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Sango overview

How to say hello, thank you and more in Sango

25 essential Sango 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

Bara ala

/BA-ra AH-la/

Thank you

Merci mingi

/MER-see MEEN-gee/

Goodbye

Ala ngbâ nzoni

/AH-la ng-BAH n-ZO-nee/

Yes

Eh

/EH/

No

Pëpe

/PEH-peh/

Please

Tondaa

/ton-DAH/

Sorry

Pardon

/par-DON/

How are you?

Tongana nyen?

/ton-GA-na NYEN/

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First words

Greet someone and be polite

  • Bara alaHello/BA-ra AH-la/
  • Merci mingiThank you/MER-see MEEN-gee/
  • TondaaPlease/ton-DAH/
  • Ala ngbâ nzoniGoodbye/AH-la ng-BAH n-ZO-nee/
  • EhYes/EH/
  • PëpeNo/PEH-peh/
  • NzoniGood/n-ZO-nee/
  • PardonSorry/par-DON/

Meeting people

Introduce yourself and ask how someone is

  • Iri ti mo nye?What is your name?/EE-ree tee mo NYEH/
  • Iri ti mbi AmaraMy name is Amara/EE-ree tee m-BEE a-MA-ra/
  • Tongana nyen?How are you?/ton-GA-na NYEN/
  • Mbi yeke nzoniI am fine/m-bee YEH-keh n-ZO-nee/
  • KamaradFriend/ka-ma-RAD/
  • NguWater/NGOO/
  • DaHouse/DAH/
  • MolengeChild/mo-LEN-geh/

Counting

Numbers and market basics

  • OkoOne/OH-ko/
  • UseTwo/OO-seh/
  • OtaThree/OH-ta/
  • OsioFour/oh-SEE-oh/
  • OkuFive/OH-koo/
  • A ngbâ nyen?How much is it?/ah ng-BAH NYEN/
  • MarcheMarket/MAR-cheh/
  • NguWater/NGOO/
  • NginzaMoney/n-GEEN-za/

Questions people ask about Sango

How do you say "hello" in Sango?

"Hello" in Sango is Bara ala, pronounced /BA-ra AH-la/ (stressed syllables in capitals).

How do you say "thank you" in Sango?

"Thank you" in Sango is Merci mingi, pronounced /MER-see MEEN-gee/ (stressed syllables in capitals).

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

"How are you?" in Sango is Tongana nyen?, pronounced /ton-GA-na NYEN/ (stressed syllables in capitals).

Is Sango hard to learn?

  • Grammar is light, which is why it spread as a common language.
  • Tone is written with accents in careful spelling.
  • Borrows extensively from French.

Where is Sango spoken?

Central African Republic — around 5 million including second-language speakers. Writing system: Latin alphabet.

Can I learn Sango 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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