Phrases › Tumbuka
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 Tumbuka, hello is Monile and thank you is Yewo chomene. Here are 15 everyday Tumbuka phrases with pronunciation, for travel and a first conversation.
How to say hello in Tumbuka · How to say thank you in Tumbuka · How to say goodbye in Tumbuka · How to say please in Tumbuka · How to say sorry in Tumbuka
| English | Tumbuka |
|---|---|
| Hello | Monile General greeting (Wikivoyage/Omniglot). Formal variants exist by addressee: 'Monire a mama' to a woman, 'Monire a dada' to a man. |
| Goodbye | Mwende makola Literally 'go well', said to the person leaving. 'Khalani makola' ('stay well') is used by the one leaving, to those staying. |
| Please | Chonde |
| Thank you | Yewo chomene 'Yewo' alone is a plain thank-you; 'tawonga chomene' is an alternative for a deeper thanks. |
| Yes | Enya |
| No | Yayi |
| Excuse me / Sorry | Phepani Also spelled 'pephani'; 'phepani chomene' = very sorry. |
| Do you speak English? | Kasi mukhuyowoya chiZungu? 'ChiZungu' literally means 'the white people's language', used for English. |
| I don't understand | Nkhupulika yayi |
| Please speak slowly | Chonde yowoyani pachoko pachoko 'Pachoko pachoko' = 'little by little/slowly'. |
| How much is it? | Nizilinga ichi? 'Ichi' (this) changes with the noun class of the object. |
| Where is the bathroom? | Chimbuzi chili nkhuni? |
| Where is …? | … chili nkhuni? Fill the gap with the thing/place (agreement on 'chili' may change with noun class); pattern confirmed from 'Chimbuzi chili nkhuni?' (Where is the bathroom?). |
| Help! | Novwire! |
| I don't speak Tumbuka | Nkhuyowoya chiTumbuka yayi uses the file's yayi negation |
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