Looking for practical Kiga to Acholi phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Kiga phrase first, then the Acholi translation (Acholi) — 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 Acholi.
Tip: when a Acholi phrase looks unfamiliar, compare it with the Kiga 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 Kiga to Acholi 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.
Okwagala
Ayo(ah-yo)
Webale
Naki(nah-kee)
Osiibye bulungi
Bok moti(bok mo-tee)
Osiibye bulungi
Bok nongo(bok non-go)
Osiibye bulungi
Bok obedo(bok oh-beh-do)
Osiibye bulungi
Bok ngat(bok ngat)
Tugenda okukutana
Tye kany(tye kan-yee)
Nkwagala
Itye(ee-tye)
Erinnya lyo ani?
Iti ma ineno?(ee-tee mah ee-neh-no)
Erinnya lyange nze John
Ineno John(ee-neh-no John)
Oli otya?
Iti ma inyo?(ee-tee mah een-yo)
Nneebwanga okukuyita
Gat ma inyo(gaht mah een-yo)
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
Oli muwandiika kiingereza?
Itye konyo English?
Sikuwandiika Hindi bulungi.
Nye konyo Hindi kanyim.
Sikuganya.
Nye neno.
Nkwenda okwandiika bulungi.
Nye konyo tye kanyim.
Osobola okuwandiika ekyo na?
Itye konyo tye kanyim?
Ekitanda kiki?
Iti kanyim ngat?
Nkwenda otya mu kiti?
Nye konyo kanyim ku city center?
Genda ku kkono.
Konyo kuc.
Genda ku ddyo.
Konyo kuc.
Genda mu maaso.
Tye kanyim.
Ekitundu kiki?
Iti kanyim ngat?
Ekitanda emu, nyamba.
One ticket, please.
Kiki ekitundu okuva wano?
Iti kanyim kanyim?
Ndi mu kwegendereza.
Nye konyo.
Nkwenda kutuuka wa SIM card?
Iti kanyim ngat SIM card?
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Eee
Aye
Oya
Bila
Wali
Kweyo
Ndiinze
Ng'ato konyo
Sindiinze
Ng'ato konyo ni
Ekitanga kiza
Okwero kany
Oteka ki?
Ika kany?
Okwetegera?
Ikwok kany?
Nfuna okwetegera
Ng'ato konyo kany
Leka akaseke
Tye kany
Ndi mwefwe
Ng'ato konyo
Tera kintu
Bila kany
Nkwagala
Tye kany
Okwagala omwaka omukya
Aye konyo
Okwetegera mu nsi
Tye kany ma ng'ato
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Eri heza y'ekitabo?
Atye kany kwo?(Atye kany kwo?)
Eri heza y'ekibuga?
Atye kany bura?(Atye kany bura?)
Ekiyungiriro ki?
Kati onyo kwo?(Kati onyo kwo?)
Ekitonde ki?
Nye kwo nongo?(Nye kwo nongo?)
Oni omukono ogw'ekirungi?
Kik kwo gwen?(Kik kwo gwen?)
Eri wansi wano
Okwang kany ici(Okwang kany ici)
Eri kure wano
Okwang kany piny(Okwang kany piny)
Oyinza okundabira ku karita?
Nye konyo i map?(Nye konyo i map?)
Mugume wano, nyabo
Doko ici, pe?(Doko ici, pe?)
Ekitanga ki?
Nye kwo ngat?(Nye kwo ngat?)
Shopping and dining
Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.
Ekitanga ki?
Nye keken me?(Nye keken me?)
Ekitanga ky'ekikula
Okwero keken(Okwero keken)
Oli n'ekintu ekirungi?
Itye keken me?(Itye keken me?)
Nkwenda okwekwasa ku kadi?
Nye konyo kadi?(Nye konyo kadi?)
Nkwenda akatabo ku b'abiri
Nye tye kany kwo(Nye tye kany kwo)
Ekitabo, nyabo
Kaka, nyinga(Kaka, nyinga)
Okwetegereza kuli mu?
Kati kany me?(Kati kany me?)
Ndi omukazi w'ebyokulya
Nye konyo wot(Nye konyo wot)
Tewali ebyokulya ebikalu
Kati wot kany, nyinga(Kati wot kany, nyinga)
Ekitanga ky'ekyokulya
Iti kany(Iti kany)
Nkwenda okufuna omukutu?
Nye konyo kadi me?(Nye konyo kadi me?)
Ekitanda ky'amazi, nyabo
Kadi me kic, nyinga(Kadi me kic, nyinga)
Emergencies and health
Help, police, doctor, pharmacy, and urgent situations when you need assistance fast.
Funa polisi
Yat ma police
Funa ambulance
Yat ma ambulance
Nkeneye omuganga
Nye konyo doctor
Ndi mu bubi
Nye konyo wot
Ndi na allergy ku nkuzi
Nye konyo kany kic
Ehe hospital ey'ekyenkya?
Kati ki hospital ma kany?
Bikunyumya wano
Okwero ineno
Nfunye passport yange
Nye tye konyo passport
Okwesiga okufuna hotel yange?
Okwero yat ma hotel amoni?
Mbadde!
Yat!
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
Nishimwe kuganira
Nye kany me(Nye kany me)
Tugende mu nama
Dano kany oting(Dano kany oting)
Ni ryari byakugendekera?
Nye kany ma kany?(Nye kany ma kany?)
Nzohereza raporo uyu munsi
Ngatye kany report kany(Ngatye kany report kany)
Twashobora kuganira ejo?
Nye kany ma kany tye?(Nye kany ma kany tye?)
Nyamuneka reba dosiye iri hamwe
Nye kany ma file kany(Nye kany ma file kany)
Urakoze ku mwanya wawe
Atye kany ma kany(Atye kany ma kany)
Ntegereje gukorana nawe
Nye kany ma kany kany(Nye kany ma kany kany)
Wansobanurira icyo?
Nye kany ma kany tye?(Nye kany ma kany tye?)
Nzakugarukaho
Dano kany ma kany(Dano kany ma kany)
Igihe ntarengwa ni ku wa gatanu
Kany kany Friday(Kany kany Friday)
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.