Looking for practical Nuer to Dinka phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Nuer phrase first, then the Dinka translation (Dinka) — 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 Dinka.
Tip: when a Dinka phrase looks unfamiliar, compare it with the Nuer 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 Nuer to Dinka 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.
Nhiar
Yaaŋ(yaaŋ)
Nyaak
Ajak(ajak)
Nhiar gɔ̈ɔ̈r
Bäny äyö(bäny äyö)
Nhiar aŋɔ̈r
Bäny kɛ̈l(bäny kɛ̈l)
Nhiar aŋɔ̈r
Bäny nyin(bäny nyin)
Nhiar kɔ̈c
Bäny kɛ̈l(bäny kɛ̈l)
Aŋɔ̈r kɛ̈n
Yin kɛ̈l(yin kɛ̈l)
Kɛ̈n
Yin kɛ̈l(yin kɛ̈l)
Cɛ̈l aŋɔ̈r kɛ̈n?
Nin kɛ̈l yïn?(nin kɛ̈l yïn?)
Cɛ̈l aŋɔ̈r John
Nin yïn John(nin yïn John)
Cɛ̈l kɛ̈n?
Kɛ̈l yïn?(kɛ̈l yïn?)
Kɛ̈l aŋɔ̈r kɛ̈n
Bäny kɛ̈l yïn(bäny kɛ̈l yïn)
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
Nyaac ke nyin English?
Nyaac ke wic ku English?
Nyaac ma nyin Hindi ke nyin.
Aye nyin wic Hindi kɔc.
Nyaac ma nyin.
Aye nyin kɔc.
Yin ke nyin kɛl.
Yin kɔc ke nyin.
Yin ke nyin kɛl a thok?
Yin wic ke nyin?
Yin thok a kɛl?
Cɔl kɛ thon?
Nyaac ke nyin a city center?
Nyaac kɛ jɛt ke cɛl?
Yin ke nyin a laar.
Yin tɛŋ ke thok.
Yin ke nyin a jɛŋ.
Yin tɛŋ ke kɛl.
Yin ke nyin a thok.
Yin tɛŋ ke cɛl.
Yin ke nyin a kɛl?
Cɔl kɛ thon?
Yin ke nyin a ticket.
Kɛl thok, yin.
Yin ke nyin a thok?
Cɔl kɛ jɔk ke cɛl?
Nyaac ke nyin.
Aye nyin thok.
Yin thok a kɛl a SIM card?
Cɔl kɛ jɛt ke SIM?
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Aye
Aye
Naa
Naa
Nyaak
Cok
Nyeek a kech
Aye nyin
Nyeek a kech naa
Naa nyin
Iye kech kɛl
Käth aŋöör
Nyaak a kech?
Käŋ aŋöör?
Nyaak a kech a jɔɔr?
Nyaŋ aŋöör?
Nyeek a jɔɔr kɛl
Aye bɛ̈t aŋöör
Kɛl a jɔɔr
Käŋ aŋöör
Nyeek a kech
Aye kɛ̈l
Naa a kech kɛl
Naa kɛ̈l
Aye kɛl
Bɛ̈t aŋöör
Aye kɛl a wɛr
Bɛ̈t aŋöör kuɔr
Kɛl a jɔɔr a jɛɛr
Käth aŋöör kuɔr
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Känyë kɛ́l wɛ́l?
Cïïr yïnë kël?(Cii r yin e kel)
Känyë kɛ́l bɔ́l?
Cïïr yïnë kël jëŋ?(Cii r yin e kel jeng)
Kɛ́l bɛ́t kɛ́t?
Këc yïnë kël?(Kec yin e kel)
Kɛ́l wɛ́l ɪ́t kɛ́t?
Këc kël yïnë?(Kec kel yin e)
Kɛ́l ɪ́t kɛ́l wɛ́l?
Këc yïnë kël wël?(Kec yin e kel wel)
Kɛ́l ɪ́t kɛ́l kɛ́l?
Këc yïnë kël jëŋ?(Kec yin e kel jeng)
Kɛ́l ɪ́t kɛ́l jɔ́l?
Këc yïnë kël wël?(Kec yin e kel wel)
Kɛ́l ɪ́t kɛ́l pɛ́t kɛ́t?
Aŋë yïnë kël kɔc?(Ang e yin e kel koc)
Kɛ́l jɛ́l kɛ́l, pɛ́l?
Nye kël jëŋ, jëŋ?(Nye kel jeng jeng)
Kɛ́l ɪ́t kɛ́l jɔ́l kɛ́t?
