Your Very First steps in Chichewa - Greetings etc. Print

1. Greetings etc.

in general

A: Muli bwanji? (How are you?)
B: Ndili bwino, kaya inu? (I am well, and you?)
A: Ndili bwino, zikomo.(I am well, thank you)
B: Zikomo (Thank you)

in the morning

A:Mwadzuka bwanji? (Have you woken up well?)
B:Ndadzuka bwino, kaya inu? (I have woken up well, and you?)
A:Ndadzuka bwino, zikomo.(I have woken up well, thank you)
B:Zikomo.(Thank you)

at a subsequent meeting in the day time

A:Mwaswera bwanji? (How have you spent the day?)
B:Ndaswera bwino, kaya inu? (I have spent the day well, and you?)
A:Ndaswera bwino, zikomo.(I have spent the day well, thank you)
B:Zikomo (Thank you)

you can add to these greetings the following words:

Abambo (Sir)
Amayi (Madam)
(Muli bwanji abambo? etc.)

The word ‘zikomo’ you can use very often, in brief greetings, when you want to say sorry in passing, when you want to thank someone.

Singular

ine (I)
iwe (you)
iye (he/she)

Plural

ife (we)
inu (you + beleefdheid enkelvoud)
iwo (they)

In conjugations other prefixes are used:

ndikupita ( I am going)
ukupita (you are going)
akupita (he/she is going)

tikupita (we are going)
mukupita (you are going
akupita (they are going)

Verbs

-pita (stem of the verb: to go)
ndikupita (I am going: activity)
ndimapita (I go: habit)
ndinapita (I went)
ndapita (I have gone)
ndidzapita (I will go)

-bwera (to come)
-ima (to stand)
-yenda (to walk)
-yankhula (to talk)
-yimba (to sing)
-khulupirira (to believe)
-lima (to cultivate)
-werenga (to read)
-lemba (to write)
-mvera (to listen)
-patsa (to give)
-phunzira (to learn)
-phunzitsa (to teach)
-funsa (to ask)
-yankha (to answer)
-dya (to eat)
-ona (to see)

Dzina lanu ndani? (What's your name?)
Dzina langa ndi ... (My name is ...)

Mukupita kuti? (Where are you going?)
Ndikupita ku msika (I am going to the market)

Mumachokera kuti? (Where are you from?)
Ndimachokera ku Holland (I am from Holland)

Mukupeza bwanji? (How are you feeling?)
Ndasangalala (I am feeling happy)
Pang'ono (a little - if things are not well)

Muli ndi ana angati? (How many children do you have?)
Ndili ndi ana asanu ndi awiri (I have seven children)
Muli ndi adzukulu angati? (How many grandchildren do you have?)
Tili ndi mdzukulu mmodzi (We have one grandchild)

Mukupita ku mpingo? (Are you going to the church?)
Inde (Yes)
Iyayi (No)

Muli ndi njala? (Are you hungry?)
Muli ndi ludzu? (Are you thirsty?)

mwamuna mmodzi (one man)
amuna awiri (two men)
amuna atatu (three men)
amuna anayi (four men)
amuna atatu (five men)
amuna atatu ndi mmodzi (six men)
amuna khumi (ten men)

chikhulupiriro (faith)
Mulungu (God, week)
Yesu Khristu (Jesus Christ)
Mwana wa Mulungu (Son of God)
Ambuye wathu (our Lord)
Mpulumutsi wathu (our Saviour)
chikondi (love)
chifundo (mercy)
chisomo (grace)
Baibulo (Bible)
Mau a Mulungu (the Word of God)
Chipangano Chakale (Old Testament)
Chipangano Chatsopano (New Testament)

plural of nouns according to noun classes:

mwana - ana (child - children)
mwamuna - amuna ( man - men)
mkazi - akazi (woman - women)
mbusa - abusa (pastor - pastors)
mulungu - milungu (god - goden; ook: week - weken)
nyumba - nyumba (house - houses)
mpingo - mipingo (church - churches)
dziko - maiko (country - countries)
munda - minda (garden - gardens)
mudzi - midzi (village - villages)
mzinda - mizinda (town - towns)
msewu - misewu (road -roads)
chithunzi - zithunzi (photograph - photographs)
wophunzira - ophunzira (student - students)
boma - maboma (government - governments)
kalata - makalata (letter - letters)
mwendo - miyendo (leg - legs)
mutu - mitu (head - heads; ook: chapter - chapters)
buku - mabuku (book - books)
galimoto - magalimoto (car - cars)
chipatso - zipatso (fruit - fruits)
mpando - mipando (chair - chairs)
chitseko - zitseko (door - doors)

 

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