Looking for practical Yucatec Maya to Bambara phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Yucatec Maya 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 Yucatec Maya 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.
Ba'ax ka wa'alik
I ni ce
Yum bo'otik
I ni sogoma
Bix a k'iik
I ni bɔ
Bix a k'iik tu yook
I ni kɛ
Bix a k'iik tu ka'ab
I ni sɔgɔ
Bix a k'iik tu nojoch k'iik
I ni tulu
Tuméen k'i'ik
N bɛ se ka
K'a'abet
A bɛ se ka
¿Ba'ax k'i'ik a na'atik?
Nɛnɛ kɛ i tɛ?
In na'atik John
N bɛ tɔgɔ John
¿Bix a k'áatech?
I ni fɛ?
K'a'abéet in k'áatech
N bɛ se ka i fɛ
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
¿Tú k'áat u yook'ol English?
I ni ce English?(ee nee che English)
Téen in k'áat u yook'ol Hindi ma' k'i'ik'
N mɔgɔ bɛ Hindi kɛ(N mo-go beh Hindi keh)
Ma' in k'áatech
N mɔgɔ bɛ(N mo-go beh)
Por favor, k'áatech k'i'ik'
Sɛbɛn, kɛlɛ kɛ(Sebene, keh-leh keh)
¿Tú k'áat u k'áatech in k'i'ik'?
I ka fɔ a la?(Ee kah fo ah lah)
¿Ba'ax k'i'ik' u k'áak'?
Bamanakan kɛn na?(Bah-mah-nah-kahn keh nah)
¿Ba'ax k'áat in k'áatech u k'i'ik' tu k'i'ik'?
N bɛ fɔ kɔrɔbɔ?(N beh fo koh-roh-boh)
K'áatech tu'ux
Kɛlɛn bɔ(Keh-lehn boh)
K'áatech tu k'i'ik'
Kɛlɛn bɔ kɔrɔ(Keh-lehn boh koh-roh)
K'i'ik' tu k'i'ik'
Fɔ kɛlɛn(Fo keh-lehn)
¿Ba'ax k'i'ik' u k'i'ik'?
Fɛ kɛ?(Feh keh)
K'i'ik' ba'ax, por favor
Kɛnɛ ticket, please(Ken-eh ticket, please)
¿Téen u k'i'ik' ma' k'i'ik'?
I kɛ fɔ kɛnɛ?(Ee keh fo keh-neh)
Téen in k'áat in k'i'ik'
N tɛ bɔ(N teh boh)
¿Ba'ax k'áat in k'áatech u k'i'ik' SIM?
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.
Ja'ab'
Aye(ya'ab')
Ma'
Ala(ma')
K'a'abet
Bara(ka'ab')
In k'áat u
N bɛ bɔ(in k'at u)
Ma' in k'áat u
N bɛ fɔ(ma' in k'at u)
Ba'ax k'i'ik'
I bɛ sɛbɛn(ba'ax k'i'ik')
Ba'ax k'a'atech?
I ka fɛ kɛ?(ba'ax k'a'atech)
¿K'a'atech in wóol?
I bɛ ma n bɔ?(k'a'atech in wóol)
In wóol k'i'ik'
N bɛ fɔ n bɔ(in wóol k'i'ik')
T'aan u k'i'ik'
Sira kɛ(taan u k'i'ik')
In k'i'ik'
N tɛgɛ(in k'i'ik')
Ma' k'i'ik'
Ala ka fɔ(ma' k'i'ik')
K'i'ik' a k'i'ik'
I ni kɛ(k'i'ik' a k'i'ik')
K'i'ik' u k'i'ik' a k'i'ik'
I ni tɔgɔ kɛ(k'i'ik' u k'i'ik' a k'i'ik')
K'a'ab' u k'i'ik' a t'aan
I bɛ tɔgɔ kɛ(ka'ab' u k'i'ik' a t'aan)
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
¿K'a'abéet u k'i'ik' train?
Fôlô kôkô tîgê?(k'a'abéet u k'i'ik' train)
¿K'a'abéet u k'i'ik' bus?
Fôlô bôgô tîgê?(k'a'abéet u k'i'ik' bus)
¿Ba'ax k'i'ik' le plataforma?
I ni tîgê kô?(ba'ax k'i'ik' le plataforma)
¿Ba'ax k'i'ik' le tiempo k'i'ik'?
Kô tîgê bô?(ba'ax k'i'ik' le tiempo k'i'ik')
¿Tuméen in k'áate' le k'i'ik'?
I ni tîgê bô?(tuméen in k'áate' le k'i'ik')
K'i'ik' le ka'ach
I tîgê kâ.(k'i'ik' le ka'ach)
K'i'ik' le k'i'ik' tu yóok'ol
I tîgê kâ fô.(k'i'ik' le k'i'ik' tu yóok'ol)
¿K'a'abet in wóol u t'aan k'i'ik'?
