Looking for practical Tetum to Bambara phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Tetum phrase first, then the Bambara translation (Bambara) — 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 Bambara.
Tip: focus on one section per day (travel Monday, dining Tuesday, and so on) if you are preparing for a Bambara-speaking trip in a few weeks.
Bookmark this page for offline review, share it with a travel buddy, or open the Tetum to Bambara 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.
Olá
I ni ce
Obrigadu
I ni sogoma
Bondia
I ni bɔ
Bona tarde
I ni kɛ
Bona noite
I ni sɔgɔ
Bona noite
I ni tulu
Ami hanesan
N bɛ se ka
Adeus
A bɛ se ka
Quale naran ida?
Nɛnɛ kɛ i tɛ?
Naran hau John.
N bɛ tɔgɔ John
Kona ba o?
I ni fɛ?
Diak ba halo ho o.
N bɛ se ka i fɛ
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
Keta fala Inglês?
I ni ce English?(ee nee che English)
Hau la fala Hindi diak.
N mɔgɔ bɛ Hindi kɛ(N mo-go beh Hindi keh)
Hau la hatene.
N mɔgɔ bɛ(N mo-go beh)
Favor fala ba moris.
Sɛbɛn, kɛlɛ kɛ(Sebene, keh-leh keh)
Keta bele fala fali?
I ka fɔ a la?(Ee kah fo ah lah)
Onde mak banheira?
Bamanakan kɛn na?(Bah-mah-nah-kahn keh nah)
Kona ne'ebe hau bele baa sentru cidade?
N bɛ fɔ kɔrɔbɔ?(N beh fo koh-roh-boh)
Virar ba hadau.
Kɛlɛn bɔ(Keh-lehn boh)
Virar ba direita.
Kɛlɛn bɔ kɔrɔ(Keh-lehn boh koh-roh)
Baa diretamente.
Fɔ kɛlɛn(Fo keh-lehn)
Iha ne'e barak?
Fɛ kɛ?(Feh keh)
Ticket ida, favor.
Kɛnɛ ticket, please(Ken-eh ticket, please)
Iha ne'e laran ka?
I kɛ fɔ kɛnɛ?(Ee keh fo keh-neh)
Hau nune'e.
N tɛ bɔ(N teh boh)
Onde mak hau bele compra SIM card?
N bɛ fɔ SIM card kɛn?(N beh fo SIM card ken)
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Sim
Aye
La
Ala
Talvez
Bara
Hau hakarak
N bɛ bɔ
Hau la hakarak
N bɛ fɔ
Nia mak diak
I bɛ sɛbɛn
Ita nian ideia sa?
I ka fɛ kɛ?
Mak bele ajuda hau?
I bɛ ma n bɔ?
Hau precisa ajuda
N bɛ fɔ n bɔ
Hakarak momentu
Sira kɛ
Hau mós
N tɛgɛ
La problema
Ala ka fɔ
Parabens
I ni kɛ
Parabens ba aniversario
I ni tɔgɔ kɛ
Hau haruka viagen diak
I bɛ tɔgɔ kɛ
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Onde está a estacão de trem?
Fôlô kôkô tîgê?(Onde está a estacão de trem?)
Onde está a paragem de autocarro?
Fôlô bôgô tîgê?(Onde está a paragem de autocarro?)
Iha ne'e plataforma sa'e?
I ni tîgê kô?(Iha ne'e plataforma sa'e?)
Hora ne'e sai?
Kô tîgê bô?(Hora ne'e sai?)
Ema ne'e dalan certo ka?
I ni tîgê bô?(Ema ne'e dalan certo ka?)
Iha ne'e perto
I tîgê kâ.(Iha ne'e perto)
Iha ne'e laran
I tîgê kâ fô.(Iha ne'e laran)
Kona ba mapa?
I bô kô tîgê fô?(Kona ba mapa?)
Parar iha ne'e, favor
Tîgê kâ, s'il vous plaît.(Parar iha ne'e, favor)
Kona tempu hira?
Kô tîgê kô?(Kona tempu hira?)
Shopping and dining
Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.
Ita nia presu sa'o?
I ni ce?(ita nia presu sao?)
Esa mak baratu demais.
O ye fɛɛrɛ.
Ita iha coisa baratu seluk?
I ni ka fɛɛrɛ?
Posu ka la, hau bele paga ba kart?
N bɛ tɔgɔ ka kɛ?
Hau hakarak mesa ba rua.
N bɛ fɔlɔ kɛlɛ kɔrɔ.
Fatu, por favor.
Kɔrɔbaw, s'il vous plaît.
Servisu iha ka?
Sɛbɛ ka fo?
Hau vegetarian.
N bɛ sɔgɔma.
Labele comida spicy, por favor.
Kɔrɔ fɛɛrɛ, s'il vous plaît.
Esa mak saboru.
I ye sɔgɔ.
Posu ka la, hau bele hakarak menu?
N bɛ fɔlɔ kɔrɔbaw?
Kopa agua, por favor.
N bɛ fɔlɔ jɔrɔ.
Emergencies and health
Help, police, doctor, pharmacy, and urgent situations when you need assistance fast.
Liga ba polícia
Nɔgɔ fɔlɔ(nogo folo)
Liga ba ambulansia
Nɔgɔ kɔrɔ(nogo koro)
Hau precisa doutor
N bɛ sɔrɔ(n be soro)
Hau sente sick
N bɛ tɛgɛn(n be tegen)
Hau iha alergia ba karu
N bɛ fɔlɔ kɛlɛ(n be folokele)
Onde iha ospitál ne'ebe mais perto?
N bɛ kɔrɔ fɔlɔ?(n be koro folo)
Ita hakarak iha ne'e
I tɛgɛ fɛ(i tege fe)
Hau hasai passport
N bɛ kɛlɛ fɔlɔ(n be kele folo)
O pode liga ba hotel hau?
I bɛ nɔgɔ kɔrɔ fɔlɔ?(i be nogo koro folo)
Help!
Tɛgɛ!(tege)
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
Hau kontente hatoo ho ita
N bɛ se ka kɛnɛ(N bɛ se ka kɛnɛ)
Kita halo reunião
Ala ka yɛlɛ kɛnɛ(Ala ka yɛlɛ kɛnɛ)
Hora ne'ebe mak diak ba ita?
I ni bɔ a la?(I ni bɔ a la?)
Hau sei hatoo relatoriu ona
N bɛ fɔ report la tɛgɛ(N bɛ fɔ report la tɛgɛ)
Ita bele halo conversa fali?
N bɛ fɔ tɛgɛ?(N bɛ fɔ tɛgɛ?)
Favor buka arquivo ne'e iha
Sɔgɔma, fɔ file la a bɛ(Sɔgɔma, fɔ file la a bɛ)
Obrigadu ba ita-nia tempu
I ni ce, a bɛ sɔrɔ(I ni ce, a bɛ sɔrɔ)
Hau hakarak trabalha ho ita
N bɛ fɔ a la ka yɛlɛ(N bɛ fɔ a la ka yɛlɛ)
Ita bele klarifika ponto ne'e?
I bɛ fɔ a la fɛ?(I bɛ fɔ a la fɛ?)
Hau sei volta ba ita
N bɛ fɔ a la kɛ(N bɛ fɔ a la kɛ)
Prazo mak sexta-feira
Dɔgɔni tɛgɛ Friday(Dɔgɔni tɛgɛ Friday)
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.