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Bambara overview

How to say hello, thank you and more in Bambara

25 essential Bambara phrases with pronunciation written out for English speakers. Everything below is what a beginner actually needs first: greetings, polite words, numbers, family, food, time and getting around. The stressed syllable is in capitals so you can say it out loud without guessing.

Quick answers

Hello

I ni ce

/EE nee CHEH/

Thank you

Barika

/BA-ree-kah/

Goodbye

K'an bɛn

/kahn BEHN/

Yes

Awo

/AH-wo/

No

Ayi

/AH-yee/

Please

N'i sɔnna

/n ee SAWN-na/

Welcome

Aw bisimila

/aw bee-see-MEE-la/

Sorry

Hakɛto

/ha-KEH-to/

How are you?

I ka kɛnɛ wa?

/ee ka KEH-neh wa/

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First words

Greet someone and be polite

  • I ni ceHello/EE nee CHEH/
  • BarikaThank you/BA-ree-kah/
  • Aw bisimilaWelcome/aw bee-see-MEE-la/
  • K'an bɛnGoodbye/kahn BEHN/
  • AwoYes/AH-wo/
  • AyiNo/AH-yee/
  • N'i sɔnnaPlease/n ee SAWN-na/
  • HakɛtoSorry/ha-KEH-to/

Meeting people

Introduce yourself and ask how someone is

  • Ne tɔgɔ ye Amara yeMy name is Amara/neh TAW-gaw yeh a-MA-ra yeh/
  • I tɔgɔ ye jɔn ye?What is your name?/ee TAW-gaw yeh jawn YEH/
  • I ka kɛnɛ wa?How are you?/ee ka KEH-neh wa/
  • Toro tɛI am fine/TO-ro teh/
  • JiWater/JEE/
  • DumuniFood/doo-MOO-nee/
  • TerikɛFriend/teh-ree-KEH/
  • SoHouse/SOH/

Counting

Numbers one to five and shopping at the market

  • KelenOne/KEH-len/
  • FilaTwo/FEE-la/
  • SabaThree/SA-ba/
  • NaaniFour/NAA-nee/
  • DuuruFive/DOO-roo/
  • A boli joli?How much is it?/a BO-lee JO-lee/
  • SuguMarket/SOO-goo/
  • JiWater/JEE/
  • WariMoney/WA-ree/

Questions people ask about Bambara

How do you say "hello" in Bambara?

"Hello" in Bambara is I ni ce, pronounced /EE nee CHEH/ (stressed syllables in capitals).

How do you say "thank you" in Bambara?

"Thank you" in Bambara is Barika, pronounced /BA-ree-kah/ (stressed syllables in capitals).

How do you say "how are you?" in Bambara?

"How are you?" in Bambara is I ka kɛnɛ wa?, pronounced /ee ka KEH-neh wa/ (stressed syllables in capitals).

Is Bambara hard to learn?

  • Two tones, high and low, carried on every syllable.
  • Word order is subject–object–verb.
  • Greetings are long and expected — cutting them short reads as rude.

Where is Bambara spoken?

Mali, with speakers in Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire and Guinea — around 15 million including second-language speakers. Writing system: Latin alphabet with ɛ, ɔ and ɲ (N'Ko script also used).

Can I learn Bambara for free?

Yes. This phrasebook is free to read, and SemaSoma gives you the first three units of the course plus 15 translations a day before anything is paid.

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