Everything below is what a beginner actually needs first: greetings, polite words, numbers, family, food, time and getting around. Each entry shows the Krio 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
Kushe Hello Tenki Thank you Yu welkam Welcome A dey go Goodbye Yes Yes Nor No Duya Please Sori Sorry Meeting people Introduce yourself and ask how someone is
Mi nem Amara My name is Amara Wetin na yu nem? What is your name? Aw di bodi? How are you? A dey fine I am fine Wata Water Chop Food Fren Friend Os House Counting Numbers one to five and market basics
Wan One Tu Two Tri Three Fo Four Fayv Five Makit Market Wata Water Aw moch i tan? How much is it? Moni Money Questions people ask about Krio 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.