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Common Swahili to Lingala phrases

100 practical Swahili to Lingala phrases for travel, study, work, and daily conversation.

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

Tip: when a Lingala phrase looks unfamiliar, compare it with the Swahili 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 Swahili to Lingala 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. Habari

    Mbote

  2. Asante

    Melesi

  3. Habari ya asubuhi

    Mbote na ntango ya mokolo

  4. Habari ya mchana

    Mbote na ntango ya midi

  5. Habari ya jioni

    Mbote na ntango ya soir

  6. Usiku mwema

    Malamu na butu

  7. Tutaonana baadaye

    Tala yo nsima

  8. Kwaheri

    Kende malamu

  9. Jina lako nani?

    Nkombo na yo nani?

  10. Jina langu ni John

    Nkombo na ngai ezali John

  11. Habari gani?

    Ozalaki malamu?

  12. Nafurahi kukutana na wewe

    Nayoki malamu na yo

Useful phrases for travellers

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

  1. Unazungumza Kiingereza?

    Ozali koloba lingala? (ozali koloba lingala)

  2. Sizungumza Hindi vizuri.

    Nasalaka hindi malamu te (nasalaka hindi malamu te)

  3. Sielewi.

    Nalingi te (nalingi te)

  4. Tafadhali ongea polepole.

    S'il vous plaît, koloba butu (koloba butu)

  5. Unaweza kusema tena?

    Okoki koloba yango lisusu? (okoki koloba yango lisusu)

  6. Choo kiko wapi?

    Bato ya nzoto ezali wapi? (bato ya nzoto)

  7. Ninafika vipi katikati ya jiji?

    Nakanisi ndenge nini nakokende na centre? (nakokende na centre)

  8. Geuka kushoto.

    Tika na mobali (tika na mobali)

  9. Geuka kulia.

    Tika na mwasi (tika na mwasi)

  10. Nenda moja kwa moja.

    Kende na ntango (kende na ntango)

  11. Nauli ni kiasi gani?

    Mbala nini ezali? (mbala nini)

  12. Tiketi moja, tafadhali.

    Billet moko, s'il vous plaît (billet moko)

  13. Je, ni mbali na hapa?

    Ezali na esika ya mbali? (ezali na esika ya mbali)

  14. Nimepotea.

    Nazali na esika ya mabe (nazali na esika ya mabe)

  15. Ninaweza kununua kadi ya SIM wapi?

    Nakanisi wapi nakokota SIM card? (nakokota SIM card)

Everyday conversation

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

  1. Ndio

    Oyo

  2. Hapana

    Te

  3. Pengine

    Soki

  4. Ninakubaliana

    Nalingi

  5. Sikubaliani

    Nalingi te

  6. Inasikika vizuri

    Eza malamu

  7. Unafikiriaje?

    Oyo olingi nini?

  8. Unaweza kunisaidia?

    Okoki kosalisa ngai?

  9. Nahitaji msaada

    Naza na bosenga ya kosalisa

  10. Subiri kidogo

    Sunga moke

  11. Ninasikitika

    Nasalaki mabe

  12. Hakuna shida

    Nani azali na problème

  13. Hongera

    Mokolo malamu

  14. Siku ya kuzaliwa njema

    Mokolo ya mbotama malamu

  15. Safari njema

    Zala na nzela ya malamu

Directions and getting around

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

  1. Kituo cha treni kiko wapi?

    Eko zali wapi? (Eko zali wapi?)

  2. Kituo cha basi kiko wapi?

    Eko zali wapi na bis?

  3. Ni jukwaa gani?

    Eko zali na esika nini?

  4. Inatoka saa ngapi?

    Ekozanga na ntango nini?

  5. Je, hii ndiyo njia sahihi?

    Oyo ezali nzela ya malamu?

  6. Iko karibu hapa

    Ezali pene awa.

  7. Iko mbali na hapa

    Ezali mbali awa.

  8. Unaweza kunionesha kwenye ramani?

    Okoki kolakisa ngai na kati ya mape?

  9. Simama hapa, tafadhali

    Tika awa, s'il vous plaît.

  10. Inachukua muda gani?

    Ekozala ntango nini?

Shopping and dining

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

  1. Hii inagharimu kiasi gani?

    Mbongo ya yango eza nini?

  2. Hiyo ni ghali sana

    Yango eza mabe na mbongo.

  3. Je, una kitu chochote cha bei nafuu?

    Ozali na makambo mosusu ya mbongo moke?

  4. Naweza kulipa kwa kadi?

    Nalingi kobonga na carte?

  5. Ningependa meza ya watu wawili

    Nalingi meka mpo na mibale.

  6. Tafadhali, bili

    Liyangani, s'il vous plaît.

  7. Je, huduma imejumuishwa?

    Service eza na kati?

  8. Mimi ni mboga

    Nazali mvegetarian.

  9. Tafadhali, sina chakula chenye pilipili

    Bokoya biloko ya mabe, s'il vous plaît.

  10. Hii ni tamu

    Yango ezali malamu.

  11. Naweza kupata menyu?

    Nalingi menu, s'il vous plaît.

  12. Tafadhali, glasi ya maji

    Leki ya mayi, s'il vous plaît.

Emergencies and health

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

  1. Piga simu polisi

    Tindá polisi

  2. Piga simu ya wagonjwa

    Tindá ambulance

  3. Nahitaji daktari

    Nalingi médecin

  4. Ninajisikia mgonjwa

    Nazali na maladi

  5. Nina mzio wa karanga

    Nazali na allergie na mbala

  6. Hospitali iliyo karibu iko wapi?

    Hospital ya liboso ezali wapi?

  7. Inaniuma hapa

    Ezalaka na nse awa

  8. Nimepoteza pasipoti yangu

    Nazwi passport na ngai

  9. Unaweza kupiga simu hoteli yangu?

    Okoki kotinda hôtel na ngai?

  10. Nisaidie!

    S.O.S!

Work and business

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

  1. Nafurahi kukutana nawe

    Nasepeli na yo

  2. Tuweke mkutano

    Tika tozala na mitema

  3. Ni saa ngapi inakufaa?

    Ngai nalobi ntango nini ekozala malamu na yo?

  4. Nitaituma ripoti leo

    Naboya raport lelo

  5. Tunaweza kuzungumza kesho?

    Tango tozali na mposo?

  6. Tafadhali pata faili iliyoambatishwa

    S'il vous plaît, tala fichier oyo ezali na nzela

  7. Asante kwa muda wako

    Mersi mpo na ntango na yo

  8. Natarajia kufanya kazi na wewe

    Nasalela yo na mosala

  9. Unaweza kufafanua hiyo pointi?

    Okoki kosala likambo yango malamu?

  10. Nitarudi kwako

    Napesi yo nzela

  11. Muda wa mwisho ni Ijumaa

    Mokolo ya kokanga ezali Vendredi

Time, days and numbers

Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.

  1. Ni saa ngapi?

    Nini tango ezali? (ni-ni tan-go e-za-li)

  2. Ni saa tatu.

    Ezali ntango ya misato (e-za-li n-tan-go ya mi-sa-to)

  3. Leo

    Lelo

  4. Kesho

    Bokoko

  5. Jana

    Kaka

  6. Jumatatu

    Lundi

  7. Jumanne

    Mardi

  8. Jumatano

    Mercredi

  9. Moja

    Moko

  10. Mbili

    Mbala

  11. Tatu

    Misato

  12. Kumi

    Libwa

  13. Mia moja

    Sankuru

  14. Nusu

    Bato

  15. Zaidi

    Soki

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