Kirundi

    • Oya - no
    • Ego - yes
    • Ingo - come!
    • Cane - much, many, a lot, very (Ndashonje cane - I'm very hungry)
    • Gose (gose cane) - many, much (stronger than cane)
    • Buhorobuhoro/bukebuke - slowly
    • Mpore! - attention!
    • Bangwe! - stop!
    • Kira! - Bless you!
    • Kaze! - welcome! (often used "Karibu!" - swahili expression)
    • Amahera/amafranga - money
    • Sindabizi - I don't know
    • Ndibaza - maybe
    • Neza - good
    • Imodoka - a car

    Greetings
    • Bwakeye / Mwaramutse - hello, good morning!
    • Mwiriwe - good afternoon/evening
    • Ijoro ryiza - good night
    • Turabonaye / Nakagaruka - see you later
    • N'agasaga - see you, good bye
    • Urakomeye? - how are you? (reply: ego/ndakomeye = I'm well)
    • Amakuru? - What's news?
    • Amahoro - peace, widely used as greetins (reply: n'amahoro)
    • Genda n'amahoro - go (be) in peace
    • Urugendo gwiza! - Have a good journey!

    Expressing gratitude
    • Urakoze - thank you (addressing one person), murakoze (more than 1 person)
    • Urakoze cane - Thank you very much

    Other useful expressions
    • canke - or
    • hehe? - where?
    • aha - here (Ni aha - It's here)
    • kuki? - why?
    • kuko - because
    • ninde? - who?
    • ryari? - when?
    • canecane - particularly, especially
    • ejo - tomorrow, yesterday (depends on the context)
    • vuba - soon
    • Amahera angahe? - How much does it cost?
    • Jewe nitwa - my name is
    • Ndashonje - I'm hungry
    • Ndanezerewe - I'm not happy
    • Ndihuta - I'm in hurry
    • Mfise itiro - I'm tired/I want to sleep
    • Ndarushe - I'm tired
    • Ndarwaye - I'm sick/ill
    • Nta mahera nsigaranye - I haven't got any money
    • Ntabara - Help!
    • Ndaje - I'm coming!
    • Ndashaka - I want/I would like
    • Mpa... - give me...
    • Urabesha, arabesha - you lie, he/she lies
    • Ikitabu - a book
    • Ishule - school
    • Isoko - market
    • Itabi - tobacco, cigarettes
    • Ingoma - a drum/a kingdom

    Food
    • umukate - bread (Swahili)
    • muceri - rice
    • ibiraya - potatoes
    • amata - milk
    • amavuta - butter, cooking oil
    • inyama - meat
    • inkoko - chicken
    • amagi - eggs (sing. igi)
    • ivyema - peanuts
    • urubu - yoghurt
    • ubuki - honey
    • ifu - flour

    Fruits
    • ivyamwa - fruits
    • igisaga - bananas (sweet)
    • inanasi - pineapple
    • umucungwa - orange
    • itunda (pl. amatunda) - "Japanese" fruit (fruit de Japon)
    • ivoka (pl. amavoka) - avocado

    Vegetables
    • imboga - vegetables
    • ibitoke - bananas (plantains)
    • ibiharage - beans (sing. igiharage)
    • ishu - cabagge
    • umuhiti - cucumber
    • isarata - salad
    • inyanya/itomati - tomato


    Drinks
    • amazi - water
    • inzoga – beer / used also for alcoholic drinks in general
    • ikawa – coffee
    • icayi – tea
    • fanta - all sorts of fizzy drinks (coke, fanta, sprite,..)
    • urwawa – banana wine
    • impeke – sorghum beer (home made)
    • kanyanga/rutuku – prohibited locally brewed spirit (made of manioc)
    • umunanasi/umuraha – pineapple spirit

    Dishes, cuttlery
    • ikiyiko - spoon
    • imbugita - knife
    • ifurshet - fork
    • isahan - plate/dish
    • icupa - bottle
    • urupfunguruzo - bottle opener
    • ikirahuri - a glass

