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Common Bemba to Lingala phrases

100 practical Bemba to Lingala phrases for travel, study, work, and daily conversation.

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Looking for practical Bemba to Lingala phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Bemba phrase first, then the Lingala translation (Lingala) — so you can scan quickly before a trip, class, or video call.

The phrases are grouped into eight topics: greetings and pleasantries, useful phrases for travellers, everyday conversation, directions and getting around, shopping and dining, emergencies and health, work and business, and time, days and numbers. Use the table of contents to jump straight to greetings, directions, dining, emergencies, or numbers. You do not need perfect grammar to start — short, clear sentences often work better than silence when you are learning Lingala.

Tip: when a Lingala phrase looks unfamiliar, compare it with the Bemba wording — noticing word order differences helps you understand grammar naturally.

Bookmark this page for offline review, share it with a travel buddy, or open the Bemba to Lingala translator to paste your own messages and get an instant translation.

Greetings and pleasantries

Hello, goodbye, please, thank you, and polite introductions for meeting new people.

  1. Shani

    Mbote

  2. Natotela

    Melesi

  3. Muli shani

    Mbote na ntango ya mokolo

  4. Muli shani

    Mbote na ntango ya midi

  5. Muli shani

    Mbote na ntango ya soir

  6. Shalenipo bwino

    Malamu na butu

  7. Tukakutana

    Tala yo nsima

  8. Twalumba

    Kende malamu

  9. Iwe ulishani?

    Nkombo na yo nani?

  10. Ndefwaya John

    Nkombo na ngai ezali John

  11. Uli bwanji?

    Ozalaki malamu?

  12. Nashitasha kukumona

    Nayoki malamu na yo

Useful phrases for travellers

Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.

  1. Ulyashi ulukanda mu Chingereza?

    Ozali koloba lingala? (ozali koloba lingala)

  2. Ndefwaya ukulanda Hindi bwino

    Nasalaka hindi malamu te (nasalaka hindi malamu te)

  3. Ndefwaya kumfwa

    Nalingi te (nalingi te)

  4. Nimwandi ulukanda buteko

    S'il vous plaît, koloba butu (koloba butu)

  5. Ningaloleleko?

    Okoki koloba yango lisusu? (okoki koloba yango lisusu)

  6. Ili kuti ikalamba?

    Bato ya nzoto ezali wapi? (bato ya nzoto)

  7. Ningalileka shani ku city center?

    Nakanisi ndenge nini nakokende na centre? (nakokende na centre)

  8. Fumya kumwendo

    Tika na mobali (tika na mobali)

  9. Fumya kumwendo

    Tika na mwasi (tika na mwasi)

  10. Enda pamo

    Kende na ntango (kende na ntango)

  11. Kuli shani ifyabukata?

    Mbala nini ezali? (mbala nini)

  12. Ticket imwe, nomba

    Billet moko, s'il vous plaît (billet moko)

  13. Kuli lishilu ukulya?

    Ezali na esika ya mbali? (ezali na esika ya mbali)

  14. Ndi lost

    Nazali na esika ya mabe (nazali na esika ya mabe)

  15. Ili kuti nindeke SIM card?

    Nakanisi wapi nakokota SIM card? (nakokota SIM card)

Everyday conversation

Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.

  1. Eya

    Oyo

  2. Awe

    Te

  3. Panga

    Soki

  4. Ndi bwino

    Nalingi

  5. Ndi bwino na

    Nalingi te

  6. Ilyo lishibukile

    Eza malamu

  7. Uchite shani?

    Oyo olingi nini?

  8. Ushakufwa?

    Okoki kosalisa ngai?

  9. Ndefwaya ifyakufwa

    Naza na bosenga ya kosalisa

  10. Leka ifi

    Sunga moke

  11. Nshakufwa

    Nasalaki mabe

  12. Takwaba shani

    Nani azali na problème

  13. Nshakufwa bwino

    Mokolo malamu

  14. Nashala bwino mu mwaka

    Mokolo ya mbotama malamu

  15. Ube na mulimo wabwino

    Zala na nzela ya malamu

Directions and getting around

Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.

  1. Uli kuti ikalamba ya chitima?

    Eko zali wapi? (Eko zali wapi?)

  2. Uli kuti icikalo ca bisi?

    Eko zali wapi na bis?

  3. Ninshi ni platform iyi?

    Eko zali na esika nini?

  4. Ninshi ikalamba?

    Ekozanga na ntango nini?

  5. Ninshi iyi ni njira shabwino?

    Oyo ezali nzela ya malamu?

  6. Ili pamo na pano.

    Ezali pene awa.

  7. Ili lishilu na pano.

    Ezali mbali awa.

  8. Ushibukishe pa mape?

    Okoki kolakisa ngai na kati ya mape?

  9. Leka pano, chonde.

    Tika awa, s'il vous plaît.

