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Common Kituba to Bemba phrases

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

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Looking for practical Kituba to Bemba phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Kituba phrase first, then the Bemba translation (Bemba) — 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 Bemba.

Tip: focus on one section per day (travel Monday, dining Tuesday, and so on) if you are preparing for a Bemba-speaking trip in a few weeks.

Bookmark this page for offline review, share it with a travel buddy, or open the Kituba to Bemba 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. Mbote

    Shani

  2. Matondo

    Natotela

  3. Mbote na ntanga

    Muli shani

  4. Mbote na moke

    Muli shani

  5. Mbote na nsuka

    Muli shani

  6. Malamu na lola

    Shalenipo bwino

  7. Tala moke

    Tukakutana

  8. Kende malamu

    Twalumba

  9. Nani na yo?

    Iwe ulishani?

  10. Nani na ngai John

    Ndefwaya John

  11. Oyo olingi?

    Uli bwanji?

  12. Nionso na yo

    Nashitasha kukumona

Useful phrases for travellers

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

  1. Oyo azali koloba Lingala?

    Ulyashi ulukanda mu Chingereza?

  2. Nani nazali koloba Hindi malamu te

    Ndefwaya ukulanda Hindi bwino

  3. Nani nazali koyeba te

    Ndefwaya kumfwa

  4. Soki, koloba na mbala moke

    Nimwandi ulukanda buteko

  5. Okoki koloba yango lisusu?

    Ningaloleleko?

  6. Bato ya mbala eza wapi?

    Ili kuti ikalamba?

  7. Nani nakoki kokende na centre ya ville?

    Ningalileka shani ku city center?

  8. Tika na ngonga ya mabele

    Fumya kumwendo

  9. Tika na ngonga ya likolo

    Fumya kumwendo

  10. Yaka na mbala moke

    Enda pamo

  11. Mbongo ya nzela ezali boni?

    Kuli shani ifyabukata?

  12. Billet moko, s'il vous plaît

    Ticket imwe, nomba

  13. Eza mbali na awa?

    Kuli lishilu ukulya?

  14. Nani nazali na nzela te

    Ndi lost

  15. Nani nakoki kotonga SIM card wapi?

    Ili kuti nindeke SIM card?

Everyday conversation

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

  1. Eee

    Eya

  2. Te

    Awe

  3. Pamba

    Panga

  4. Nani na yo

    Ndi bwino

  5. Nani te na yo

    Ndi bwino na

  6. Eza malamu

    Ilyo lishibukile

  7. Oyo olingi nini?

    Uchite shani?

  8. Okanisa ngai?

    Ushakufwa?

  9. Nalingi lisungi

    Ndefwaya ifyakufwa

  10. Tika moke

    Leka ifi

  11. Nasalisa

    Nshakufwa

  12. Te na mabe

    Takwaba shani

  13. Mbote na yo

    Nshakufwa bwino

  14. Mbote na mokolo ya mbotama

    Nashala bwino mu mwaka

  15. Zala na nzela ya malamu

    Ube na mulimo wabwino

Directions and getting around

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

  1. Nani esika ya ndako ya treni?

    Uli kuti ikalamba ya chitima? (nani esika ya ndako ya treni)

  2. Nani esika ya ndako ya bisi?

    Uli kuti icikalo ca bisi? (nani esika ya ndako ya bisi)

  3. Nani esika ya platform?

    Ninshi ni platform iyi? (nani esika ya platform)

  4. Nani ntango ebandaka?

    Ninshi ikalamba? (nani ntango ebandaka)

  5. Nani nzela ya malamu?

    Ninshi iyi ni njira shabwino? (nani nzela ya malamu)

  6. Eza na nsima

    Ili pamo na pano. (eza na nsima)

  7. Eza na mbali

    Ili lishilu na pano. (eza na mbali)

  8. Okoki na ngai na mape?

    Ushibukishe pa mape? (okoki na ngai na mape)

  9. Kanga awa, s'il vous plaît

    Leka pano, chonde. (kanga awa, s'il vous plaît)

  10. Nani ntango ebandaka?

    Kuli shani? (nani ntango ebandaka)

Shopping and dining

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

  1. Mbuta nini?

    Ili shani? (Ili shani?)

  2. Eza mingi mbala

    Ili lya kuli (Ili lya kuli)

  3. Oyo oza na ntina ya moke?

    Muli na chimo chibulu? (Muli na chimo chibulu?)

