Kirundi Phrases

KIRUNDI PHRASES
General Phrases
 Oya - no
 Ego - yes
 Ingo - come!
 Cane - much, many, a lot, very (Ndashonje cane - I'm very hungry)
 Gose (gose cane) - many, much (stronger than cane)
 Buhorobuhoro/bukebuke - slowly
 Mpore! - attention!
 Bangwe! - stop!
 Kira! - Bless you!
 Kaze! - welcome! (often used "Karibu!" - swahili expression)
 Amahera/amafranga - money
 Sindabizi - I don't know
 Ndibaza - maybe
 Neza - good
 Imodoka - a car
Greetings
 Bwakeye / Mwaramutse - hello, good morning!

 Mwiriwe - good afternoon/evening
 Ijoro ryiza - good night
 Turabonaye / Nakagaruka - see you later
 N'agasaga - see you, good bye
 Urakomeye? - how are you? (reply: ego/ndakomeye = I'm well)
 Amakuru? - What's news?
 Amahoro - peace, widely used as greetins (reply: n'amahoro)
 Genda n'amahoro - go (be) in peace
 Urugendo gwiza! - Have a good journey!
Expressing gratitude
 Urakoze - thank you (addressing one person), murakoze (more than 1 person)
 Urakoze cane - Thank you very much
Other useful expressions
 canke - or
 hehe? - where?
 aha - here (Ni aha - It's here)
 kuki? - why?
 kuko - because
 ninde? - who?
 ryari? - when?
 canecane - particularly, especially
 ejo - tomorrow, yesterday (depends on the context)
 vuba - soon
 Amahera angahe? - How much does it cost?
 Jewe nitwa - my name is
 Ndashonje - I'm hungry
 Ndanezerewe - I'm not happy
 Ndihuta - I'm in hurry
 Mfise itiro - I'm tired/I want to sleep
 Ndarushe - I'm tired
 Ndarwaye - I'm sick/ill
 Nta mahera nsigaranye - I haven't got any money
 Ntabara - Help!
 Ndaje - I'm coming!
 Ndashaka - I want/I would like
 Mpa... - give me...
 Urabesha, arabesha - you lie, he/she lies
 Ikitabu - a book
 Ishule - school
 Isoko - market
 Itabi - tobacco, cigarettes
 Ingoma - a drum/a kingdom
Food
 umukate - bread (Swahili)

 muceri - rice
 ibiraya - potatoes
 amata - milk
 amavuta - butter, cooking oil
 inyama - meat
 inkoko - chicken
 amagi - eggs (sing. igi)
 ivyema - peanuts
 urubu - yoghurt
 ubuki - honey
 ifu - flour
Fruits
 ivyamwa - fruits
 igisaga - bananas (sweet)
 inanasi - pineapple
 umucungwa - orange
 itunda (pl. amatunda) - "Japanese" fruit (fruit de Japon)
 ivoka (pl. amavoka) - avocado
Vegetables
 imboga - vegetables
 ibitoke - bananas (plantains)
 ibiharage - beans (sing. igiharage)
 ishu - cabagge
 umuhiti - cucumber
 isarata - salad
 inyanya/itomati - tomato
Drinks
 amazi - water
 inzoga – beer / used also for alcoholic drinks in general
 ikawa – coffee
 icayi – tea
 fanta - all sorts of fizzy drinks (coke, fanta, sprite,..)
 urwawa – banana wine
 impeke – sorghum beer (home made)
 kanyanga/rutuku – prohibited locally brewed spirit (made of manioc)
 umunanasi/umuraha – pineapple spirit
Dishes, cuttlery
 ikiyiko - spoon
 imbugita - knife
 ifurshet - fork
 isahan - plate/dish
 icupa - bottle
 urupfunguruzo - bottle opener
 ikirahuri - a glass
Animals
 inka - cow
 imfizi - bull
 ishuri - young bull
 impene - goat
 intama - sheep
 inkoko - hen, chicken
 ingona - crocodile
 imvubu - hippo
 akayabo - cat
 imbga - dog
 inkende - monkey
 isato - python
Persons
 jewe - me
 wewe - you
 twebwe - we
 izina (pl. amazina) - name
 umuntu (abantu) - a person
 umwana (abana) - child
 umugore (abagore) - woman
 umugabo (abagabo) - man
 umuhungu (abahangu) - boy
 umukobga (abakobga) - girl
 umuzungu (agazungu) - white man (a European)
 umuzungukazi - white woman
 umwirabure - an African (a black person)
 umwami (bami) - king
 umugenzi (abagenzi ) - friend
 umurimyi - a villager/a farmer
 umutama - old man/wise man
 umutamakazi - old/wise woman
 umushingantahe - a notable
 umwigisha - a teacher
 umwigishwa - a pupil/a student
 Imana - the God
Landscape & weather
 ikiyaga - lake
 umusozi (pl. imisozi) - mountain, hill
 urizi (inzuzi) - river
 ikibuye (ibibuye) - rock
 ibarabara - path/road
 izuba - Sun
 ukwezi - Moon
 imvura - rain
 ikivura - storm
Numbers
 igiharuro - number
 isinzi - a big number (10 000 etc.)
1 - 10
 1 = rimwe kimwe umwe

 2 = kabiri - bibiri - babiri
 3 = gatatu - bitatu - batatu
 4 = kane - bine - bane
 5 = gatanu - bitanu - batanu
 6 = gatandatu
 7 = indwi
 8 = umunani
 9 = icenda
 10 = icumi
11 - 20
 11 = cumi nu rimwe
 12 = cumi nu kabiri
 13 = cumi nu gatatu
 14 = cumi nu kane
 15 = cumi nu gatanu
 16 = cumi nu gatandatu
 17 = cumi n'indwi
 18 = cumi n'umunani
 19 = cumi n'icenda
 20 = mirong'ibiri
 30 = mirong'itatu
 40 = mirong'ine
 50 = mirong'itanu
 60 = mirong'itandatu
 70 = mirong'indwi
 80 = mirong'umunani
 90 = mirong'icenda
100 - 900
 100 = ijana
 200 = amajana abiri (pl. "amajana")
 300 = amajana atatu
 400 = amajama ane
 500 = amajama atanu
 600 = amajama atandatu
 700 = amajama indwi
 800 = amajama umunani
 900 = amajama icenda
over 1000
 1000 = igihumbi
 100,000 = iraqi/ilaki
Days
 kuwambere - Monday
 kuwakabiri - Tuesday
 kuwagatatu - Wednesday
 kuwakane - Thursday
 kuwagatanu - Friday
 kuwagatandatu - Saturday
 kuwamunga - Sunday (also used kuwa imana, i.e. God's day)
Time
 umwaka (pl. imyaka) - year

 uyu munsi - today
 ejo - yesterday, tomorrow (depends on context)
 ubu - now
 ubunyene - right now
 hanyuma - later, after
 buhoro - slowly
 vuba - soon (tuzobonana vuba - see you soon)
 umusi, kumurango - day
 mwijoro - night (Ijoro ryiza - good night)
 munkoko - morning, dawn
 umugoroba - evening (umugoroba mwiza = have a nice evening!)
 igicu - midnight
 isaha - hour, a watch
http://www.buffaloschools.org/webpages/apacifico/languages.cfm?subpage=57427

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Kirundi Phrases

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KIRUNDI PHRASES

 Bwakeye / Mwaramutse - hello, good morning!

Other useful expressions

 umukate - bread (Swahili)

Landscape & weather

 1 = rimwe kimwe umwe

 umwaka (pl. imyaka) - year

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