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Chichewa overview

How to say hello, thank you and more in Chichewa

25 essential Chichewa 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

Moni

/MO-nee/

Thank you

Zikomo

/zee-KO-mo/

Goodbye

Tsalani bwino

/tsa-LA-nee BWEE-no/

Yes

Inde

/EEN-deh/

No

Ayi

/A-yee/

Please

Chonde

/CHON-deh/

Welcome

Takulandirani

/ta-koo-lan-dee-RA-nee/

Sorry

Pepani

/peh-PA-nee/

How are you?

Muli bwanji?

/MOO-lee BWAN-jee/

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First words

Greet someone and be polite

  • MoniHello/MO-nee/
  • ZikomoThank you/zee-KO-mo/
  • TakulandiraniWelcome/ta-koo-lan-dee-RA-nee/
  • Tsalani bwinoGoodbye/tsa-LA-nee BWEE-no/
  • IndeYes/EEN-deh/
  • AyiNo/A-yee/
  • ChondePlease/CHON-deh/
  • PepaniSorry/peh-PA-nee/

Meeting people

Introduce yourself and ask how someone is

  • Dzina langa ndine AmaraMy name is Amara/DZEE-na LAN-ga n-DEE-neh a-MA-ra/
  • Dzina lako ndani?What is your name?/DZEE-na LA-ko n-DA-nee/
  • Muli bwanji?How are you?/MOO-lee BWAN-jee/
  • Ndili bwinoI am fine/n-DEE-lee BWEE-no/
  • MadziWater/MA-dzee/
  • ChakudyaFood/cha-KOO-dya/
  • BwenziFriend/BWEN-zee/
  • NyumbaHouse/NYOOM-ba/

Counting

Numbers one to five and market basics

  • ChimodziOne/chee-MOD-zee/
  • ZiwiriTwo/zee-WEE-ree/
  • ZitatuThree/zee-TA-too/
  • ZinayiFour/zee-NA-yee/
  • ZisanuFive/zee-SA-noo/
  • MsikaMarket/m-SEE-ka/
  • MadziWater/MA-dzee/
  • Ndalama zingati?How much is it?/n-da-LA-ma zeen-GA-tee/
  • NdalamaMoney/n-da-LA-ma/

Questions people ask about Chichewa

How do you say "hello" in Chichewa?

"Hello" in Chichewa is Moni, pronounced /MO-nee/ (stressed syllables in capitals).

How do you say "thank you" in Chichewa?

"Thank you" in Chichewa is Zikomo, pronounced /zee-KO-mo/ (stressed syllables in capitals).

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

"How are you?" in Chichewa is Muli bwanji?, pronounced /MOO-lee BWAN-jee/ (stressed syllables in capitals).

Is Chichewa hard to learn?

  • Also called Chinyanja, especially in Zambia.
  • Spelling is regular and syllables end in vowels.
  • Noun classes control agreement throughout the sentence.

Where is Chichewa spoken?

Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe — around 12 million. Writing system: Latin alphabet.

Can I learn Chichewa 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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