  4. Nakanisa na carte?

    Ningakupanga na kadi? (Ningakupanga na kadi?)

  5. Nalingi mesa ya mibale

    Ningakonda itabo lyakupanga abali babili (Ningakonda itabo lyakupanga abali babili)

  6. Bilanga, s'il vous plaît

    Icilanga, tapali (Icilanga, tapali)

  7. Eza na mosala?

    Ubufyashi bwakupanga? (Ubufyashi bwakupanga?)

  8. Nani moke

    Ndi mvegetarian (Ndi mvegetarian)

  9. Te mbongo ya mpasi, s'il vous plaît

    Nshikala na fya spicy, tapali (Nshikala na fya spicy, tapali)

  10. Oyo eza malamu

    Ili lya bwino (Ili lya bwino)

  11. Nakanisa menu?

    Ningakonda ifyalo? (Ningakonda ifyalo?)

  12. Mokolo ya mai, s'il vous plaît

    Icupa ca mvula, tapali (Icupa ca mvula, tapali)

Emergencies and health

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

  1. Tanga polisi

    Tuma abashitisha

  2. Tanga ambulance

    Tuma ambulance

  3. Nazali na nganga

    Nshikala na doctor

  4. Nazali na maladi

    Nshikala bwino

  5. Nayebi na maladi ya mbala

    Ndi na allergy ku nsalu

  6. Hospital ya libanda ezali wapi?

    Ili kuti hospital ya pafupi?

  7. Ezalaka na nzala awa

    Kuli ububi pano

  8. Nasali pasi ya passport na ngai

    Nashitile passport yangu

  9. Okoki kolinga hotel na ngai?

    Nawe tuma hotel yangu?

  10. Lendaki!

    Chikondi!

Work and business

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

  1. Nki na yo

    Nashamukeni (na-sha-mu-ke-ni)

  2. Tondima kosala libanda

    Tulefwaya ukusanga (tu-le-fwa-ya u-ku-sanga)

  3. Ntango nini eza malamu na yo?

    Ninshi ifikala bwino kwa iwe? (nin-shi i-fi-ka-la bwi-no kwa i-we)

  4. Nakanisa lipanda lelo

    Nizakutuma ifishina lelo (ni-za-ku-tu-ma i-fi-shi-na le-lo)

  5. Tosala nzela lelo?

    Twafwaya ukusambilila lero? (twa-fwa-ya u-ku-sam-bi-li-la le-ro)

  6. Soki, tanga file oyo ekomi na likolo

    Nomba fwebo file iliko (nom-ba fwe-bo fi-le i-li-ko)

  7. Mersi po na ntango na yo

    Natotela pa nshita (na-to-te-la pa nshi-ta)

  8. Nabondeli na kosala na yo

    Nifwaya ukushanda na iwe (ni-fwa-ya u-ku-shan-da na i-we)

  9. Okoki kolakisa yango?

    Wakosa ukufumya icikomo? (wa-ko-sa u-ku-fum-ya i-ci-ko-mo)

  10. Nakanisa yo na nsima

    Nizakukumbusha (ni-za-ku-kum-bu-sha)

  11. Tango ya nsuka eza na Mokolo ya zamba

    Ishina lyakupela ni Lwapula (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. Nani nsuka?

    Ninshi ilya shani? (Ninshi ilya shani?)

  2. Eza na ntuku tatu

    Kuli nomba itatu. (Kuli nomba itatu.)

  3. Lelo

    Lelo. (Lelo.)

  4. Bokoko

    Mwaume. (Mwaume.)

  5. Bokutani

    Kale. (Kale.)

  6. Mokolo mwa liboso

    Lwandi. (Lwandi.)

  7. Mokolo mwa mibale

    Lwakabamba. (Lwakabamba.)

  8. Mokolo mwa misato

    Lwapili. (Lwapili.)

  9. Moko

    Imwe. (Imwe.)

  10. Mibale

    Ibili. (Ibili.)

  11. Misato

    Itatu. (Itatu.)

  12. Zomi

    Icumi. (Icumi.)

  13. Nkama

    Cikumi. (Cikumi.)

  14. Mokolo ya nsuka

    Pafya. (Pafya.)

  15. Bingi

    Ilyo. (Ilyo.)

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