Everything below is what a beginner actually needs first: greetings, polite words, numbers, family, food, time and getting around. Each entry shows the Chichewa spelling, the English meaning, and a respelling with the stressed syllable in capitals so you can say it out loud without guessing.
First words Greet someone and be polite
Moni Hello Zikomo Thank you Takulandirani Welcome Tsalani bwino Goodbye Inde Yes Ayi No Chonde Please Pepani Sorry Meeting people Introduce yourself and ask how someone is
Dzina langa ndine Amara My name is Amara Dzina lako ndani? What is your name? Muli bwanji? How are you? Ndili bwino I am fine Madzi Water Chakudya Food Bwenzi Friend Nyumba House Counting Numbers one to five and market basics
Chimodzi One Ziwiri Two Zitatu Three Zinayi Four Zisanu Five Msika Market Madzi Water Ndalama zingati? How much is it? Ndalama Money Questions people ask about Chichewa 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.