Looking for practical Kiga to Mam phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Kiga phrase first, then the Mam translation (Mam) — 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 Mam.
Tip: when a Mam 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 Mam 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
Xo'j(sho'j)
Webale
Tz'ik(tz'ik)
Osiibye bulungi
Xo'j nax(sho'j nax)
Osiibye bulungi
Xo'j q'ij(sho'j q'ij)
Osiibye bulungi
Xo'j k'ux(sho'j k'ux)
Osiibye bulungi
Xo'j k'ux nax(sho'j k'ux nax)
Tugenda okukutana
K'ux q'ij(k'ux q'ij)
Nkwagala
Xo'j k'ux(sho'j k'ux)
Erinnya lyo ani?
Ja' k'ux nax?(ha' k'ux nax?)
Erinnya lyange nze John
Ja' k'ux nax John(ha' k'ux nax John)
Oli otya?
Jach' k'ux?(hach' k'ux?)
Nneebwanga okukuyita
Nab' k'ux(nab' k'ux)
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
Oli muwandiika kiingereza?
¿K'ax k'utun English?
Sikuwandiika Hindi bulungi.
Nek'ux k'utun Hindi k'ax k'utun.
Sikuganya.
Nek'ux k'ax k'utun.
Nkwenda okwandiika bulungi.
Por favor, k'utun k'ux.
Osobola okuwandiika ekyo na?
¿K'ax k'utun k'ux?
Ekitanda kiki?
¿Jach'och k'ux?
Nkwenda otya mu kiti?
¿Jach'och k'ux ch'ich'?
Genda ku kkono.
K'utun k'ux.
Genda ku ddyo.
K'utun k'ux.
Genda mu maaso.
K'utun k'ux.
Ekitundu kiki?
¿K'ax k'ux ch'ich'?
Ekitanda emu, nyamba.
K'utun ch'ich', por favor.
Kiki ekitundu okuva wano?
¿K'ax k'ux jach'och?
Ndi mu kwegendereza.
Nek'ux k'ax k'ux.
Nkwenda kutuuka wa SIM card?
¿Jach'och k'ux k'utun SIM?
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Eee
Juj(hoo)
Oya
Man(mah)
Wali
K'ux(k'ush)
Ndiinze
Juj k'ux(hoo k'ush)
Sindiinze
Man k'ux(mah k'ush)
Ekitanga kiza
K'ux juj(k'ush hoo)
Oteka ki?
¿Juj k'ux k'ut?(¿hoo k'ush k'ut?)
Okwetegera?
¿Juj k'ux juj k'ux?(¿hoo k'ush hoo k'ush?)
Nfuna okwetegera
Juj k'ux juj k'ux k'ut(hoo k'ush hoo k'ut)
Leka akaseke
K'ux k'ut(k'ush k'ut)
Ndi mwefwe
Juj k'ux k'ut(hoo k'ush k'ut)
Tera kintu
Man k'ux k'ut(mah k'ush k'ut)
Nkwagala
K'ux juj k'ut(k'ush hoo k'ut)
Okwagala omwaka omukya
K'ux juj k'ut k'ux(k'ush hoo k'ut k'ush)
Okwetegera mu nsi
K'ux juj k'ut k'ux(k'ush hoo k'ut k'ush)
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Eri heza y'ekitabo?
¿Jujuk pa ri tren?(Eri heza y'ekitabo?)
Eri heza y'ekibuga?
¿Jujuk pa ri bus?(Eri heza y'ekibuga?)
Ekiyungiriro ki?
¿K'ux ri plataforma?(Ekiyungiriro ki?)
Ekitonde ki?
¿K'ux ri tiempo pa k'ux?(Ekitonde ki?)
Oni omukono ogw'ekirungi?
¿¿K'ux ri camino?(Oni omukono ogw'ekirungi?)
Eri wansi wano
Ri k'ut pa ri.(Eri wansi wano)
Eri kure wano
Ri k'ut pa ri k'ul.(Eri kure wano)
Oyinza okundabira ku karita?
¿¿K'ux k'ut ri mapa?(Oyinza okundabira ku karita?)
Mugume wano, nyabo
¿¿K'ut pa ri, por favor?(Mugume wano, nyabo)
Ekitanga ki?
¿¿K'ux ri tiempo?(Ekitanga ki?)
Shopping and dining
Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.