Phrases › Umbundu
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 Umbundu, hello is Wakolapo? and thank you is Ndapandula. Here are 15 everyday Umbundu phrases with pronunciation, for travel and a first conversation.
How to say hello in Umbundu · How to say thank you in Umbundu · How to say goodbye in Umbundu · How to say please in Umbundu · How to say sorry in Umbundu
| English | Umbundu |
|---|---|
| Hello | Wakolapo? lit. 'are you well?'; general greeting. Plural: Wakolipo? |
| Goodbye | Ndaenda. lit. 'I am going'; also 'Ndanda.' Reply can be 'Enda ciwa' (go well) |
| Please | Ndinge ohenda. lit. 'give me pity/favor' |
| Thank you | Ndapandula singular speaker; plural 'we thank you' is Twapandula |
| Yes | Oco confirmed: Lalipo Umbundu course (Umbundu na Prática, 'Perguntas e respostas' and 'Outros adverbios'), 'Sim » Oco'; an earlier variant 'Ewa' was replaced since it was not attested in these sources |
| No | Sio confirmed: Lalipo Umbundu course, 'Não » Sio' (exercise p.30 and adverbs list p.84); replaces the earlier unconfirmed 'Sikuete', which the same course instead uses for 'I don't have' (Si kuete otelefone = I don't have a telephone) |
| Excuse me / Sorry | Ngecele singular speaker; plural 'we're sorry' is Twecele |
| I don't understand | Si kuniha built from 'kuniha' (understand/know), confirmed in Sanders' 1885 Vocabulary of the Umbundu Language, + the negative 'Si-' pattern confirmed in real negated phrases from the Lalipo course (Si kuete = I don't have, Si yongola = I don't want, Si li eci = I don't eat this); the exact phrase is not attested as a unit, so treat as a well-supported construction rather than a fixed idiom |
| Please speak slowly | Popia keka. built from 'popia' (speak) and 'keka' (slowly), both confirmed in Sanders' 1885 Vocabulary of the Umbundu Language; not attested as a set phrase |
| How much is it? | Cipita nami? 'nami' (how much) confirmed in Sanders' 1885 Vocabulary of the Umbundu Language, replacing the more general 'ndati' (how); 'cipita' (it costs/it comes to) itself remains unconfirmed, kept as best-effort |
| Where is the bathroom? | Pi pakasi onjo yuhayele? confirmed travel phrase for 'where is the toilet' |
| Where is ...? | Pi osiala ...? confirmed pattern; fill the gap with the place |
| Help! | Ekuatiso! from confirmed 'ndisukila ekuatiso' (I need help) |
| I need a doctor | Ndisukila ocimbanda. 'ocimbanda' (doctor) confirmed independently in Sanders' 1885 Vocabulary of the Umbundu Language and the Lalipo course vocabulary list ('Médico – Usakuli; Cimbanda'); 'ndisukila' (I need) is the confirmed phrase from 'Ndisukila ekuatiso' (I need help); the combined sentence is a construction, not attested as a unit |
| Can you help me? | Citava okundikuatisa? confirmed travel phrase |
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