My name is Rogério Goma. One of my favourite hobbies is to learn languages.
Apart from Lingala, I speak Kikongo, Portuguese, French, German and English.
I am from Angola, but I did my primary school in Kinshasa, the capital of the
Democratic Republic of Congo, and went on later to do my secondary school in
Pointe-Noire (second largest city in Congo-Brazzaville). This blog is
essentially for me to share my passion for African languages and encourage
other Africans to do the same thing. A dictionary Kikongo-English and English-Kikongo
could be my next project if things would work out in line with my expectations.
ENGLISH-LINGALA DICTIONARY (AND
VICE-VERSA)
This dictionary will
- among other things - help you to understand some features of the Congolese
culture, in particular the Congolese music.
The majority of
Congolese people speak modern Lingala, which contains a lot of French words,
because of the colonial past. The Democratic Republic of Congo was colonised by
Belgium, whereas Congo-Brazzaville was a French colony.
While working on this
dictionary, I was primarily guided by the intention of producing something
which will help in day to day communication. I did not want a dictionary full
of obsolete words. I decided to select only words that are widely used in
conversations. This dictionary contains therefore many French words, as the
latter have become part of today’s Lingala. This dictionary cannot of course
pretend to completeness.
You can order the
English-Lingala dictionary from any bookshop in the UK. The price is £ 10.50.
HOW
TO USE THIS DICTIONARY
Verbs start with “ko” in Lingala.
Two examples: koloba: to speak and kotala: to see. To look up the verb koloba,
please go to “L” and find loba. To look up kotala, go to T and find tala.
Thank you in advance for your
comments.
RG
HERE ARE A FEW
SECTIONS OF THE DICTIONARY
ENGLISH-LINGALA
and: na, mpé
anger: nkándá, nkele
angry: kozala na nkándá; to get angry: koyóka nkándá
another: mosúsu
answer: eyano
answer (to): koyanola, kozóngisa
anything: eloko nionso
apartment: ndako, apartema, (apartement)
apostle: ntóma
appear (to): komónana, kobíma, kobimela
apple: mbálá, libengé, (pomme)
appointment: (rendez-vous)
April: sánzá ya minéi, (avril)
area: mboka, esíká, (zone), (quartier)
area code: code ya mboka
arrange (to): kobongisa
artery: mosísa ya monéne, (artère)
artist: (artiste)
ashamed (to be): koyoka nsóni
assistant: (assistant)
assurance: (assurance)
asthma: (asthme)
astonishment: bokamwi
asylum: ngunda, azile
association: lisangá
attack: (attaque), (crise)
attention: (attention)
attractive: (attractif)
August: sánzá ya mwambe, (août)
aunt, aunty: tatá mwási, (tante)
authentic: (authentique)
author: (auteur)
authority: bokonzi
authorization: autorisation
available: (disponible)
avenue: aveni, (avenue)
average: ya kátikáti, (moyen)
avoid (to): koevité, (eviter)
axe: kóngo, nsóka, (hache)
awake (to be): kozala ya kolamuka
award: (recompense, prix, dommages-intérêts)
aware (of): (conscient de)
away (far): mosíká
awful: ya mabé mpenza, (horrible)
B
Baby: bébé
baby food: biléi ya bébé
back: mokongo
backache: mpási ya mokongo
background: (éléments de base, provenance; arrière-plan)
bad: mabé
badge: (insigne, plaque)
bag: líbenga, (sac, sacoche)
baggage: (bagages)
bail: (caution)
bake (to): (cuire au four)
baker: mosáli mápa, (boulanger)
ball: bále, ndembó
banana: likémba, etabe
bank: bank, (banque)
bank [river]: libóngó
baptize (to): kobátisa
barefoot: makolo ngúlu, (nu-pieds)
basket: ekoló
to be: kozala
beat (to): kobéte, kobéta
beautiful: kitóko
beauty: bonzénga, kitóko
because: mpô na, mpámba té
bed: mbéto
bedroom: elalelo, súku, (chambre)
beef: ngómbé
beg (to): kosénge; (mendier); (supplier),(implorer)
to behave: kotámbola
behaviour: etámboli
believe (to): koyamba, kondima
believer: mondimi
bell: ngonga
best: malámu ya koleka
better: malámu míngi
bible: biblíya
…
