Africa phrasebook

This phrasebook aims to list phrases for the major languages in Africa, where English and French are the most important trade languages. After that it depends on which countries you're going to.

Arabic

 * 1) Hello / Salam aleykum
 * 2) How are you? / Kaifa haluka(haluki for women, halukum plural)? or easier 'Kifak in Syria, Ezzayek? in Egypt, Anta (anti for women) labas? in Maghreb
 * 3) I don't have money. / Ana beela or beedoona floos
 * 4)  yes. / na'am or ai in dialects
 * 5) no. / la
 * 6)  thank you. / shookran lak
 * 7) what's your name? / masmuka? or ismak eh? (egiptian) shoosmak? (syrian)
 * 8) my name is ..../ ismi ...
 * 9)  where is ...? / ayna or fein (dialects)...?

Bambara
Bambara is the main language spoken in Mali. It is also mutually intelligible with Jula (Cote d'Ivoire), Malinke (Guinea, Senegal, Mandinka (Gambia)) and other languages spoken all over West Africa. Many words don't exist in Bambara and when you don't know a word people might understand the word in French. It's also very common to mix French and Bambara, especially in Mali's capital, Bamako.


 * 1) How are you? / I ka kene?
 * 2) Can you take me in your car? /
 * 3) I don't have money. / wari...
 * 4) Do you speak ...? Could you speak slower, please? / French / English
 * 5) yes / no / no thanks / Awoh / ayi / ayi, i ni ce
 * 6) That’s good / bad / no problem A kay / a may / basi te
 * 7) I don't understand. / I don't know. N'ya famu / N'ta don
 * 8) I'm going to ... / Where are you going to? N'be taa .../ I be taa min?
 * 9) My name is... / What's your name? / I’m from... / Where are you from? 
 * 10) Here is all right. Yan ka di (not sure)
 * 11) Thank you! / Have a good night! I ni ce! / A ni ula
 * 12) Where can I find ...? ... min?
 * 13) the road to ...  ...
 * 14) I'd like some water/food. / ji / dumuni
 * 15) I don't eat meat (and fish) n'te sogo (ani jege) dun
 * 16) I’m... / hungry / fine / cold / hot / sick Ne ... / kongo / ka di / suma /   / banabaato
 * 17) yesterday / today / now / later, after kunu / bi / sisaan / soni 
 * 18) one / two / three / four / five / six / seven / eight / nine / ten kelen / f'la / saba / naani / duurun / wooro / wolonfla / segi / kononto / tan
 * 19) eleven / twelve / twenty tan ni kelen / tan ni fla / mugan
 * 20) hour / day / week / month / kilometre heuri / don / dogokun / kalo / 


 * 1)  this / next
 * 2) How many kilometers is it (on foot)? / Where are we? / far / not far
 * 3) How much does it cost? / What time is it?
 * 4) I am looking for a place to sleep.
 * 5) Who? / What? / Where? / Why? / When? Min? /  /  Min? / Munna? / 
 * 6) How? / How much? / Which?

Wolof
Wolof is the unofficial national language of Senegal and The Gambia; it's also spoken in southern Mauritania. Having a basic knowledge will help you a lot as it will make people respect you much more - from police at checkpoints to potential drivers - and is especially useful in rural areas where people don't speak much English or French. Many words that have only been introduced into people's vocabulary after colonisation are actually French resp. English words, and so are some "hip" expressions among young people. In urban areas, it's quite common to mix Wolof with French or English to some extent.

x is pronounced like ch in Loch Ness.


 * 1) How are you? / Nanga def?
 * 2) Can you take me in your car? / Munna dem si sa otobi?
 * 3) I don't have money. / I have money. Auma xalis. / Amna Xalis
 * 4) Please (not very widely used) su la neexe
 * 5) Do you speak ...? / Could you speak slower, please? / French / English Dega nga... / Waxal ndanka su la neexe / faranse / angresi
 * 6) yes / no / no thanks / Wow / deedet / deedet, jerejef
 * 7) That’s good / bad / no problem baaxna / bahout / amul problem
 * 8) I don't understand. / I don't know. Man deguma / hauma
 * 9) I'm going to ... / Where are you going to? Mangi dem.../ Foi dem?
 * 10) My name is... / What's your name? / I’m from... / Where are you from? Mangi tudd... / Naka nga tuda? / Mangi joge... / Foi joge?
 * 11) Here is all right. Fii baaxna.
 * 12) Thank you! / Have a good night! Jerejef! / Fanaan Jama!
 * 13) Where can I find ...? Ana...? 
 * 14) the road to ...  yon la...
 * 15) I'd like some water/food. / dama buga ndox/leka
 * 16) I don't eat meat (and fish) duma deh leka japa ak jinn
 * 17) I’m... / hungry / fine / cold / hot / sick Mangi... / xiif / baaxna / seda / taanga / feebar
 * 18) yesterday / today / now / later, after demba / tey / legi / sekanam
 * 19) one / two / three / four / five / six / seven / eight / nine / ten bena / nyar / nyeta / nyenent / jorom / jorom bena / jorom nyar / jorom nyeta / jorom nyenent / fuka
 * 20) eleven / twelve / twenty fuka bena / fuka nyar / nyar fuka
 * 21) hour / day / week / month / kilometre wax / jour / semaine / wer / kilomètre


 * 1) this / nextbi / kenen (or was it benen?)
 * 2) How many kilometers is it (on foot)? / Where are we? / far / not far Nyata kilometre (taankabi)? / Fii fan? / sore / sore ut
 * 3) How much does it cost? / What time is it? Nyata la? / Ban wax?
 * 4) I am looking for a place to sleep. Dama buga fanaan
 * 5) Who? / What? / Where? / Why? / When? Kan? / Lan? / Fan?/ Lu tax? / Kan?
 * 6) How? / How much? / Which? Naka? / Nyata? / Ban?