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Common Maori to Bemba phrases

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

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Looking for practical Maori to Bemba phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Maori 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 Maori 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. Kia ora

    Shani

  2. Ngā mihi

    Natotela

  3. Ata mārie

    Muli shani

  4. Pō mārie

    Muli shani

  5. Pō nui

    Muli shani

  6. Nō reira

    Shalenipo bwino

  7. Ka kite anō

    Tukakutana

  8. Haere rā

    Twalumba

  9. Ko wai tō ingoa?

    Iwe ulishani?

  10. Ko John tōku ingoa

    Ndefwaya John

  11. Kei te pēhea koe?

    Uli bwanji?

  12. He pai ki te tūtaki i a koe

    Nashitasha kukumona

Useful phrases for travellers

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

  1. Ka korero koe i te reo Ingarihi?

    Ulyashi ulukanda mu Chingereza? (kah korero koe ee teh reh-oh ingarihi)

  2. Kaore au e korero pai i te reo Hīndi

    Ndefwaya ukulanda Hindi bwino (kaore ow ee kah-raw pai ee teh reh-oh hindee)

  3. Kaore au e mohio

    Ndefwaya kumfwa (kaore ow ee moh-ee-oh)

  4. Tena koa korero āta

    Nimwandi ulukanda buteko (teh-nah koh-ah kah-raw-oh ah-tah)

  5. Ka taea e koe te korero ano?

    Ningaloleleko? (kah tah-eh eh koh-eh teh kah-raw-oh ah-no)

  6. Kei hea te wharepaku?

    Ili kuti ikalamba? (kay he-ah teh fah-reh-pah-koo)

  7. Me pehea au e tae ki te pokapū o te tāone?

    Ningalileka shani ku city center? (meh peh-heh-ah ow eh tie keh teh poh-kah-poo oh teh tah-oh-neh)

  8. Huri ki mauī

    Fumya kumwendo (hoo-ree kee mow-ee)

  9. Huri ki te taha matau

    Fumya kumwendo (hoo-ree kee teh tah-hah mah-tow)

  10. Haere tika

    Enda pamo (high-reh tee-kah)

  11. E hia te utu?

    Kuli shani ifyabukata? (eh hee-ah teh oo-too)

  12. Kotahi te tikiti, please

    Ticket imwe, nomba (koh-tah-hee teh tee-kee-tee)

  13. Kei tawhiti mai i konei?

    Kuli lishilu ukulya? (kay tah-whee-tee my ee koh-nay)

  14. Kua ngaro au

    Ndi lost (koo-ah nah-roh ow)

  15. Kei hea e taea ai e au te hoko kāri SIM?

    Ili kuti nindeke SIM card? (kay he-ah eh tah-eh ah-ee eh ow teh hoh-koh kah-ree sim)

Everyday conversation

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

  1. Āe

    Eya

  2. Kāo

    Awe

  3. Tērā pea

    Panga

  4. Kei te whakaae au

    Ndi bwino

  5. Kāore au e whakaae

    Ndi bwino na

  6. He pai tēnā

    Ilyo lishibukile

  7. He aha tāu e whakaaro ana?

    Uchite shani?

  8. Ka taea e koe te awhina i au?

    Ushakufwa?

  9. Kei te hiahia au i te awhina

    Ndefwaya ifyakufwa

  10. Tēnā tūrua

    Leka ifi

  11. Aroha mai

    Nshakufwa

  12. Kāore he raru

    Takwaba shani

  13. Ngā mihi

    Nshakufwa bwino

  14. Hari huritau

    Nashala bwino mu mwaka

  15. Kia pai te haerenga

    Ube na mulimo wabwino

Directions and getting around

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

  1. Kei hea te teihana tereina?

    Uli kuti ikalamba ya chitima? (Kei hea te teihana tereina?)

  2. Kei hea te pooti?

    Uli kuti icikalo ca bisi? (Kei hea te pooti?)

  3. Ko wai te papa?

    Ninshi ni platform iyi? (Ko wai te papa?)

  4. He aha te wa e wehe ai?

    Ninshi ikalamba? (He aha te wa e wehe ai?)

