Useful phrases in Nkore

A collection of useful phrases in Nkore, a Bantu spoken mainly in south west Uganda.

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: sg = singular (said to one person), pl = plural (said to more than one person).

Phrase	Runyankore (Nkore)
Welcome
Hello (General greeting)	Oraire ota? (How was your night?) Agandi (Other news) Ni marungi (Good news - reply)
Hello (on phone)
How are you?	Oraire ota? (How was your night?)
Reply to 'How are you?'	Ndeire gye Ndyaho
Long time no see	Buhoro? Buhorogye? Agandi? Nimarungi (reply)
What's your name?	Eiziina ryawe oryoha?
My name is ...	Ndi ... Iziina ryangye ni ...
Where are you from?
I'm from ...	Ninduga ...
Pleased to meet you
Good morning (Morning greeting)	Oraire ota? (How was your night?)
Good afternoon (Afternoon greeting)	Osiibirota (sg) Nsibire gye (reply) Musiibiremuta (pl) Osiibire gye Ego / Eh (reply)
Good evening (Evening greeting)	Osiibire ota? (How was your day?)
Good night	Oraare gye
Goodbye (Parting phrases)	Osiibegye (Keep well) Kare (Same to you - reply) Turebane bwanyima (See you later) Turebane nyenkyakare (See you tomorrow)
Good luck!
Cheers! Good Health! (Toasts used when drinking)
Have a nice day
Bon appetit / Have a nice meal
Bon voyage / Have a good journey	Ogyendegye
Yes	Eego
No	Ngaaha Apaana
Maybe
I don't know	Tinkumanya
I understand
I don't understand
Please speak more slowly	Gamba mpora mpora
Please say that again
Please write it down
Do you speak English?
Do you speak Nkore?
Yes, a little (reply to 'Do you speak ...?')	Ningambamu kakye
Speak to me in Nkore
How do you say ... in Nkore?
Excuse me
How much is this?	Noguza ota? Zingahi?
Sorry
Please
Thank you	Webare Webare munonga
Reply to thank you	Webare kusiima (Thank you for appreciating)
Where's the toilet / bathroom?
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
I love you	Ninkukunda Ninkukunda munonga
Get well soon
Go away!
Leave me alone!
Help!
Fire!
Stop!
Call the police!
Christmas greetings
Easter greetings
Birthday greetings
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 Nkore | Phrases | | Numbers | Tower of Babel

Links

Other collections of Nkore phrases
http://www.western-uganda.net/basic_runyankole.html
http://www.ugandalodge.com/ugandan_resources/runyankole.pdf

Phrases in Bantu languages

Bemba, Chichewa, Chokwe, Duala, Herero, Ibinda, Kikuyu, Kinyarwanda, Lingala, Lozi, Luganda, Ndebele (Northern - South Africa), Ndebele (Northern - Zimbabwe), Ndebele (Southern) Nkore, Northern Sotho, Oshiwambo, Shona, Southern Sotho (seSotho), Swahili, Swati, Tsonga, Tswana, Tumbuka, Umbundu, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu

Phrases in other languages

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