Useful phrases in Bemba

A collection of useful phrases in Bemba (Chibemba), a Bantu language spoken in Zambia, Congo and Tanzania.

See these phrases in any combination of two languages in the Phrase Finder. If you can provide recordings, corrections or additional translations, please contact me.

Key to abbreviations: frm = formal, inf = informal, sg = singular (said to one person), pl = plural (said to more than one person).

Phrase	Chibemba (Bemba)
Welcome	Mwaiseni
Hello (General greeting)	Shani Ulishani (inf) Mulishani (frm) Mwapoleni mukwai Eya mukwai (reply)
Hello (on phone)
How are you?	Ulishani? (inf) Mulishani? (frm) Ifintu filishani? (How are things?) Mwashibukashaani? (How did you sleep?) Mwabombashaani? (How has work been?)
Reply to 'How are you?'	Ndi bwino, ngaiwe? Bwino, ngaiwe?
Long time no see
What's your name?	Niwe nani? Nimwe bani ishina?
My name is ...	Nine ... Ishina lyandi ni ...
Where are you from?	Wafumakwisa?
I'm from ...	Nafuma ku ...
Pleased to meet you	Natemwa pakukumona
Good morning (Morning greeting)	Mwaikaleni 'Mwaombeni Mwashibukeni Eya mukwai (reply)
Good afternoon (Afternoon greeting)	Cungulo mukwai Mwaikaleni 'Mwaombeni Mwashibukeni Eya mukwai (reply)
Good evening (Evening greeting)	Chungulopo mukwai Eya mukwai (reply)
Good night	Sendamenipo
Goodbye (Parting phrases)	Shaleenipo Twalamonana (See you later) Tukamonana mailo (See you tomorrow)
Good luck!
Cheers! Good Health! (Toasts used when drinking)	Chileshe!
Have a nice day	Tandalenipo umutende Bombenipo umutende
Bon appetit / Have a nice meal
Bon voyage / Have a good journey	Mwende bwino!
Yes	Ee
No	Awe
Maybe
I don't know	Nshishibe
I understand
I don't understand	Nshumfwile
Please speak more slowly	Landa panono panono
Please say that again	Bwekeshapo
Please write it down
Do you speak English?	Walishimba icisungu?
Do you speak Bemba?	Walishimba Icibemba?
Yes, a little (reply to 'Do you speak ...?')	We panono
Speak to me in Bemba
How do you say ... in Bemba?	Mulanda shaani ... mu Cibemba?
Excuse me	Njeleleniko Mbelelako uluse
How much is this?	Lunga? Shinga?
Sorry	Njeleleniko Mbelelako uluse
Please	Mukwai
Thank you	Tsikomo Natolela sana Tatotela sana
Reply to thank you	Eya mukwai Awe, cilifye, mukwai
Where's the toilet / bathroom?	Ukuwakusaukila nikwisa? Icimbusu cilikwisa, mukwai?
This gentleman will pay for everything
This lady will pay for everything
Would you like to dance with me?
Do you come here often?
I miss you	Nkakufuluka
I love you	Niwe natemwa Nalikutemwa (sg) Nalimutemwa (pl)
Get well soon
Go away!	Kabiye! Kabiyeni! Fumeni apa!
Leave me alone!	Ndekeni nemwine!
Help!	Njafweniko!
Fire!
Stop!	Kabolala uyo! Iminineni!
Call the police!	Iteni ba kapokola! Iteni ba Police!
Christmas greetings	Kristu abe nenu muli ino nshiku nkulu ya Mwezi
New Year greetings
Easter greetings
Birthday greetings	Sefya ubushiku wafyelwe (sg) Sefyeni ubushiku mwafyelwe (pl)
One language is never enough
My hovercraft is full of eels

If you would like to make any corrections or additions to this page, or if you can provide recordings, please contact me.

Information about Bemba | Phrases | Tower of Babel

Links

Other collections of Bemba phrases
https://youtu.be/MI-i7fpkY6g
http://lsfa.moonfruit.com/#/bemba-phrases/4541705953
https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Chibemba_phrasebook
http://kitweonline.com/languages/bemba-lessons
http://my2.ewb.ca/site_media/static/attachments/threadedcomments_threadedcomment/42947/A%20Rough%20Guide%20to%20IciBemba.pdf
https://books.google.co.uk/books
http://kitweonline.com/languages/english-bemba-translations

Phrases in Niger-Congo languages

Bemba, Chichewa, Efik, Ewe, Fula, Herero, Igbo, Kikuyu, Kinyarwanda, Lingala, Lozi, Luganda, Mossi, Ndebele (Northern - South Africa), Ndebele (Northern - Zimbabwe), Ndebele (Southern) Nkore, Northern Sotho, Sesotho, Shona, Swahili, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Tumbuka, Twi, Umbundu, Venda, Wolof, Xhosa, Yorùbá, Zulu

Phrases in other languages

If you need to type in many different languages, the Q International Keyboard can help. It enables you to type almost any language that uses the Latin, Cyrillic or Greek alphabets, and is free.

If you like this site and find it useful, you can support it by making a donation, or by contributing in other ways. Omniglot is how I make my living.

Note: all links on this site to Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.fr are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission if you click on any of them and buy something. So by clicking on these links you can help to support this site.