Këc yïnë kël jëŋ?(Kec yin e kel jeng)
Shopping and dining
Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.
Nyaak cɛl?
Kuoth ke nyin?(kuoth ke nyin)
Kɛl yic kɛc
Nyaak ke thok kɛ̈r(nyaak ke thok kɛ̈r)
Yin kɛl nyin cɛl?
Aye ke nyin kɛ̈r?(aye ke nyin kɛ̈r)
Nyaak tɛr kɛl kɛc?
Aye ke nyin kɛ̈r kɔc?(aye ke nyin kɛ̈r kɔc)
Nyaak cɛl kɛl tɛbɛl kɛl nyin
Aye ke nyin a tɛ́bɛl kɛ̈r duɔŋ(aye ke nyin a tɛ́bɛl kɛ̈r duɔŋ)
Nyaak cɛl kɛl bɛl
Kɛ́l, please(kɛ́l, please)
Yin kɛl cɛl kɛl tɛr?
Aye ke nyin kɛ̈r kɛ́l?(aye ke nyin kɛ̈r kɛ́l)
Nyaak cɛl wɛr
Aye ke nyin a kɔc(aye ke nyin a kɔc)
Nyaak cɛl kɛl wɛr kɛc
Aye ke nyin kɛ̈r aŋɔr, please(aye ke nyin kɛ̈r aŋɔr, please)
Kɛl cɛl kɛl nyin
Nyaak ke aŋɔr(nyaak ke aŋɔr)
Nyaak cɛl kɛl mɛn?
Aye ke nyin kɛ̈r a menu?(aye ke nyin kɛ̈r a menu)
Nyaak cɛl kɛl gɛl wɛt
Aye ke nyin a kɔl aŋɔr, please(aye ke nyin a kɔl aŋɔr, please)
Emergencies and health
Help, police, doctor, pharmacy, and urgent situations when you need assistance fast.
Cïl wïr
Bɛɛr kɔl pɔlɪs(cil wir)
Cïl an ambulance
Bɛɛr kɔl ambʊlɛns(cil an ambulance)
Aŋ thïr a doctor
A pɛɛr dɔkta(ang thir a doctor)
Aŋ kɔc
A jɛt kɔc(ang koc)
Aŋ kɔc a pïyït
A kɛl kɔc bɛɛr pɛɛnʊt(ang koc a piyit)
Cït kɛ̈n hospital?
Cɛɛr kɛ bɛɛr hɔspɪtɔl?(cit ken hospital)
Cïk bɛ̈t
Kɔc kɛ tɛŋ(cik bet)
Aŋ kɛ̈n passport
A lɔst pɑspɔt(ang ken passport)
Aŋ kɛ̈n cïl my hotel?
Kɛl bɛɛr kɔl hɔtɛl a?(ang ken cil my hotel)
Kɛ̈n!
Yɛɛr!(ken)
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
Nyeu ke nyin
Yin ke nyin(Yin ke nyin)
Nyeu ke jɔɔr ke nyin
Nyaak ke nyin ke jieng(Nyaak ke nyin ke jieng)
Kɛ kɛth jɔɔr a ke?
Cieng nyin ke jieng?(Cieng nyin ke jieng?)
Nyeu ke kɛc report kɛ jɔɔl
Aye ke cïe report kɛ̈t(Aye ke cïe report kɛ̈t)
Nyeu ke jɔɔr kɛ bɛt?
Nyaak ke jieng kɛ̈t?(Nyaak ke jieng kɛ̈t?)
Nyeu kɛ jɔɔr file kɛ kɛth
Nyaak ke cïe file kɛ̈t(Nyaak ke cïe file kɛ̈t)
Nyeu kɛ jɔɔr a ke kɛth
Ayiir ke nyin kɛ̈t(Ayiir ke nyin kɛ̈t)
Nyeu ke jɔɔr kɛ bɛt a ke
Aye ke nyin kɛ̈t jieng(Aye ke nyin kɛ̈t jieng)
A ke jɔɔr kɛ kɛth a?
Nyaak ke cïe kɛ̈t?(Nyaak ke cïe kɛ̈t?)
Nyeu ke jɔɔr kɛ a ke
Nyaak ke cïe nyin kɛ̈t(Nyaak ke cïe nyin kɛ̈t)
Kɛ deadline kɛ Friday
Cieng kɛ̈t ke Friday(Cieng kɛ̈t ke Friday)
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.