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Common Tiv to Bemba phrases

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

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Looking for practical Tiv to Bemba phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Tiv 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: when a Bemba phrase looks unfamiliar, compare it with the Tiv 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 Tiv 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. Mgbakpa

    Shani

  2. Ior na

    Natotela

  3. Mgbakpa u sha

    Muli shani

  4. Mgbakpa u kpa

    Muli shani

  5. Mgbakpa u ter

    Muli shani

  6. Mgbakpa u ter sha

    Shalenipo bwino

  7. Kpa a joo

    Tukakutana

  8. Ior a joo

    Twalumba

  9. Ior m ngu?

    Iwe ulishani?

  10. M ngu John

    Ndefwaya John

  11. Ior m nande?

    Uli bwanji?

  12. Ior m nande a joo

    Nashitasha kukumona

Useful phrases for travellers

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

  1. I kpa English?

    Ulyashi ulukanda mu Chingereza?

  2. M nahan Hindi nahan.

    Ndefwaya ukulanda Hindi bwino

  3. M nahan usha.

    Ndefwaya kumfwa

  4. M nahan usha kpa.

    Nimwandi ulukanda buteko

  5. I kpa a sha?

    Ningaloleleko?

  6. I we a joo?

    Ili kuti ikalamba?

  7. Nenge a kpa a city center?

    Ningalileka shani ku city center?

  8. Kpa a joo.

    Fumya kumwendo

  9. Kpa a nahan.

    Fumya kumwendo

  10. Kpa a sha.

    Enda pamo

  11. Nenge a kpa a fare?

    Kuli shani ifyabukata?

  12. I kpa a ticket, please.

    Ticket imwe, nomba

  13. I we a nahan a nahan?

    Kuli lishilu ukulya?

  14. M nahan sha.

    Ndi lost

  15. I we a kpa a SIM card?

    Ili kuti nindeke SIM card?

Everyday conversation

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

  1. Ee

    Eya

  2. Naa

    Awe

  3. Iye

    Panga

  4. M na a kpa

    Ndi bwino

  5. M na a kpa nahan

    Ndi bwino na

  6. I kpa a kpa

    Ilyo lishibukile

  7. U kpa a nahan?

    Uchite shani?

  8. U kpa m nahan?

    Ushakufwa?

  9. M na a kpa nahan

    Ndefwaya ifyakufwa

  10. Kpa a kpa

    Leka ifi

  11. M na a kpa

    Nshakufwa

  12. Naa a kpa

    Takwaba shani

  13. I kpa a kpa

    Nshakufwa bwino

  14. A kpa a kpa

    Nashala bwino mu mwaka

  15. U kpa a kpa

    Ube na mulimo wabwino

Directions and getting around

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

  1. Ior a kpa?

    Uli kuti ikalamba ya chitima?

  2. Ior a nyam?

    Uli kuti icikalo ca bisi?

  3. Ior a gande?

    Ninshi ni platform iyi?

  4. Nenge a kpa?

    Ninshi ikalamba?

  5. Ior a nenge a?

    Ninshi iyi ni njira shabwino?

  6. I na kpa a.

    Ili pamo na pano.

  7. I na kpa a kpa.

    Ili lishilu na pano.

  8. I ma ior a gande?

    Ushibukishe pa mape?

  9. Kpa a, please.

    Leka pano, chonde.

  10. Nenge a kpa?

    Kuli shani?

Shopping and dining

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

  1. Ior kwagh nahan?

    Ili shani? (Ili shani?)

  2. Ior u kpa a kpa

    Ili lya kuli (Ili lya kuli)

  3. Ior m ngu u kpa?

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

  4. Ior m gban a card?

    Ningakupanga na kadi? (Ningakupanga na kadi?)

  5. A doo a table m ngu a yô

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

  6. Ior a bill, please

    Icilanga, tapali (Icilanga, tapali)

  7. Ior a service m nahan?

    Ubufyashi bwakupanga? (Ubufyashi bwakupanga?)

  8. A m vegetarian

    Ndi mvegetarian (Ndi mvegetarian)

  9. A m nahan a spicy food

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

  10. Ior a kpa

    Ili lya bwino (Ili lya bwino)

  11. Ior m gban a menu?

    Ningakonda ifyalo? (Ningakonda ifyalo?)

  12. A glass a water, please

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

Emergencies and health

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

  1. Kpa a police

    Tuma abashitisha

  2. Kpa a ambulance

    Tuma ambulance

  3. M ba a doctor

    Nshikala na doctor

  4. M kpa a kpa

    Nshikala bwino

  5. M kpa a nyam

    Ndi na allergy ku nsalu

  6. I kpa a hospital mza?

    Ili kuti hospital ya pafupi?

  7. I kpa a sha

    Kuli ububi pano

  8. M kpa a passport m

    Nashitile passport yangu

  9. I kpa a hotel m?

    Nawe tuma hotel yangu?

  10. Kpa!

    Chikondi!

Work and business

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

  1. Ior u kpa.

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

  2. Ka a hia ikyô.

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

  3. Nî kpa u kpa?

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

  4. M gbanor u kpe.

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

  5. A hia nî u hia?

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

  6. M kpa u venge.

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

  7. Ior u nenge.

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

  8. M hia u kpa.

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

  9. Ior a hia u mba?

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

  10. Ka m hia u.

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

  11. Ikyô u kpa a Friday.

    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. Ior a kpa?

    Ninshi ilya shani? (Ninshi ilya shani?)

  2. Ior a tyoor

    Kuli nomba itatu. (Kuli nomba itatu.)

  3. Ior

    Lelo. (Lelo.)

  4. Kpa

    Mwaume. (Mwaume.)

  5. Ior a sha

    Kale. (Kale.)

  6. Ior a yô

    Lwandi. (Lwandi.)

  7. Ior a kô

    Lwakabamba. (Lwakabamba.)

  8. Ior a ngô

    Lwapili. (Lwapili.)

  9. Mba

    Imwe. (Imwe.)

  10. Ishô

    Ibili. (Ibili.)

  11. Tyoor

    Itatu. (Itatu.)

  12. Ishê

    Icumi. (Icumi.)

  13. Mba kpa

    Cikumi. (Cikumi.)

  14. Ior a kpa

    Pafya. (Pafya.)

  15. Ior a kpa

    Ilyo. (Ilyo.)

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