Looking for practical French (Français) to Lingala phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the French 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 French 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 French (Français) 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.
Bonjour
Mbote
Merci
Melesi
Bonjour
Mbote na ntango ya mokolo
Bon après-midi
Mbote na ntango ya midi
Bonsoir
Mbote na ntango ya soir
Bonne nuit
Malamu na butu
À plus tard
Tala yo nsima
Au revoir
Kende malamu
Comment vous appelez-vous ?
Nkombo na yo nani?
Je m'appelle John
Nkombo na ngai ezali John
Comment ça va ?
Ozalaki malamu?
Enchanté
Nayoki malamu na yo
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
Parlez-vous anglais?
Ozali koloba lingala?(ozali koloba lingala)
Je ne parle pas bien hindi.
Nasalaka hindi malamu te(nasalaka hindi malamu te)