Looking for practical Dinka to Nuer phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Dinka phrase first, then the Nuer translation (Nuer) — 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 Nuer.
Tip: when a Nuer phrase looks unfamiliar, compare it with the Dinka 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 Dinka to Nuer 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.
Yaaŋ
Nhiar(yaaŋ)
Ajak
Nyaak(ajak)
Bäny äyö
Nhiar gɔ̈ɔ̈r(bäny äyö)
Bäny kɛ̈l
Nhiar aŋɔ̈r(bäny kɛ̈l)
Bäny nyin
Nhiar aŋɔ̈r(bäny nyin)
Bäny kɛ̈l
Nhiar kɔ̈c(bäny kɛ̈l)
Yin kɛ̈l
Aŋɔ̈r kɛ̈n(yin kɛ̈l)
Yin kɛ̈l
Kɛ̈n(yin kɛ̈l)
Nin kɛ̈l yïn?
Cɛ̈l aŋɔ̈r kɛ̈n?(nin kɛ̈l yïn?)
Nin yïn John
Cɛ̈l aŋɔ̈r John(nin yïn John)
Kɛ̈l yïn?
Cɛ̈l kɛ̈n?(kɛ̈l yïn?)
Bäny kɛ̈l yïn
Kɛ̈l aŋɔ̈r kɛ̈n(bäny kɛ̈l yïn)
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
Nyaac ke wic ku English?
Nyaac ke nyin English?
Aye nyin wic Hindi kɔc.
Nyaac ma nyin Hindi ke nyin.
Aye nyin kɔc.
Nyaac ma nyin.
Yin kɔc ke nyin.
Yin ke nyin kɛl.
Yin wic ke nyin?
Yin ke nyin kɛl a thok?
Cɔl kɛ thon?
Yin thok a kɛl?
Nyaac kɛ jɛt ke cɛl?
Nyaac ke nyin a city center?
Yin tɛŋ ke thok.
Yin ke nyin a laar.
Yin tɛŋ ke kɛl.
Yin ke nyin a jɛŋ.
Yin tɛŋ ke cɛl.
Yin ke nyin a thok.
Cɔl kɛ thon?
Yin ke nyin a kɛl?
Kɛl thok, yin.
Yin ke nyin a ticket.
Cɔl kɛ jɔk ke cɛl?
Yin ke nyin a thok?
Aye nyin thok.
Nyaac ke nyin.
Cɔl kɛ jɛt ke SIM?
Yin thok a kɛl a SIM card?
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Aye
Aye
Naa
Naa
Cok
Nyaak
Aye nyin
Nyeek a kech
Naa nyin
Nyeek a kech naa
Käth aŋöör
Iye kech kɛl
Käŋ aŋöör?
Nyaak a kech?
Nyaŋ aŋöör?
Nyaak a kech a jɔɔr?
Aye bɛ̈t aŋöör
Nyeek a jɔɔr kɛl
Käŋ aŋöör
Kɛl a jɔɔr
Aye kɛ̈l
Nyeek a kech
Naa kɛ̈l
Naa a kech kɛl
Bɛ̈t aŋöör
Aye kɛl
Bɛ̈t aŋöör kuɔr
Aye kɛl a wɛr
Käth aŋöör kuɔr
Kɛl a jɔɔr a jɛɛr
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Cïïr yïnë kël?
Känyë kɛ́l wɛ́l?(Känyë kɛl wel)
Cïïr yïnë kël jëŋ?
Känyë kɛ́l bɔ́l?(Känyë kɛl bol)
Këc yïnë kël?
Kɛ́l bɛ́t kɛ́t?(Kel bet ket)
Këc kël yïnë?
Kɛ́l wɛ́l ɪ́t kɛ́t?(Kel wel it ket)
Këc yïnë kël wël?
Kɛ́l ɪ́t kɛ́l wɛ́l?(Kel it kel wel)
Këc yïnë kël jëŋ?
Kɛ́l ɪ́t kɛ́l kɛ́l?(Kel it kel kel)
Këc yïnë kël wël?
Kɛ́l ɪ́t kɛ́l jɔ́l?(Kel it kel jol)
Aŋë yïnë kël kɔc?
Kɛ́l ɪ́t kɛ́l pɛ́t kɛ́t?(Kel it kel pet ket)
Nye kël jëŋ, jëŋ?