  10. Kuli shani?

    Ekozala ntango nini?

Shopping and dining

Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.

  1. Ili shani?

    Mbongo ya yango eza nini? (Ili shani?)

  2. Ili lya kuli

    Yango eza mabe na mbongo. (Ili lya kuli)

  3. Muli na chimo chibulu?

    Ozali na makambo mosusu ya mbongo moke? (Muli na chimo chibulu?)

  4. Ningakupanga na kadi?

    Nalingi kobonga na carte? (Ningakupanga na kadi?)

  5. Ningakonda itabo lyakupanga abali babili

    Nalingi meka mpo na mibale. (Ningakonda itabo lyakupanga abali babili)

  6. Icilanga, tapali

    Liyangani, s'il vous plaît. (Icilanga, tapali)

  7. Ubufyashi bwakupanga?

    Service eza na kati? (Ubufyashi bwakupanga?)

  8. Ndi mvegetarian

    Nazali mvegetarian. (Ndi mvegetarian)

  9. Nshikala na fya spicy, tapali

    Bokoya biloko ya mabe, s'il vous plaît. (Nshikala na fya spicy, tapali)

  10. Ili lya bwino

    Yango ezali malamu. (Ili lya bwino)

  11. Ningakonda ifyalo?

    Nalingi menu, s'il vous plaît. (Ningakonda ifyalo?)

  12. Icupa ca mvula, tapali

    Leki ya mayi, s'il vous plaît. (Icupa ca mvula, tapali)

Emergencies and health

Help, police, doctor, pharmacy, and urgent situations when you need assistance fast.

  1. Tuma abashitisha

    Tindá polisi

  2. Tuma ambulance

    Tindá ambulance

  3. Nshikala na doctor

    Nalingi médecin

  4. Nshikala bwino

    Nazali na maladi

  5. Ndi na allergy ku nsalu

    Nazali na allergie na mbala

  6. Ili kuti hospital ya pafupi?

    Hospital ya liboso ezali wapi?

  7. Kuli ububi pano

    Ezalaka na nse awa

  8. Nashitile passport yangu

    Nazwi passport na ngai

  9. Nawe tuma hotel yangu?

    Okoki kotinda hôtel na ngai?

  10. Chikondi!

    S.O.S!

Work and business

Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.

  1. Nashamukeni

    Nasepeli na yo (na-sha-mu-ke-ni)

  2. Tulefwaya ukusanga

    Tika tozala na mitema (tu-le-fwa-ya u-ku-sanga)

  3. Ninshi ifikala bwino kwa iwe?

    Ngai nalobi ntango nini ekozala malamu na yo? (nin-shi i-fi-ka-la bwi-no kwa i-we)

  4. Nizakutuma ifishina lelo

    Naboya raport lelo (ni-za-ku-tu-ma i-fi-shi-na le-lo)

  5. Twafwaya ukusambilila lero?

    Tango tozali na mposo? (twa-fwa-ya u-ku-sam-bi-li-la le-ro)

  6. Nomba fwebo file iliko

    S'il vous plaît, tala fichier oyo ezali na nzela (nom-ba fwe-bo fi-le i-li-ko)

  7. Natotela pa nshita

    Mersi mpo na ntango na yo (na-to-te-la pa nshi-ta)

  8. Nifwaya ukushanda na iwe

    Nasalela yo na mosala (ni-fwa-ya u-ku-shan-da na i-we)

  9. Wakosa ukufumya icikomo?

    Okoki kosala likambo yango malamu? (wa-ko-sa u-ku-fum-ya i-ci-ko-mo)

  10. Nizakukumbusha

    Napesi yo nzela (ni-za-ku-kum-bu-sha)

  11. Ishina lyakupela ni Lwapula

    Mokolo ya kokanga ezali Vendredi (i-shi-na lya-ku-pe-la ni Lwa-pu-la)

Time, days and numbers

Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.

  1. Ninshi ilya shani?

    Nini tango ezali? (ni-ni tan-go e-za-li)

  2. Kuli nomba itatu.

    Ezali ntango ya misato (e-za-li n-tan-go ya mi-sa-to)

  3. Lelo.

    Lelo (Lelo.)

  4. Mwaume.

    Bokoko (Mwaume.)

  5. Kale.

    Kaka (Kale.)

  6. Lwandi.

    Lundi (Lwandi.)

  7. Lwakabamba.

    Mardi (Lwakabamba.)

  8. Lwapili.

    Mercredi (Lwapili.)

  9. Imwe.

    Moko (Imwe.)

  10. Ibili.

    Mbala (Ibili.)

  11. Itatu.

    Misato (Itatu.)

  12. Icumi.

    Libwa (Icumi.)

  13. Cikumi.

    Sankuru (Cikumi.)

  14. Pafya.

    Bato (Pafya.)

  15. Ilyo.

    Soki (Ilyo.)

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