Bembe (kiBeembe)

Bembe is a Bantu language spoken by about 100,000 people in the south of the Republic of the Congo. In particular, it is spoken in the District of Sibiti in the Department of Lékoumou, in Kingoué in the Department of Bouenza, and also in the Department of Pool, and the cities of Brazzaville, Dolisie, and Pointe-Noire.

Bembe is also known as Beembe, Kibembe or Kibeembe. Native speakers call it kiBeembe. Dialects include Keenge (kiKeenge) and Yari (kiYari). It is spoken by people of all ages.

Bembe can be written with the Latin alphabet, and there is a translation of the Bible in the language.

Bembe alphabet and pronunciation

Bembe alphabet and pronunciation

Download an alphabet chart for Bembe (Excel)
Details of Bembe pronunciation provided by Wolfram Siegel (PDF)

Sample text

  1. Nde wabaleele ti: «Habaanaa lusaambila, lo luleelaa ti: "Taata, hemese nkuumbu yaaku yiduma; hemese kimfumu kyaaku kiisa.
  2. Tuha byandya byeetu bya kiluumbu, mpisi tsuku.
  3. Tuhemesene masumu meetu, bukuri beetu-meene se tukoohemisinaa mpisi watuyirikila dyadibi; na yaa tunata mu nsindukulu ko."»

Source: https://www.bible.com/bible/812/LUK.11.MW2013

Translation

  1. And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
  2. Give us day by day our daily bread.
  3. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
    The Lord's Prayer - Luke 11: 2-4

Source: https://www.bible.com/bible/1/LUK.11.KJV

Sample videos in Bembe

Links

Information about Bembe
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bembe_language_(Kibembe)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beembe_tribe_(Kongo)
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beembe_(langue)
https://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/beem1239
http://olac.ldc.upenn.edu/language/beq
https://www.sil.org/resources/search/language/beq

Bantu languages

Aka, Bafaw-Balong, Bangi, Basaa, Bemba, Bembe, Bena, Benga, Bhaca, Bube, Bukusu, Bulu, Central Teke, Chichewa, Chokwe, Chuwabu, Comorian, Dciriku, Digo, Duala, Eton, Ewondo, Fang, Ganda/Luganda, Gogo, Gusii, Gwere, Haya, Hehe, Herero, Ibinda, Ikizu, Ikoma, Jita, Kabwa, Kako, Kamba, Kiga, Kikuyu, Kimbundu, Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Kisi, Kogo, Komo, Kongo, Konjo, Koti, Kukuya, Kunda, Kuria, Kwambi, Lambya, Lingala, Loma, Lozi, Luba-Katanga, Luchazi, Lunda, Luvale, Luyana, Makaa, Makonde, Makhuwa, Mandekan, Maore, Masaaba, Mbama, Mbere, Mbukushu, Mbunda, Mbuun, Mende, Mongo, Mpiemo, Mushungulu, Mwani, Nambya, Nande, Ngoni, Nkore, North Teke, Northern Ndebele (South Africa), Northern Ndebele (Zimbabwe), Northern Sotho, Nyamwezi, Nyakyusa, Nyemba, Nyole, Nyoro, Nyungwe, Nzadi, Oroko, OshiWambo, Pagibete, Punu, Ronga, Safwa, Sena, Sengele, Shona, Soga, Songe, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Sukuma, Swahili, Swati, Tanga, Tembo, Tonga, Tooro, Tshiluba, Tsonga, Tswa, Tswana, Tumbuka, Umbundu, Venda, Vwanji, Xhosa, Yao, Yasa, Zigula, Zinza, Zulu

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page created: 31.03.25. Last modified: 01.04.25

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