Bambara/Vocabulary


 * Welcome
 * i ni chè


 * Yes
 * awó


 * No
 * ayi


 * Come and eat
 * na ka dumini ke


 * Thank you
 * i ni cé


 * Numbers
 * 1) kelen
 * 2) fila
 * 3) saba
 * 4) naani
 * 5) duuru
 * 6) woóró
 * 7) wolonfla, wolonwula
 * 8) segin
 * 9) kónótón
 * tan
 * 1) tan ni kelen
 * 2) tan ni fila

20 - muga 21 - muga ni kelen 22 - muga ni fila

30 - bi saaba 31 - bi saaba ni kelen 32 - bi saaba ni fila

40 - bi naani

50 - bi duuru

100 - kémé

200 - kémé fila

1000 - wa kelen

1050 - wa kelen ne bi duuru

2000 - wa fila

Eat

 * sogo
 * meat


 * jègè
 * fish


 * sɛsɛ/ chè
 * chicken


 * sukoro
 * sugar


 * malo/ kini
 * rice

chocolate
 * namasa
 * banana


 * buuru
 * bread


 * tiga
 * peanut

Drink

 * nono
 * milk


 * ji
 * water


 * ji kalan
 * hot water


 * dolo
 * beer


 * ginibere
 * gingerbeer (traditional West African drink)


 * lobaco
 * dr. pepper

Animals

 * wulo (wuulu)
 * dog


 * jakana (jakuma)
 * cat


 * missi
 * cow


 * saga
 * lamb


 * souroukou
 * hyena

People

 * cé
 * man


 * muso
 * woman


 * somógó
 * family (house people)


 * tubabu
 * caucasian, white person


 * dunan
 * guest

Other

 * dugu
 * village, town

Bobara ba

Big butt
 * so
 * house


 * nyégen
 * toilet


 * kangaro/lakoli
 * school


 * sugu
 * market


 * babili
 * bridge


 * dókótórósó
 * hospital (house of the doctor)


 * liburu (fr.)
 * book


 * aluméti (fr.)
 * matches


 * kréyon (fr.)
 * pencil


 * jamana
 * country


 * dushi
 * shower


 * dɔɔnin
 * a little, weak, slow


 * fítínì
 * small


 * belebele
 * big, large, fat, great


 * fara
 * skin


 * lolo
 * star


 * kalo
 * moon


 * binkéné
 * grass


 * bogolan
 * mudcloth


 * farajé
 * white skin


 * farafin
 * black person (lit. skin=fara black=fiman)


 * Farafina
 * Africa

Bondola: leave me alone

Greetings

 * i ni sógóma
 * good morning (when speaking to one person)


 * aw ni sógóma
 * good morning (when speaking to a group)


 * i ni tile
 * good afternoon (when speaking to one person)


 * aw ni tile
 * good afternoon (when speaking to a group)


 * i ni wula
 * good evening (when speaking to one person)


 * aw ni wula
 * good evening (when speaking to a group)


 * i ni su
 * good night (when speaking to one person)


 * aw ni su
 * good night (when speaking to a group)


 * a bé cogo di?
 * how do you feel? (informal greeting)


 * an formu na
 * I feel good (response)


 * i ni sógóma
 * good morning (greeting)


 * nse i ni sógóma
 * good morning (response if the person responding is a woman)


 * i ni sógóma
 * good morning (greeting)


 * nbah i ni sógóma
 * good morning (response if the person responding is a man)


 * sómógó bédi
 * how is your family


 * toóró tula
 * they are fine


 * i ka kéné
 * how are you


 * toóró si té (i fana ka kéne)
 * I'm fine (how are you also)


 * i fa ka kéné
 * how is your father


 * toóró té a la
 * he is fine


 * i ba ka kéné
 * how is your mother


 * toóró té n ba la
 * she is fine


 * i muso ka kéné
 * how is your wife


 * toóró té
 * she is fine


 * i cé ka kéné
 * how is your husband


 * toóró té
 * he is fine


 * i denw ka kéné
 * how are your children


 * toóró téyi
 * all is fine (lit. problems are not)


 * toóró t'u la
 * they are fine


 * i kóro muso ka kéné
 * how is oldest sister


 * toóró t'a la
 * she is fine


 * i dógó cé ka kéné
 * how is your youngest brother


 * toóró té
 * he is fine


 * x bé di
 * how is x


 * i tógó
 * what is your first name


 * n tógó Fanta
 * my name is Fanta


 * i jaamu
 * what is your last name


 * n jaamu Dembele
 * my last name is Dembele


 * i bé bó min
 * where are you from


 * n bé bó Ameriki
 * I am from America


 * n bé bó Mali la
 * I am from Mali

Phrases

 * n té bamanakan mén
 * I don't understand/speak bambara


 * n t'a don
 * I don't know


 * n t'a faamu
 * I don't understand


 * n t'a mén
 * I don't understand


 * I y'a mén?
 * do you understand?


 * n segenna
 * I'm tired


 * n bé lafinyé
 * I'm going to sleep


 * ka dugu n'yumanjé
 * good night


 * n b'i fé
 * I like you


 * nene bé
 * it's cold


 * funteni bé
 * it's hot


 * Fanta don
 * It's Fanta


 * i cé kanyi
 * you look beautiful (handsome)


 * a kanyi
 * it's good


 * a man nyi
 * it's bad


 * a ka di (kosébé)
 * it's (very) good


 * a banna
 * it's finished


 * tuguni
 * again


 * i sigi
 * sit down


 * i sigi na
 * sit down here


 * ni
 * and


 * n fana
 * me too


 * a barika
 * thanks (for food)


 * a barika Allah ye
 * thank God


 * héré sira
 * did you sleep well


 * tóró té, héré dórón
 * I slept well


 * n be jigin
 * I want to get off


 * n be jigin yan
 * I want to get off here


 * n be jigin plaki la
 * I want to get off at the next place


 * plaki la
 * next place


 * yan
 * here


 * yen
 * there


 * sisan
 * now


 * djoli
 * how much


 * djoli (djeli)
 * blood


 * n b'a fé
 * I like it, I want it


 * n t'a fé
 * I don't like it, I don't want it


 * n bé ji fé
 * I like water, I want water


 * a yira n na
 * show me


 * i bé ta min
 * where are you going


 * n bé n'kó
 * I'm going to take a shower


 * n fara
 * I'm full/satisfied (at the end of a meal)


 * a tun ka di
 * the food was good


 * i da de
 * be quiet


 * i (ka) da tugu
 * shut up


 * hakéto
 * excuse me


 * hakétila
 * no problem (response to "hakéto")


 * hakéto m'a famu
 * sorry


 * n'b'i fè
 * i love you


 * ya fa n ma
 * pardon me


 * mun kéra
 * what's wrong/what's going on


 * mun beyi
 * what's wrong/what's going on


 * mun don
 * what is it


 * a ké tan
 * do as I do


 * n' b'i fe
 * I like you


 * i ka di nye
 * I like you (for children)


 * n furden don
 * I'm married


 * nka den
 * my child


 * i tun bé min
 * where were you


 * i kólósi
 * look out!


 * na yan
 * come here


 * an ka taa
 * let's go


 * wuli an ka ta thé mé
 * get up and let's get some tea


 * bassassogo kadi shèssogo yé yiranchogo de bu boyongona
 * the meat of a Goat is better than that of a chicken because of the way you cut it

Bambara/Vocabulaire