I bô kô tîgê fô?(k'a'abet in wóol u t'aan k'i'ik')
¿K'áate' k'i'ik' aquí, por favor?
Tîgê kâ, s'il vous plaît.(k'áate' k'i'ik' aquí, por favor)
¿Ba'ax k'i'ik' le tiempo?
Kô tîgê kô?(ba'ax k'i'ik' le tiempo)
Shopping and dining
Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.
Ba'ax k'i'ik?
I ni ce?(bah-ash kee'ik)
Teech u k'i'ik le ba'ax.
O ye fɛɛrɛ.(teech oo kee'ik leh bah-ash)
¿Tienes algo más barato?
I ni ka fɛɛrɛ?(tee-eh-nes al-go mahs ba-ra-to)
¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?
N bɛ tɔgɔ ka kɛ?(pwe-do pa-gar kon tar-he-ta)
In k'áat u meyaj paach k'i'ik.
N bɛ fɔlɔ kɛlɛ kɔrɔ.(een ka-at oo meh-yakh pa-ach kee'ik)
Le cuenta, por favor.
Kɔrɔbaw, s'il vous plaît.(leh kwen-ta por fa-vor)
¿Está incluido el servicio?
Sɛbɛ ka fo?(es-ta in-kloo-i-do el ser-vi-sio)
In k'áat in wíinik vegetario.
N bɛ sɔgɔma.(een ka-at een wee-neek ve-he-ta-rio)
No tengo comida picante, por favor.
Kɔrɔ fɛɛrɛ, s'il vous plaît.(no ten-go ko-mi-da pi-kan-te por fa-vor)
Le ba'ax k'i'ik.
I ye sɔgɔ.(leh bah-ash kee'ik)
¿Puedo tener el menú?
N bɛ fɔlɔ kɔrɔbaw?(pwe-do te-ner el me-nu)
Un vaso de agua, por favor.
N bɛ fɔlɔ jɔrɔ.(oon va-so de a-gwa por fa-vor)
Emergencies and health
Help, police, doctor, pharmacy, and urgent situations when you need assistance fast.
K'a'abéet u policía
Nɔgɔ fɔlɔ(nogo folo)
K'a'abéet u ambulancia
Nɔgɔ kɔrɔ(nogo koro)
In k'áat u médico
N bɛ sɔrɔ(n be soro)
In k'áat u yóok'ol
N bɛ tɛgɛn(n be tegen)
In k'i'ik' u k'áak'
N bɛ fɔlɔ kɛlɛ(n be folokele)
Téen in wíik' u hospital k'i'ik'?
N bɛ kɔrɔ fɔlɔ?(n be koro folo)
K'a'ana' in k'áat u
I tɛgɛ fɛ(i tege fe)
In k'áat u pasaporte
N bɛ kɛlɛ fɔlɔ(n be kele folo)
Bix a k'a'abéet in hotel?
I bɛ nɔgɔ kɔrɔ fɔlɔ?(i be nogo koro folo)
¡T'aan a k'i'ik'!
Tɛgɛ!(tege)
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
K'i'ik' a k'áate' in k'áate'
N bɛ se ka kɛnɛ(N bɛ se ka kɛnɛ)
Tuméen k'áat u k'i'ik'
Ala ka yɛlɛ kɛnɛ(Ala ka yɛlɛ kɛnɛ)
Ba'ax k'i'ik' a k'i'ik'?
I ni bɔ a la?(I ni bɔ a la?)
In k'áat u k'áat u reporto táan
N bɛ fɔ report la tɛgɛ(N bɛ fɔ report la tɛgɛ)
Bix a k'áat u k'áate' k'i'ik'?
N bɛ fɔ tɛgɛ?(N bɛ fɔ tɛgɛ?)
Tuméen, k'áat u k'áate' u file
Sɔgɔma, fɔ file la a bɛ(Sɔgɔma, fɔ file la a bɛ)
Yuum bo'otik a k'i'ik'
I ni ce, a bɛ sɔrɔ(I ni ce, a bɛ sɔrɔ)
In k'áat u k'i'ik' tu k'áate'
N bɛ fɔ a la ka yɛlɛ(N bɛ fɔ a la ka yɛlɛ)
Bix a k'áat u k'áate' u punto?
I bɛ fɔ a la fɛ?(I bɛ fɔ a la fɛ?)
Tuméen in k'áat u k'áate'
N bɛ fɔ a la kɛ(N bɛ fɔ a la kɛ)
U k'i'ik' táan u viernes
Dɔgɔni tɛgɛ Friday(Dɔgɔni tɛgɛ Friday)
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.