SemaSoma
Krio overview

How to say hello, thank you and more in Krio

25 essential Krio 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

Kushe

/koo-SHEH/

Thank you

Tenki

/TEN-kee/

Goodbye

A dey go

/a day GOH/

Yes

Yes

/YES/

No

Nor

/NOR/

Please

Duya

/DOO-ya/

Welcome

Yu welkam

/yoo WEL-kam/

Sorry

Sori

/SO-ree/

How are you?

Aw di bodi?

/ow dee BO-dee/

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First words

Greet someone and be polite

  • KusheHello/koo-SHEH/
  • TenkiThank you/TEN-kee/
  • Yu welkamWelcome/yoo WEL-kam/
  • A dey goGoodbye/a day GOH/
  • YesYes/YES/
  • NorNo/NOR/
  • DuyaPlease/DOO-ya/
  • SoriSorry/SO-ree/

Meeting people

Introduce yourself and ask how someone is

  • Mi nem AmaraMy name is Amara/mee NEM a-MA-ra/
  • Wetin na yu nem?What is your name?/WEH-tin na yoo NEM/
  • Aw di bodi?How are you?/ow dee BO-dee/
  • A dey fineI am fine/a day FINE/
  • WataWater/WA-ta/
  • ChopFood/CHOP/
  • FrenFriend/FREN/
  • OsHouse/OSS/

Counting

Numbers one to five and market basics

  • WanOne/WAHN/
  • TuTwo/TOO/
  • TriThree/TREE/
  • FoFour/FOH/
  • FayvFive/FAHYV/
  • MakitMarket/MA-kit/
  • WataWater/WA-ta/
  • Aw moch i tan?How much is it?/ow moch ee TAN/
  • MoniMoney/MO-nee/

Questions people ask about Krio

How do you say "hello" in Krio?

"Hello" in Krio is Kushe, pronounced /koo-SHEH/ (stressed syllables in capitals).

How do you say "thank you" in Krio?

"Thank you" in Krio is Tenki, pronounced /TEN-kee/ (stressed syllables in capitals).

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

"How are you?" in Krio is Aw di bodi?, pronounced /ow dee BO-dee/ (stressed syllables in capitals).

Is Krio hard to learn?

  • Vocabulary is largely English-derived, but grammar follows West African patterns.
  • Tense and aspect are marked with separate words, not verb endings.
  • Pronunciation drifts far from English spelling.

Where is Krio spoken?

Sierra Leone — around 7 million including second-language speakers. Writing system: Latin alphabet.

Can I learn Krio 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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