SemaSoma
Luganda overview

How to say hello, thank you and more in Luganda

25 essential Luganda 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

Oli otya

/oh-lee OH-tya/

Thank you

Weebale

/weh-BAH-leh/

Goodbye

Weeraba

/weh-RAH-bah/

Yes

Yee

/YEH-eh/

No

Nedda

/NEH-dah/

Please

Nkwegayiridde

/n-kweh-gah-yee-REE-deh/

Welcome

Karibu

/ka-REE-boo/

Sorry

Nsonyiwa

/n-son-YEE-wah/

How are you?

Oli otya?

/oh-lee OH-tya/

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First words

Greet someone and be polite

  • Oli otyaHello/oh-lee OH-tya/
  • WeebaleThank you/weh-BAH-leh/
  • KaribuWelcome/ka-REE-boo/
  • WeerabaGoodbye/weh-RAH-bah/
  • YeeYes/YEH-eh/
  • NeddaNo/NEH-dah/
  • NkwegayiriddePlease/n-kweh-gah-yee-REE-deh/
  • NsonyiwaSorry/n-son-YEE-wah/

Meeting people

Introduce yourself and ask how someone is

  • Erinnya lyange nze AmaraMy name is Amara/eh-REE-nya LYAN-geh n-zeh a-MA-ra/
  • Erinnya lyo ggwe ani?What is your name?/eh-REE-nya lyo GWEH a-NEE/
  • Oli otya?How are you?/oh-lee OH-tya/
  • Ndi bulungiI am fine/n-dee boo-LOON-gee/
  • AmazziWater/a-MAH-zee/
  • EmmereFood/eh-MEH-reh/
  • MukwanoFriend/moo-KWA-no/
  • EnnyumbaHouse/en-NYOOM-bah/

Counting

Numbers one to five and shopping at the market

  • EmuOne/EH-moo/
  • BbiriTwo/BEE-ree/
  • SsatuThree/SAH-too/
  • NnyaFour/N-nya/
  • TtaanoFive/TAA-noh/
  • Ssente meka?How much is it?/SEN-teh MEH-ka/
  • KataleMarket/ka-TA-leh/
  • AmazziWater/a-MAH-zee/
  • SsenteMoney/SEN-teh/

Questions people ask about Luganda

How do you say "hello" in Luganda?

"Hello" in Luganda is Oli otya, pronounced /oh-lee OH-tya/ (stressed syllables in capitals).

How do you say "thank you" in Luganda?

"Thank you" in Luganda is Weebale, pronounced /weh-BAH-leh/ (stressed syllables in capitals).

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

"How are you?" in Luganda is Oli otya?, pronounced /oh-lee OH-tya/ (stressed syllables in capitals).

Is Luganda hard to learn?

  • Doubled consonants are pronounced longer and change meaning.
  • The letter combination ny is a single sound.
  • Noun classes shape agreement, similar to Swahili but with different prefixes.

Where is Luganda spoken?

Uganda, especially the central region and Kampala — around 20 million including second-language speakers. Writing system: Latin alphabet.

Can I learn Luganda 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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