Phrases › Kikongo
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.
In Kikongo, hello is Mbote and thank you is Matondo. Here are 20 everyday Kikongo phrases with pronunciation, for travel and a first conversation.
How to say hello in Kikongo · How to say thank you in Kikongo · How to say goodbye in Kikongo · How to say please in Kikongo · How to say sorry in Kikongo
| English | Kikongo |
|---|---|
| Hello | Mbote General all-purpose greeting, used at any time of day, to one person or a group. |
| Goodbye | Kwenda mbote Literally "go well"; said to the person who is leaving. To someone staying, you can instead say "Vwanda mbote" ("stay well"). |
| Please | Voti wonga Kikongo softens requests rather than using one fixed word for "please"; this phrase (roughly "if you would be so kind") is a commonly taught equivalent. Confidence is lower here than for most items, since phrasebooks vary in exactly how they render this. |
| Thank you | Matondo From the verb "tonda" (to be grateful); works in any situation. "Matondo mingi" adds "very much". |
| Yes | Ee Casual, everyday "yes"; a slightly more formal alternative is "Nyeti". |
| No | Ve Plain "no"; also used at the end of verbs as part of the negative construction "ka...ko". |
| Excuse me / Sorry | Kolo mono Used both to get someone's attention and to apologize for a small inconvenience. |
| Do you speak English? | Ngeye wu tubanga Kingelezi? "Kingelezi" is the Kikongo word for the English language, following the "Ki-" pattern used for language names (as in "Kikongo" itself). |
| I don't understand | Mono ka mbakwidi ko Uses the "ka...ko" negative frame around the verb "bakula" (to understand). |
| Please speak slowly | Tuba malembe malembe, voti wonga "Malembe malembe" (slowly, gently) is doubled for emphasis, a common Kikongo pattern. |
| How much is it? | I ntalu nki? "Ntalu" is price/cost; literally "it is price what?" |
| Where is the bathroom? | Kuvi kuena poso? "Poso" (toilet/bathroom) is a widely used loan-based term in everyday Kikongo; regional variants exist. |
| I'd like this, please | Mono zolele diadi, voti wonga "Diadi" ("this", for a general/class 5 object) can be swapped for the specific demonstrative matching what you're pointing at. |
| The bill, please | Mbongo, voti wonga "Mbongo" here means the money owed/the bill; in a restaurant you can point at the table and say this while gesturing to pay. |
| Where is …? | Kuvi kuena …? Fill the gap with the place, e.g. "Kuvi kuena bwala?" ("Where is the village/town?"). |
| Help! | Lusadusu! Shouted alone in an emergency; from the verb "sadisa" (to help). |
| I need a doctor | Mono vwidi mfunu wa munganga "Munganga" traditionally means healer/traditional doctor and is also the common word used for a medical doctor today. |
| Call the police! | Bokila apolisi! "Apolisi" (police) is a widely used loanword across Kikongo-speaking areas; there is no long-established native term for this modern institution. |
| I don't speak Kikongo | Mono ka tubanga Kikongo ko ka ... ko negative frame |
| Can you help me? | Ngeye lenda kunsadisa? "Ku-n-sadisa" builds in "me" as the object of "help". |
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