Everything below is what a beginner actually needs first: greetings, polite words, numbers, family, food, time and getting around. Each entry shows the Luganda 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
Oli otya Hello Weebale Thank you Karibu Welcome Weeraba Goodbye Yee Yes Nedda No Nkwegayiridde Please Nsonyiwa Sorry Meeting people Introduce yourself and ask how someone is
Erinnya lyange nze Amara My name is Amara Erinnya lyo ggwe ani? What is your name? Oli otya? How are you? Ndi bulungi I am fine Amazzi Water Emmere Food Mukwano Friend Ennyumba House Counting Numbers one to five and shopping at the market
Emu One Bbiri Two Ssatu Three Nnya Four Ttaano Five Ssente meka? How much is it? Katale Market Amazzi Water Ssente Money Questions people ask about Luganda 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.