Looking for practical Lingala to Mam phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Lingala 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: focus on one section per day (travel Monday, dining Tuesday, and so on) if you are preparing for a Mam-speaking trip in a few weeks.
Bookmark this page for offline review, share it with a travel buddy, or open the Lingala 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.
Mbote
Xo'j(sho'j)
Melesi
Tz'ik(tz'ik)
Mbote na ntango ya mokolo
Xo'j nax(sho'j nax)
Mbote na ntango ya midi
Xo'j q'ij(sho'j q'ij)
Mbote na ntango ya soir
Xo'j k'ux(sho'j k'ux)
Malamu na butu
Xo'j k'ux nax(sho'j k'ux nax)
Tala yo nsima
K'ux q'ij(k'ux q'ij)
Kende malamu
Xo'j k'ux(sho'j k'ux)
Nkombo na yo nani?
Ja' k'ux nax?(ha' k'ux nax?)
Nkombo na ngai ezali John
Ja' k'ux nax John(ha' k'ux nax John)
Ozalaki malamu?
Jach' k'ux?(hach' k'ux?)
Nayoki malamu na yo
Nab' k'ux(nab' k'ux)
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
Ozali koloba lingala?
¿K'ax k'utun English?(ozali koloba lingala)
Nasalaka hindi malamu te
Nek'ux k'utun Hindi k'ax k'utun.(nasalaka hindi malamu te)
Nalingi te
Nek'ux k'ax k'utun.(nalingi te)
S'il vous plaît, koloba butu
Por favor, k'utun k'ux.(koloba butu)
Okoki koloba yango lisusu?
¿K'ax k'utun k'ux?(okoki koloba yango lisusu)
Bato ya nzoto ezali wapi?
¿Jach'och k'ux?(bato ya nzoto)
Nakanisi ndenge nini nakokende na centre?
¿Jach'och k'ux ch'ich'?(nakokende na centre)
Tika na mobali
K'utun k'ux.(tika na mobali)
Tika na mwasi
K'utun k'ux.(tika na mwasi)
Kende na ntango
K'utun k'ux.(kende na ntango)
Mbala nini ezali?
¿K'ax k'ux ch'ich'?(mbala nini)
Billet moko, s'il vous plaît
K'utun ch'ich', por favor.(billet moko)
Ezali na esika ya mbali?
¿K'ax k'ux jach'och?(ezali na esika ya mbali)
Nazali na esika ya mabe
Nek'ux k'ax k'ux.(nazali na esika ya mabe)
Nakanisi wapi nakokota SIM card?
¿Jach'och k'ux k'utun SIM?(nakokota SIM card)
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Oyo
Juj(hoo)
Te
Man(mah)
Soki
K'ux(k'ush)
Nalingi
Juj k'ux(hoo k'ush)
Nalingi te
Man k'ux(mah k'ush)
Eza malamu
K'ux juj(k'ush hoo)
Oyo olingi nini?
¿Juj k'ux k'ut?(¿hoo k'ush k'ut?)
Okoki kosalisa ngai?
¿Juj k'ux juj k'ux?(¿hoo k'ush hoo k'ush?)
Naza na bosenga ya kosalisa
Juj k'ux juj k'ux k'ut(hoo k'ush hoo k'ut)
Sunga moke
K'ux k'ut(k'ush k'ut)
Nasalaki mabe
Juj k'ux k'ut(hoo k'ush k'ut)
Nani azali na problème
Man k'ux k'ut(mah k'ush k'ut)
Mokolo malamu
K'ux juj k'ut(k'ush hoo k'ut)
Mokolo ya mbotama malamu
K'ux juj k'ut k'ux(k'ush hoo k'ut k'ush)
Zala na nzela ya malamu
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.
Eko zali wapi?
¿Jujuk pa ri tren?(Eko zali wapi?)
Eko zali wapi na bis?
¿Jujuk pa ri bus?
Eko zali na esika nini?
¿K'ux ri plataforma?
Ekozanga na ntango nini?
¿K'ux ri tiempo pa k'ux?
Oyo ezali nzela ya malamu?
¿¿K'ux ri camino?
Ezali pene awa.
Ri k'ut pa ri.
Ezali mbali awa.
Ri k'ut pa ri k'ul.
Okoki kolakisa ngai na kati ya mape?
¿¿K'ux k'ut ri mapa?
Tika awa, s'il vous plaît.
¿¿K'ut pa ri, por favor?
Ekozala ntango nini?
¿¿K'ux ri tiempo?
Shopping and dining
Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.