Kikongo
Atlantic-Congo (Bantu)
Kikongo is the language of the historic Kingdom of Kongo and remains widely spoken across the lower Congo basin. The simplified form Kituba is used as a lingua franca and is one of the national languages of the DRC and ROC.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Kikongo
Water
maza
/maza/
Fire
tiya
/tija/
Sun
ntangu
/ntaŋɡu/
Moon
ngonda
/ŋɡonda/
Star
mbwetete
/mbwetete/
Mother
mama
/mama/
Father
tata
/tata/
I
mono
/mono/
You
ngeye
/ŋɡeje/
Name
nkumbu
/nkumbu/
Eye
disu
/disu/
Hand
koko
/koko/
Heart
ntima
/ntima/
Love
zola
/zola/
Tree
nti
/nti/
House
nzo
/nzo/
Dog
mbwa
/mbwa/
Cat
nyau
/ɲau/
Eat
ku dia
/ku dja/
Drink
ku nua
/ku nwa/
One
mosi
/mosi/
Two
zole
/zole/
Hello
mboté
/mbote/
Thank you
matondo
/matondo/
Good
mbote
/mbote/
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu) languages
| Meaning | Kikongo | Lingala | Kimbundu | Luba-Kasai | Sena | Luvale | Kaonde |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | maza /maza/ | máí /mai/ | menha /meɲa/ | mâyi /maːji/ | madzi /madzi/ | meya /meja/ | mema /mema/ |
| Fire | tiya /tija/ | mɔ́tɔ /mɔtɔ/ | tubia /tubja/ | kapia /kapia/ | moto /moto/ | kakahya /kakahja/ | mujilo /mudʒilo/ |
| Sun | ntangu /ntaŋɡu/ | mói /moi/ | muanya /mwaɲa/ | dîba /diːba/ | dzuwa /dzuwa/ | likumbi /likumbi/ | juba /dʒuba/ |
| Moon | ngonda /ŋɡonda/ | sánzá /sanza/ | ngonde /ŋɡonde/ | ngondo /ŋɡondo/ | mwedzi /mwedzi/ | kakweji /kakwedʒi/ | ñondo /ɲondo/ |
| Star | mbwetete /mbwetete/ | monzoto /monzɔtɔ/ | tetembwa /teˈtembwa/ | mutoto /mutoto/ | nyenyezi /ɲeɲezi/ | tanganyeka /taŋɡaˈɲeka/ | lutanda /lutanda/ |
| Mother | mama /mama/ | mamá /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mâmu /maːmu/ | mai /mai/ | mama /mama/ | bama /bama/ |
| Father | tata /tata/ | tatá /tata/ | tata /tata/ | tâtu /taːtu/ | baba /baba/ | tata /tata/ | batata /batata/ |
| I | mono /mono/ | ngai /ⁿɡai/ | eme /eme/ | meme /meme/ | ine /ine/ | ami /ami/ | amiwa /amiwa/ |
| You | ngeye /ŋɡeje/ | yo /jo/ | eie /eje/ | wewe /wewe/ | iwe /iwe/ | ove /ove/ | obewa /obewa/ |
| Name | nkumbu /nkumbu/ | nkombo /ⁿkombo/ | dijina /diˈʒina/ | dîna /diːna/ | dzina /dzina/ | lijina /liˈʒina/ | jizhina /dʒiʒina/ |
| Eye | disu /disu/ | líso /liso/ | dixi /diʃi/ | dîsu /diːsu/ | diso /diso/ | liso /liso/ | jiso /dʒiso/ |
| Hand | koko /koko/ | lobɔ́kɔ /lobɔkɔ/ | lukwaku /lukwaku/ | tshianza /tʃianza/ | nkono /nkono/ | livoko /livoko/ | kuboko /kuboko/ |
| Heart | ntima /ntima/ | motéma /motema/ | muxima /muʃima/ | mucima /mutʃima/ | mtima /mtima/ | mutima /mutima/ | muchima /mutʃima/ |
| Love | zola /zola/ | bolíngo /boliŋɡo/ | henda /henda/ | dinanga /dinaŋɡa/ | kufuna /kufuna/ | zangi /zaŋɡi/ | butemwe /butemwe/ |
| Tree | nti /nti/ | nzété /nzete/ | mukune /mukune/ | mutshi /mutʃi/ | mtengo /mteŋɡo/ | mutondo /mutondo/ | kichi /kitʃi/ |
| House | nzo /nzo/ | ndáko /ndako/ | inzo /inzo/ | nzubu /nzubu/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | zuvo /zuvo/ | nzubo /nzubo/ |
| Dog | mbwa /mbwa/ | mbwá /mbwa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | kawa /kawa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ |
| Cat | nyau /ɲau/ | nyáu /ɲau/ | kasalu /kasalu/ | nyao /ɲao/ | paka /paka/ | katako /katako/ | kapuso /kapuso/ |
| Eat | ku dia /ku dja/ | kolía /kolia/ | kudya /kudja/ | kudia /kudia/ | kudya /kudja/ | kulya /kuʎa/ | kuja /kudʒa/ |
| Drink | ku nua /ku nwa/ | komɛ́la /komɛla/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | kunua /kunua/ | kumwa /kumwa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | kutoma /kutoma/ |
| One | mosi /mosi/ | mɔ̌kɔ́ /mɔkɔ/ | -moxi /moʃi/ | umue /umue/ | posi /posi/ | -mwe /mwe/ | umo /umo/ |
| Two | zole /zole/ | mibale /mibale/ | -iadi /jaːdi/ | bibidi /bibidi/ | piŵiri /piwiri/ | -vali /vali/ | bibili /bibili/ |
| Hello | mboté /mbote/ | mbóte /mbote/ | kiebi /kiebi/ | moyo /mojo/ | mwadzukabwanji /mwadzukabwandʒi/ | mwane /mwane/ | mwapoñai /mwapoɲai/ |
| Thank you | matondo /matondo/ | matɔ́ndɔ /matɔndɔ/ | kishukutu /kiʃukutu/ | tuasakidila /tuasakidila/ | ndatenda /ndatenda/ | nasakwilila /nasakwilila/ | nasakwilila /nasakwilila/ |
| Good | mbote /mbote/ | malámu /malamu/ | kiá /kja/ | bimpe /bimpe/ | nadidi /nadidi/ | -mwaza /mwaza/ | kyawama /kjawama/ |
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