Phrases › Dinka
Phrases
Early draft: There was little reliable source material for this language, so some lines may be wrong. Check with a speaker before relying on them.
Here are 13 everyday Dinka phrases with pronunciation, for travel and a first conversation.
How to say thank you in Dinka · How to say goodbye in Dinka · How to say sorry in Dinka
| English | Dinka |
|---|---|
| Goodbye | Wuɔk bɛ̈ rɔm confirmed root: dinkalanguage.blogspot.com "Useful Phrases" / "A Basic Lesson" / "The Dinka Sentence" (modern orthography) gives "Ok bë rɔm / Wuɔk bë yök" (we will meet/find each other again); modernised spelling of the previous helper's "Wa bi rom" |
| Thank you | Yin ca leec confirmed root: leec = to thank/praise (1948 Nebel grammar); lit. "you, I praise" |
| Yes | Ɣɛ̈ɛ̈ confirmed: Eastern Health Dinka picture cue cards (2007, modern orthography) ("YES / Ɣɛ̈ɛ̈") |
| No | Aliu confirmed: Eastern Health Dinka picture cue cards (2007, modern orthography) ("NO / ALIU"), matches the 1948 Nebel grammar root |
| Excuse me / Sorry | Yïn ka confirmed: dinkalanguage.blogspot.com "Useful Phrases" / "A Basic Lesson" / "The Dinka Sentence" (modern orthography) "Excuse me. — Yïn ka (Yïn ca dhɔl)" |
| Do you speak English? / Do you know English? | Ye jam në Liŋlith? confirmed: dinkalanguage.blogspot.com "Useful Phrases" / "A Basic Lesson" / "The Dinka Sentence" (modern orthography) "Do you speak Dinka/English? — Ye jam në Thuɔŋjäŋ/Liŋlith" |
| I don't understand | Acaa pip confirmed: 1948 Nebel grammar exercise, lit. "I do not know" -- Dinka expresses "understand" with the verb "to know"; spot-checked, kept |
| Please speak slowly | Jam amaath confirmed: 1948 Nebel grammar dictionary entry "Speak - jam; s. badly, kuoc jam" and "slowly, with a low voice - amaath"; spot-checked, kept |
| How much is it? | Ë kënnë ye dï? confirmed: dinkalanguage.blogspot.com "Useful Phrases" / "A Basic Lesson" / "The Dinka Sentence" (modern orthography) "How much is this? — Ë kënnë ye dï?" |
| Where is the bathroom? | Tɔ ɣönlaic tëno? confirmed root: Eastern Health Dinka picture cue cards (2007, modern orthography) "TOILET / ɣönlaic"; combined with the confirmed "Where is..." pattern "Tɔ ... tëno?" from the same phrase-page sources |
| Where is …? | Tɔ … tëno? confirmed pattern: dinkalanguage.blogspot.com "Useful Phrases" / "A Basic Lesson" / "The Dinka Sentence" (modern orthography) "Where are you? — Tɔ tëno?", "Where is the police station? — Tɔ maata de bolith tëno?" |
| Help! | Kony! confirmed: 1948 Nebel grammar "Help - kony, luok"; also matches Eastern Health Dinka picture cue cards (2007, modern orthography) "HELP / KONY" |
| I need a doctor | Ɣɛn wïc akïm confirmed roots: Eastern Health Dinka picture cue cards (2007, modern orthography) "DOCTOR / AKÏM"; wïc = need/want, confirmed from multiple sources |
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