  5. Kei te tika tēnei ara?

    Ninshi iyi ni njira shabwino? (Kei te tika tēnei ara?)

  6. Kei konei tata mai

    Ili pamo na pano. (Kei konei tata mai)

  7. Kei tawhiti mai i konei

    Ili lishilu na pano. (Kei tawhiti mai i konei)

  8. Ka taea e koe te whakaatu ki ahau i runga i te mapi?

    Ushibukishe pa mape? (Ka taea e koe te whakaatu ki ahau i runga i te mapi?)

  9. Tū mai i konei, koa

    Leka pano, chonde. (Tū mai i konei, koa)

  10. E hia te wā e tango ana?

    Kuli shani? (E hia te wā e tango ana?)

Shopping and dining

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

  1. E hia te utu o tēnei?

    Ili shani? (Ili shani?)

  2. He tino utu tēnā

    Ili lya kuli (Ili lya kuli)

  3. Kei a koe he mea iti ake?

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

  4. Ka taea e au te utu mā te kāri?

    Ningakupanga na kadi? (Ningakupanga na kadi?)

  5. E hiahia ana au ki te tepu mō te rua.

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

  6. Tēnā, te rīhi.

    Icilanga, tapali (Icilanga, tapali)

  7. Kei roto i te utu te ratonga?

    Ubufyashi bwakupanga? (Ubufyashi bwakupanga?)

  8. He veggie ahau.

    Ndi mvegetarian (Ndi mvegetarian)

  9. Kāore he kai pārearea, tēnā.

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

  10. He reka tēnei.

    Ili lya bwino (Ili lya bwino)

  11. Ka taea e au te rārangi kai?

    Ningakonda ifyalo? (Ningakonda ifyalo?)

  12. Tēnā, he karaihe wai.

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

Emergencies and health

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

  1. Karanga ki te pirihimana

    Tuma abashitisha

  2. Karanga ki te āwhina

    Tuma ambulance

  3. Kei te hiahia au i te rata

    Nshikala na doctor

  4. Kei te pāngia au e te mate

    Nshikala bwino

  5. He pātea au ki ngā pāhiri

    Ndi na allergy ku nsalu

  6. Kei hea te hōhipera tata?

    Ili kuti hospital ya pafupi?

  7. E mamae ana i konei

    Kuli ububi pano

  8. I ngaro taku pasapo

    Nashitile passport yangu

  9. Ka taea e koe te karanga ki taku hōtera?

    Nawe tuma hotel yangu?

  10. Tautoko!

    Chikondi!

Work and business

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

  1. Ka pai te kite i a koe

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

  2. Me whakarite tātou i tētahi hui

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

  3. He aha te wā e pai ana ki a koe?

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

  4. Ka tukuna e au te pūrongo i tēnei rā

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

  5. Ka taea e tātou te kōrero āpōpō?

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

  6. Tēnā tirohia te kōnae e piri ana

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

  7. Ngā mihi mo tō wā

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

  8. Kei te titiro whakamua au ki te mahi ki a koe

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

  9. Ka taea e koe te whakamarama i taua kōrero?

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

  10. Me hoki au ki a koe

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

  11. Ko te mutunga wā ko te Paraire

    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. He aha te wā?

    Ninshi ilya shani? (Ninshi ilya shani?)

  2. E toru karaka

    Kuli nomba itatu. (Kuli nomba itatu.)

  3. I tēnei rā

    Lelo. (Lelo.)

  4. Āpōpō

    Mwaume. (Mwaume.)

  5. Ināianei

    Kale. (Kale.)

  6. Māhina

    Lwandi. (Lwandi.)

  7. Tūrei

    Lwakabamba. (Lwakabamba.)

  8. Rāapa

    Lwapili. (Lwapili.)

  9. Tahi

    Imwe. (Imwe.)

  10. Rua

    Ibili. (Ibili.)

  11. Toru

    Itatu. (Itatu.)

  12. Tekau

    Icumi. (Icumi.)

  13. Kotahi rau

    Cikumi. (Cikumi.)

  14. Hāwhe

    Pafya. (Pafya.)

  15. Tahi atu

    Ilyo. (Ilyo.)

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