Phrases › Temne
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 Temne, hello is Wan seke and thank you is I muti kuru. Here are 11 everyday Temne phrases with pronunciation, for travel and a first conversation.
How to say hello in Temne · How to say thank you in Temne · How to say goodbye in Temne · How to say please in Temne · How to say sorry in Temne
| English | Temne |
|---|---|
| Hello | Wan seke Literally 'hi friend', the greeting one trainee uses to another; the reply is simply 'Iyo, seke'. |
| Goodbye | Owa-o Also 'sanaŋkane so' (o.k. we shall see again). |
| Please | Mamu From the attested example 'Mamu, yemi want I mun' = 'Please give me some water to drink'. |
| Thank you | I muti kuru Literally 'I thank God'. |
| Yes | Iyo |
| Excuse me / Sorry | Tia mi anane Literally 'pardon me', directly attested in the source. |
| I don't understand | I to-e Literally close to 'I don't know'; the source gives 'I to-e' for 'I don't know', used here as the closest attested phrase. |
| How much is it? | Molo-e? |
| The bill, please | Molo ke? Literally 'how much/what is the amount'; there is no separate word for 'bill' in the source. |
| Where is …? | … ke deke-a? 'Deke-a/reke-o' = where; put the place name before it. |
| Help! | Mar mi! 'Mar' = help; 'o to mar su' = he will help us. |
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