Greetings & Introductions
Table of Contents
Greetings & Introductions
What is your name?
- Mulishani mukwayi
- how are you? (plural / formal)
- Tulifye bwino
- we are fine (plural / formal)
- Ulishani
- How are you? (singular / informal)
- Ndifye bwino
- I am fine (singular / informal)
- Nimwebo ba nani ishina
- what is your name? (plural / formal)
- Nimwebo ba nani amashina
- What are your names? (plural, more than 2 people)
- Niwebo nani ishina
- What is your name? (informal / singular)
- Ninebo Pieter
- My name is Pieter / I am Pieter
Where do you live?
- Mwikala kwi?
- Where do you live? (formal / plural)
- Twikala ku Cape Town
- We live at Cape Town (plural / formal)
- Wikala kwi?
- where do you live? (informal / singular)
- Njikala ku …
- I live in … (singular / informal)
- njikala ku Cape Town
- I stay in Cape Town
- naleikala ku Zambia
- I used to stay in Zambia
- mwaleikala kwi?
- where do you all used to live? (plural / formal)
- bushe baleikala kwi?
- where did they used to live?
Where do [you/he] work?
- Mubomba kwi?
- Where do you work? (formal, plural)
- Ubomba kwi?
- Where do you work? (singular, informal)
- Alebomba kwi?
- Where is he working from?
- Mbomba ku kapokola
- I work at the police station
Are you married?
- Bushe mwalyupa?
- Are you married? (masculine / plural / formal)
- Bushe mwalyupwa?
- Are you married? (feminine / plural / formal)
- Bushe walyupa?
- Are you married? (masculine / singular / informal)
- Bushe walyupwa?
- Are you married? (feminine / singular / informal)
- Emkwayi nalyupa!
- yes, I'm married! (masculine)
- Emkwayi nalyupwa!
- yes, I'm married! (feminine)
- Awe nshaupa
- no, I'm not married (masculine)
- Awe nshaupwa
- no, I'm not married (feminine)
- Awe tatwaupa
- no we are not married (masculine / plural)
- Awe tatwaupwa
- no we are not married (feminine / plural)
- Emwayi twalyupana
- yes, we are married to each other
Do you have children?
- Bushe mwalikwata abana?
- Do you have children? (formal / plural)
- Mwalikwata abana?
- Do you have children? (singular)
- Awe nshakwata
- No, I don't have
- Emkwayi nalikwata
- yes, I have
- Mwakwata abana banga?
- how many children do you have?
- Nakwata fye umo
- I only have one
- Nakwata fye babili
- I only have two
- Nakwata (fye) batatu
- I have (only) three
Where are you going?
- uleya kwi?
- where are you going?
- uleya kwisa?
- where are you going?
- naya mukalale
- I'm going to town.
- ndeya mukalale
- I'm about to go to town.
Extras
- abana
- children
- kwi?
- where? a question about a place
- kwisa?
- where? a question about a place
- ku
- a repsonse; a preposition for a place
- ee
- yes (informal)
- chawama!
- That's nice!
- chawama icho!
- That's very nice!
- fye
- only
- ninshi?
- why?
Introducing my wife
- Aba ni ba Mwelwa. Ebakashi bandi
- This is Mwelwa. She is my wife.