WHAT LANGUAGE IS SPOKEN IN UGANDA MOSTLY? | WHAT IS THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE IN UGANDA?
Wondering what language is spoken in Uganda mostly? well, English is Uganda’s official language, spoken by most educated people, and it is the most useful language for tourists who visit Uganda. Luganda of the Baganda ethnic tribe is the most spoken traditional/native language out of more than 30 indigenous languages spoken in different parts of Uganda.
Among the indigenous languages, Luganda is the closest to being a lingual franc (a common language between speakers whose native languages are different).
Most of the people in Uganda belong to the Bantu language group, for example, Luganda, Lusoga, and Lutooro. Several Nilotic and Cushitic languages are spoken in the North and East, some of them only by a few thousands of people.
An unusual language of the extreme northeast is Karimonj, which has a vocabulary of only 180 words.
Simple Luganda phrases for travelers to Uganda
- Good morning: Wasuze otya nno→ The reply is Bulungi-wasuze otya nno
- Good afternoon or Good evening: Osiibye otya nno→ Bulungi-osiibye otya nno (reply)
- How are you? : Oli otya? (for one person) and Muli mutya? (for many)→The answer is I am OK -Jendi (One person) or We are Ok- Jetuli
- Hi : Kikati (Ki is pronounced as chi)→The reply is Tewali
- Have a nice day: Siiba bulungi (gi is pronounced as Ji)→Kale, nawe siiba Bulingi (reply)
- Good night: Sula bulungi (Ji); the reply is Kale, nawe sula bulungi
- Saying goodbye to one person: Welaba→The reply is Kale nawe welaba
- Saying goodbye to more than one person: Mweraba→The reply is kale namwe mweraba
- Madam: Nyabo
- Sir: Sebo
- Thank you: Weebale
- Thank very much: Webale nnyo
- What is your name? Erinya lyo ggwe ani?
- I am: Nze (your name)
- See you later: Tunaalabagan→The reply is Kale
- Have a safe journey: Tuuka bulingi (for one person) and Mutuuke bulungi (many)
- Yes: Yee
- No: Nedda
- Please speak more slowly: Mwattu yogera mpola mpola
- How much is this?: Kigula sente mmeka or Sente mmeka?
Comments
Post a Comment