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Kinyarwanda overview

How to say hello, thank you and more in Kinyarwanda

25 essential Kinyarwanda 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

Muraho

/moo-RA-ho/

Thank you

Murakoze

/moo-ra-KO-zeh/

Goodbye

Murabeho

/moo-ra-BEH-ho/

Yes

Yego

/YEH-go/

No

Oya

/O-ya/

Please

Nyabuneka

/nya-boo-NEH-ka/

Welcome

Murakaza neza

/moo-ra-KA-za NEH-za/

Sorry

Mbabarira

/m-ba-ba-REE-ra/

How are you?

Amakuru?

/a-ma-KOO-roo/

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First words

Greet someone and be polite

  • MurahoHello/moo-RA-ho/
  • MurakozeThank you/moo-ra-KO-zeh/
  • Murakaza nezaWelcome/moo-ra-KA-za NEH-za/
  • MurabehoGoodbye/moo-ra-BEH-ho/
  • YegoYes/YEH-go/
  • OyaNo/O-ya/
  • NyabunekaPlease/nya-boo-NEH-ka/
  • MbabariraSorry/m-ba-ba-REE-ra/

Meeting people

Introduce yourself and ask how someone is

  • Nitwa AmaraMy name is Amara/NEE-twa a-MA-ra/
  • Witwa nde?What is your name?/WEE-twa n-DEH/
  • Amakuru?How are you?/a-ma-KOO-roo/
  • Ni mezaI am fine/nee MEH-za/
  • AmaziWater/a-MA-zee/
  • IbiryoFood/ee-BEE-ryo/
  • InshutiFriend/een-SHOO-tee/
  • InzuHouse/EEN-zoo/

Counting

Numbers one to five and market basics

  • RimweOne/REEM-weh/
  • KabiriTwo/ka-BEE-ree/
  • GatatuThree/ga-TA-too/
  • KaneFour/KA-neh/
  • GatanuFive/ga-TA-noo/
  • Ni angahe?How much is it?/nee an-GA-heh/
  • IsokoMarket/ee-SO-ko/
  • AmaziWater/a-MA-zee/
  • Ndashaka kuguraI want to buy/n-da-SHA-ka koo-GOO-ra/

Questions people ask about Kinyarwanda

How do you say "hello" in Kinyarwanda?

"Hello" in Kinyarwanda is Muraho, pronounced /moo-RA-ho/ (stressed syllables in capitals).

How do you say "thank you" in Kinyarwanda?

"Thank you" in Kinyarwanda is Murakoze, pronounced /moo-ra-KO-zeh/ (stressed syllables in capitals).

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

"How are you?" in Kinyarwanda is Amakuru?, pronounced /a-ma-KOO-roo/ (stressed syllables in capitals).

Is Kinyarwanda hard to learn?

  • Tone and vowel length both change meaning.
  • Words get long: prefixes and suffixes stack onto one verb stem.
  • Very close to Kirundi, spoken in Burundi.

Where is Kinyarwanda spoken?

Rwanda, with close relatives in Burundi and Uganda — around 12 million. Writing system: Latin alphabet.

Can I learn Kinyarwanda 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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