-laka: to promise, to pledge
-lakisa: to show, to teach
-lakisana: to teach one another
-lála: to sleep
-lálisa: to cause to sleep
-lámba: to cook food
-lámbela: to cook for sb else
-landa: to follow, to pursue
lángi: colour
-lángwa: to get drunk
-lángwisa: to intoxicate, to make sb get drunk
-láta: to dress (up)
-látisa: to dress sb
-léisa (-léyisa): to feed, to nourish
-leka: to pass by, to surpass
-lekaleka: to pass by again and again
-lekisa: to overtake, to exceed
-lela: to cry, to weep
-lelisa: to cause to weep, to cry
leló: today
-lembe: to be tired, to get tired
-lembisa: to make weak
-léndisa: to persevere
-lénga: to tremble, to shake, to shiver
-léngele: to care for, to treat
-lía (-líya): to eat
líamba: cannabis, hashish, weed
libaku: stumbling
libála: marriage
libale: liver
libándá: outer, outside, external, exterior
libandeli: start, outset, beginning
libángá: stone, rock
libatá: duck
libáyá: wood
libélá: definitive, final
libéle: breast
líbenga: bag; pocket
libíki: deliverance, liberation, escape
libóké: parcel
libóma: madness
libóndo: heap
libóngó: bank, platform, wharf, quay
libonza: offering
libosó: in front, ahead; first
libótá: offspring; family
libúlú: hole; well
libumu: tummy, stomach; pregnancy
libúnga: oblivion
libwá: nine
lidusú: hole
lífelo (límfelo): hell
lifúta (lifúti): payment
ligbólóló (ligóródó): toad
likabo: gift, present, offering
likála: charcoal, coal
likambo: piece of news, story; dispute
likámwisi: miracle
likanisi: thought, idea
likáyá: tobacco, cigarette
líki: egg
likélélé: cricket
má !: take !
maba: leper
mabé: bad
mabelé: earth, ground
madam: madam
madésu (nkúnde): bean
mafúta: oil, fat
magazíní: shop, store
mái (máyi): water
maíná (mayíná): pus
makáko (nkéma): monkey
makála: charcoal
makángo: concubine
makási: strong; hard; difficult
makayábo: salt fish
makeléle: noise
makélélé: crickets
makilá: blood
makusa: kitchen
makwánza: scabies; itch
maládi: illness, disease
malámu: well, fine; smoothly
malási: perfume; scent, flagrance
málemba: grated cassava
malémbe: slowly; gently, softly
malíli: cold
malongá: good, high quality; fitting
malóngi: religious education, catechism
mamá: mother, mum
mamiyo: dew
mámpa (mápa): breads (plural)
manaka: calendar
mandéfu: beard
mángá: mango
mangolo: mango
mangúngu: threat, intimidation
mángwele: vaccine
mansélé: paralysis of legs
mantéka: butter
-manyola: to think, to meditate, to ponder
mapása: twin
masanga: drink, bier, wine
masángó (masángú): maize, corn
masese (plural of lisese): paraboles
masúba: urin
masúwa: ship
-mata: to go upstairs; to climb; to ascend
…
GRAMMAR
NOUNS
The indefinite article “a” (or an) is “mókó”, whether it is a masculine or a feminine noun. “mókó” always stands after a noun,
a bed: mbéto mókó
a day: mokolo mókó
a woman: mwási mókó
an idea: likanisi mókó
Note that “mókó” also means: one.
For example:
moto mókó: one person
The definite article “the” does not exist in Lingala:
the man: mobáli
the woman: mwási
the knife: mbelí
the answer: eyano
The plural of most nouns in Lingala is formed with “ba”, placed before a noun:
kópo (glas) ba kópo (glasses)
nzeté (tree) ba nzeté (trees)
ndáko (house) ba ndáko (houses)
nzúbé (thorn) ba nzúbé (thorns)
But there are some exceptions. The plural of some nouns, which begin with “li” or “lo”, is formed with “ma”. The latter replaces “li” or “lo”:
The plural of some nouns, which begin with “mo”, is formed with “mi”. The latter replaces “mo”:
moyíbi (thief) miyíbi (thieves)
mobáli: (man) mibáli (men)
mololo: (day) mikolo (days)
mondélé: (white person) mindélé: (white persons)
The plural of very few nouns, which begin with “mwá”, is formed with “ba”. The latter replaces “mwá”:
mwási (woman) bási (women)
mwána (child) bána (children)
…
This lesson is part of a ten-lesson E-course in Lingala. You can purchase it from Amazon marketplace by clicking on
For more details send us an e-mail at:
rgoma65@gmail.com .
