ChiBemba
Bemba
Atlantic-Congo (Bantu)
Bemba (ChiBemba) is the most widely spoken Zambian language and a major lingua franca of the Copperbelt. It has 5 vowels with phonemic length contrast, a full system of around fifteen Bantu noun classes, and serves as a Bantu reference language in linguistic study.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Bemba
Water
amenshi
/amenʃi/
Fire
umulilo
/umulilo/
Sun
akasuba
/akasuba/
Moon
umweshi
/umweʃi/
Star
intanda
/intanda/
Mother
bamayo
/bamajo/
Father
bataata
/bataːta/
I
ine
/ine/
You
iwe
/iwe/
Name
ishina
/iʃina/
Eye
ilinso
/ilinso/
Hand
ukuboko
/ukuboko/
Heart
umutima
/umutima/
Love
ukutemwa
/ukutemwa/
Tree
icimuti
/itʃimuti/
House
ing'anda
/iŋːanda/
Dog
imbwa
/imbwa/
Cat
pushi
/puʃi/
Eat
ukulya
/ukulja/
Drink
ukunwa
/ukunwa/
One
cimo
/tʃimo/
Two
fibili
/fibili/
Hello
muli shani
/muli ʃani/
Thank you
natotela
/natotela/
Good
chisuma
/tʃisuma/
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu) languages
| Meaning | Bemba | Sangu | Tonga (Zambia) | Tumbuka | Kaonde | Nyaturu | Sena |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | amenshi /amenʃi/ | ameenzi /ameːnzi/ | meenda /meːnda/ | maji /madʒi/ | mema /mema/ | maazi /maːzi/ | madzi /madzi/ |
| Fire | umulilo /umulilo/ | umoto /umoto/ | mulilo /mulilo/ | moto /moto/ | mujilo /mudʒilo/ | moto /moto/ | moto /moto/ |
| Sun | akasuba /akasuba/ | liluga /liluɡa/ | zuba /zuba/ | zuwa /zuwa/ | juba /dʒuba/ | nzua /nzua/ | dzuwa /dzuwa/ |
| Moon | umweshi /umweʃi/ | umwesi /umwesi/ | mwezi /mwezi/ | mwezi /mwezi/ | ñondo /ɲondo/ | umweri /umweɾi/ | mwedzi /mwedzi/ |
| Star | intanda /intanda/ | nyenyezi /ɲeɲezi/ | nyenyezi /ɲeˈɲezi/ | nyenyezi /ɲeɲezi/ | lutanda /lutanda/ | nyeenyeeri /ɲeːɲeːri/ | nyenyezi /ɲeɲezi/ |
| Mother | bamayo /bamajo/ | mama /mama/ | bama /bama/ | amama /amama/ | bama /bama/ | mama /mama/ | mai /mai/ |
| Father | bataata /bataːta/ | baba /baba/ | bataata /bataːta/ | adada /adada/ | batata /batata/ | tata /tata/ | baba /baba/ |
| I | ine /ine/ | une /une/ | ime /ime/ | ine /ine/ | amiwa /amiwa/ | une /une/ | ine /ine/ |
| You | iwe /iwe/ | uwe /uwe/ | iwe /iwe/ | iwe /iwe/ | obewa /obewa/ | uwe /uwe/ | iwe /iwe/ |
| Name | ishina /iʃina/ | litawa /litawa/ | izina /iˈziːna/ | zina /zina/ | jizhina /dʒiʒina/ | izina /izina/ | dzina /dzina/ |
| Eye | ilinso /ilinso/ | iliho /iliho/ | liso /liso/ | jiso /dʒiso/ | jiso /dʒiso/ | iriiso /iɾiːso/ | diso /diso/ |
| Hand | ukuboko /ukuboko/ | ukuboko /ukuboko/ | kuboko /kuboko/ | woko /woko/ | kuboko /kuboko/ | ukuboko /ukuboko/ | nkono /nkono/ |
| Heart | umutima /umutima/ | umutima /umutima/ | moyo /mojo/ | mtima /mtima/ | muchima /mutʃima/ | umutima /umutima/ | mtima /mtima/ |
| Love | ukutemwa /ukutemwa/ | ulungu /uluŋɡu/ | luyando /lujando/ | kutemwa /kutemwa/ | butemwe /butemwe/ | butogwa /butoɡwa/ | kufuna /kufuna/ |
| Tree | icimuti /itʃimuti/ | umuti /umuti/ | cisamu /tʃisamu/ | khuni /kʰuni/ | kichi /kitʃi/ | umuti /umuti/ | mtengo /mteŋɡo/ |
| House | ing'anda /iŋːanda/ | inyumba /iɲumba/ | ng'anda /ŋanda/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | nzubo /nzubo/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ |
| Dog | imbwa /imbwa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ | muvwa /muvwa/ | ncheŵe /ntʃewe/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ |
| Cat | pushi /puʃi/ | paka /paka/ | kaaze /kaːze/ | chona /tʃona/ | kapuso /kapuso/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ |
| Eat | ukulya /ukulja/ | kulya /kuʎa/ | kulya /kulja/ | kurya /kuɾja/ | kuja /kudʒa/ | kuria /kuɾia/ | kudya /kudja/ |
| Drink | ukunwa /ukunwa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kumwa /kumwa/ | kutoma /kutoma/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kumwa /kumwa/ |
| One | cimo /tʃimo/ | imo /imo/ | -mwi /mwi/ | cimoza /tʃimoza/ | umo /umo/ | umwe /umwe/ | posi /posi/ |
| Two | fibili /fibili/ | avili /aβili/ | -bili /bili/ | ŵiŵiri /βiβiɾi/ | bibili /bibili/ | aviri /aβiri/ | piŵiri /piwiri/ |
| Hello | muli shani /muli ʃani/ | mbasala /mbasala/ | mwabuka buti /mwabuka buti/ | monire /moniɾe/ | mwapoñai /mwapoɲai/ | mbukire /mbukiɾe/ | mwadzukabwanji /mwadzukabwandʒi/ |
| Thank you | natotela /natotela/ | nashukulu /naʃukulu/ | twalumba /twalumba/ | yewo /jewo/ | nasakwilila /nasakwilila/ | asante /aˈsante/ | ndatenda /ndatenda/ |
| Good | chisuma /tʃisuma/ | kwifwa /kwifwa/ | kabotu /kabotu/ | cwemi /tʃwemi/ | kyawama /kjawama/ | kihi /kihi/ | nadidi /nadidi/ |
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