Kɛ́l jɛ́l kɛ́l, pɛ́l?(Kel jel kel pel)
Këc yïnë kël jëŋ?
Kɛ́l ɪ́t kɛ́l jɔ́l kɛ́t?(Kel it kel jol ket)
Shopping and dining
Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.
Kuoth ke nyin?
Nyaak cɛl?(nyaak chel)
Nyaak ke thok kɛ̈r
Kɛl yic kɛc(kel yich kech)
Aye ke nyin kɛ̈r?
Yin kɛl nyin cɛl?(yin kel nyin chel)
Aye ke nyin kɛ̈r kɔc?
Nyaak tɛr kɛl kɛc?(nyaak ter kel kech)
Aye ke nyin a tɛ́bɛl kɛ̈r duɔŋ
Nyaak cɛl kɛl tɛbɛl kɛl nyin(nyaak chel kel tebel kel nyin)
Kɛ́l, please
Nyaak cɛl kɛl bɛl(nyaak chel kel bel)
Aye ke nyin kɛ̈r kɛ́l?
Yin kɛl cɛl kɛl tɛr?(yin kel chel kel ter)
Aye ke nyin a kɔc
Nyaak cɛl wɛr(nyaak chel wer)
Aye ke nyin kɛ̈r aŋɔr, please
Nyaak cɛl kɛl wɛr kɛc(nyaak chel kel wer kech)
Nyaak ke aŋɔr
Kɛl cɛl kɛl nyin(kel chel kel nyin)
Aye ke nyin kɛ̈r a menu?
Nyaak cɛl kɛl mɛn?(nyaak chel kel men)
Aye ke nyin a kɔl aŋɔr, please
Nyaak cɛl kɛl gɛl wɛt(nyaak chel kel gel wet)
Emergencies and health
Help, police, doctor, pharmacy, and urgent situations when you need assistance fast.
Bɛɛr kɔl pɔlɪs
Cïl wïr(cil wir)
Bɛɛr kɔl ambʊlɛns
Cïl an ambulance(cil an ambulance)
A pɛɛr dɔkta
Aŋ thïr a doctor(ang thir a doctor)
A jɛt kɔc
Aŋ kɔc(ang koc)
A kɛl kɔc bɛɛr pɛɛnʊt
Aŋ kɔc a pïyït(ang koc a piyit)
Cɛɛr kɛ bɛɛr hɔspɪtɔl?
Cït kɛ̈n hospital?(cit ken hospital)
Kɔc kɛ tɛŋ
Cïk bɛ̈t(cik bet)
A lɔst pɑspɔt
Aŋ kɛ̈n passport(ang ken passport)
Kɛl bɛɛr kɔl hɔtɛl a?
Aŋ kɛ̈n cïl my hotel?(ang ken cil my hotel)
Yɛɛr!
Kɛ̈n!(ken)
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
Yin ke nyin
Nyeu ke nyin(nyin = meet)
Nyaak ke nyin ke jieng
Nyeu ke jɔɔr ke nyin(Nyaak ke nyin ke jieng)
Cieng nyin ke jieng?
Kɛ kɛth jɔɔr a ke?(Cieng nyin ke jieng?)
Aye ke cïe report kɛ̈t
Nyeu ke kɛc report kɛ jɔɔl(Aye ke cïe report kɛ̈t)
Nyaak ke jieng kɛ̈t?
Nyeu ke jɔɔr kɛ bɛt?(Nyaak ke jieng kɛ̈t?)
Nyaak ke cïe file kɛ̈t
Nyeu kɛ jɔɔr file kɛ kɛth(Nyaak ke cïe file kɛ̈t)
Ayiir ke nyin kɛ̈t
Nyeu kɛ jɔɔr a ke kɛth(Ayiir ke nyin kɛ̈t)
Aye ke nyin kɛ̈t jieng
Nyeu ke jɔɔr kɛ bɛt a ke(Aye ke nyin kɛ̈t jieng)
Nyaak ke cïe kɛ̈t?
A ke jɔɔr kɛ kɛth a?(Nyaak ke cïe kɛ̈t?)
Nyaak ke cïe nyin kɛ̈t
Nyeu ke jɔɔr kɛ a ke(Nyaak ke cïe nyin kɛ̈t)
Cieng kɛ̈t ke Friday
Kɛ deadline kɛ Friday(Cieng kɛ̈t ke Friday)
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.