Nyanja phrasebook

Table of Contents:
Pronunciation / Vowels / Consonants / Phrase list / Basics / Problems / Numbers / Time / Clock time / Duration / Days / Months / Colors / Transportation / Bus and train / Directions / Taxi / Lodging / Money / Eating / Nyanja phrasebook nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs. / Shopping / Driving / Authority / Useful Words / Learning more

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Nyanja (chinyanja), also known as Chewa (chicheŵa) after the largest tribe speaking it, is a Bantu language spoken by over 15 million people in southern Africa. Chewa/Nyanja is an official language and common lingua franca in Malawi and Zambia, and is spoken by some in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa as well.

The name Nyanja actually means "lake", so chinyanja is the "language of the lake" — referring to the language of the Chewas and other tribes who have adopted their language. In Malawi the official name is Chichewa, while Zambia and Mozambique call it Nyanja.

Pronunciation

Basic Nyanja pronunciation is relatively straightforward, although getting it exactly right will require more study as the language is tonal and has some unusual sounds (for the native English speaker). Stress is usually placed on the second-last syllable. The writing system is logical if a little inconsistently applied, in no small part due to dialectal variation.

Vowels

All vowels are pronounced "pure" and as in Italian.

Consonants

Note that the consonants 'n' and 'm' can form initial clusters as in ndapita ("I'm going") or mpingo ("church").

Phrase list

For this , we use the polite form for all phrases, on the presumption that you'll mostly be talking to people you don't already know.

Basics

Problems

Numbers

English numbers are very commonly used even when speaking in Nyanja.

Time

Clock time

Duration

Days

Months

Colors

Transportation

Bus and train

Directions

Taxi

get to _____? (...)

Lodging

Money

Eating