SemaSoma
Wolof overview

How to say hello, thank you and more in Wolof

25 essential Wolof 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

Salaam aleekum

/sa-LAAM a-LEH-koom/

Thank you

Jërejëf

/jeh-reh-JEHF/

Goodbye

Ba beneen yoon

/ba beh-NEHN YOHN/

Yes

Waaw

/WAAW/

No

Déedéet

/deh-eh-DEHT/

Please

Su la neexee

/soo la nay-EH-kheh/

Welcome

Dalal ak jam

/da-LAL ak JAM/

Sorry

Baal ma

/BAAL ma/

How are you?

Na nga def?

/na nga DEHF/

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First words

Greet someone and be polite

  • Salaam aleekumHello/sa-LAAM a-LEH-koom/
  • JërejëfThank you/jeh-reh-JEHF/
  • Dalal ak jamWelcome/da-LAL ak JAM/
  • Ba beneen yoonGoodbye/ba beh-NEHN YOHN/
  • WaawYes/WAAW/
  • DéedéetNo/deh-eh-DEHT/
  • Su la neexeePlease/soo la nay-EH-kheh/
  • Baal maSorry/BAAL ma/

Meeting people

Introduce yourself and ask how someone is

  • Maa ngi tudd AmaraMy name is Amara/maa ngee TOOD a-MA-ra/
  • Naka la tudd?What is your name?/NA-ka la TOOD/
  • Na nga def?How are you?/na nga DEHF/
  • Maa ngi fi rekkI am fine/maa ngee fee REHK/
  • NdoxWater/n-DOHKS/
  • LekkFood/LEHK/
  • XaritFriend/kha-REET/
  • KërHouse/KEHR/

Counting

Numbers one to five and shopping at the market

  • BennOne/BEHN/
  • ÑaarTwo/NYAAR/
  • ÑettThree/NYEHT/
  • ÑeentFour/NYEHNT/
  • JuróomFive/joo-ROHM/
  • Ñaata la?How much is it?/NYAA-ta la/
  • MarseMarket/MAR-seh/
  • NdoxWater/n-DOHKS/
  • XaalisMoney/khaa-LEES/

Questions people ask about Wolof

How do you say "hello" in Wolof?

"Hello" in Wolof is Salaam aleekum, pronounced /sa-LAAM a-LEH-koom/ (stressed syllables in capitals).

How do you say "thank you" in Wolof?

"Thank you" in Wolof is Jërejëf, pronounced /jeh-reh-JEHF/ (stressed syllables in capitals).

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

"How are you?" in Wolof is Na nga def?, pronounced /na nga DEHF/ (stressed syllables in capitals).

Is Wolof hard to learn?

  • Verb conjugation is unusually light; sentence particles do much of the work.
  • Long consonants and long vowels both distinguish words.
  • Everyday speech borrows freely from French and Arabic.

Where is Wolof spoken?

Senegal, The Gambia, Mauritania — around 12 million including second-language speakers. Writing system: Latin alphabet, historically also Arabic script.

Can I learn Wolof 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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