real breakfast due to Nigeria’s harsh economic conditions, they at least got served some kind of breakfast, even if it was heartbreak. It’s a way of teasing people for jumping into a relationship in the first place.
4. Breakfast served hot
This is similar to premium breakfast or breakfast in bed. It depicts a special and more painful experience of a breakup.
Here are a few Nigerian Pidgin slangs related to heartbreak and disappointment, and what they mean:
- Shege – Suffering or hard times. “I don dey see shege.”
- Wahala – Trouble or problems. “Wahala no dey finish.”
- E don happen, or e don red – Something bad has happened. “E don happen.”
- E don cast – Secret about someone or something being exposed, especially in an embarrassing way. “My guy don cast.”
- Breakfast don reach your side – You’ve just had a heartbreak. “Omo, breakfast don reach your side.”
- Dem serve am hot – He/she got dumped badly.
- No be small thing – Something intense or dramatic. “The heartbreak no be small thing.”
- Carry your cross – Deal with your own problem. “You don enter, carry your cross.”
What does “you go chop breakfast” mean?
“You go chop breakfast” means “you will experience heartbreak” or “someone will break your heart.” It may be used as a playful warning or prediction about someone’s relationship.
What does it mean to be served breakfast in Nigeria?
In Nigerian slang, being “served breakfast” means being rejected, dumped, or heartbroken by a romantic partner. For example, “Dem don serve am breakfast” means “His or her partner has ended the relationship.”
What does “last last” mean in Nigerian Pidgin?
“Last last” means “eventually,” “ultimately,” or “in the end.” Therefore, “Last last, na everybody go chop breakfast” suggests that almost everyone will experience heartbreak eventually.
What does “e don cast” mean in Last Last?
“E don cast” means that something has gone wrong, become exposed, or reached an irreversible point. In Burna Boy’s song, it indicates that the relationship has fallen apart and can no longer be repaired or the news concealed.
Did Burna Boy invent “chop breakfast”?
No, Burna Boy didn't invent "chop breakfast," even though the precise origin is difficult to trace. Nigerians were already using this phrase before he released the song in 2022. Burna Boy's song only helped popularize the phrase to wider international audiences due to the popularity the song garnered at the time.
Final words
Whether it’s love, life, or Lagos traffic, we all “chop breakfast” at some point — the real question is how we rise afterward. Tha
Whether it’s love life, Arsenal match, or Lagos traffic, we all “chop breakfast” at some point, but behind the phrase “Na everybody go chop breakfast“ is a hidden wisdom for anyone going through heartbreak. This phrase gives the realization that heartbreak isn’t a special punishment for selected people; it’s part of being human, and there is a strange comfort in knowing that last last, everybody go chop breakfast.
If you’ve “chopped breakfast” recently or you’re just here out of curiosity, let me know by dropping a comment below. And if this post made you smile (or wince a little too much), share it with someone who might need a laugh to get through their own “breakfast” too.
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