    Animals
    • inka - cow
    • imfizi - bull
    • ishuri - young bull
    • impene - goat
    • intama - sheep
    • inkoko - hen, chicken
    • ingona - crocodile
    • imvubu - hippo
    • akayabo - cat
    • imbga - dog
    • inkende - monkey
    • isato - python

    Persons
    • jewe - me
    • wewe - you
    • twebwe - we
    • izina (pl. amazina) - name
    • umuntu (abantu) - a person
    • umwana (abana) - child
    • umugore (abagore) - woman
    • umugabo (abagabo) - man
    • umuhungu (abahangu) - boy
    • umukobga (abakobga) - girl
    • umuzungu (agazungu) - white man (a European)
    • umuzungukazi - white woman
    • umwirabure - an African (a black person)
    • umwami (bami) - king
    • umugenzi (abagenzi ) - friend
    • umurimyi - a villager/a farmer
    • umutama - old man/wise man
    • umutamakazi - old/wise woman
    • umushingantahe - a notable
    • umwigisha - a teacher
    • umwigishwa - a pupil/a student
    • Imana - the God

    Landscape & weather
    • ikiyaga - lake
    • umusozi (pl. imisozi) - mountain, hill
    • urizi (inzuzi) - river
    • ikibuye (ibibuye) - rock
    • ibarabara - path/road
    • izuba - Sun
    • ukwezi - Moon
    • imvura - rain
    • ikivura - storm

    Numbers
    • igiharuro - number
    • isinzi - a big number (10 000 etc.)

    1 - 10
    • 1 = rimwe kimwe umwe
    • 2 = kabiri - bibiri - babiri
    • 3 = gatatu - bitatu - batatu
    • 4 = kane - bine - bane
    • 5 = gatanu - bitanu - batanu
    • 6 = gatandatu
    • 7 = indwi
    • 8 = umunani
    • 9 = icenda
    • 10 = icumi

    11 - 20
    • 11 = cumi nu rimwe
    • 12 = cumi nu kabiri
    • 13 = cumi nu gatatu
    • 14 = cumi nu kane
    • 15 = cumi nu gatanu
    • 16 = cumi nu gatandatu
    • 17 = cumi n'indwi
    • 18 = cumi n'umunani
    • 19 = cumi n'icenda
    • 20 = mirong'ibiri
    • 30 = mirong'itatu
    • 40 = mirong'ine
    • 50 = mirong'itanu
    • 60 = mirong'itandatu
    • 70 = mirong'indwi
    • 80 = mirong'umunani
    • 90 = mirong'icenda

    100 - 900
    • 100 = ijana
    • 200 = amajana abiri (pl. "amajana")
    • 300 = amajana atatu
    • 400 = amajama ane
    • 500 = amajama atanu
    • 600 = amajama atandatu
    • 700 = amajama indwi
    • 800 = amajama umunani
    • 900 = amajama icenda

    over 1000

    • 1000 = igihumbi
    • 100,000 = iraqi/ilaki


    Days
    • kuwambere - Monday
    • kuwakabiri - Tuesday
    • kuwagatatu - Wednesday
    • kuwakane - Thursday
    • kuwagatanu - Friday
    • kuwagatandatu - Saturday
    • kuwamunga - Sunday (also used kuwa imana, i.e. God's day)

    Time
    • umwaka (pl. imyaka) - year
    • uyu munsi - today
    • ejo - yesterday, tomorrow (depends on context)
    • ubu - now
    • ubunyene - right now
    • hanyuma - later, after
    • buhoro - slowly
    • vuba - soon (tuzobonana vuba - see you soon)
    • umusi, kumurango - day
    • mwijoro - night (Ijoro ryiza - good night)
    • munkoko - morning, dawn
    • umugoroba - evening (umugoroba mwiza = have a nice evening!)
    • igicu - midnight
    • isaha - hour, a watch

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