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
20 core words in Kikongo
Water
maza
/maza/
Fire
tiya
/tija/
Sun
ntangu
/ntaŋɡu/
Moon
ngonda
/ŋɡonda/
Mother
mama
/mama/
Father
tata
/tata/
Eat
ku dia
/ku dja/
Drink
ku nua
/ku nua/
Love
zola
/zola/
Heart
ntima
/ntima/
Tree
nti
/nti/
House
nzo
/nzo/
Dog
mbwa
/mbwa/
Cat
nyau
/ɲau/
Hand
koko
/koko/
Eye
disu
/disu/
Hello
mboté
/mbote/
Thank you
matondo
/matondo/
One
mosi
/mosi/
Good
mbote
/mbote/
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu) languages
| Meaning | Kikongo | Lingala | Kimbundu | Luba-Kasai | Kaonde | Luvale | Sena |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | maza /maza/ | máí /mai/ | menha /meɲa/ | mâyi /maːji/ | mema /mema/ | meya /meja/ | madzi /madzi/ |
| Fire | tiya /tija/ | mɔ́tɔ /mɔtɔ/ | tubia /tubja/ | kapia /kapia/ | mujilo /mudʒilo/ | kakahya /kakahja/ | moto /moto/ |
| Sun | ntangu /ntaŋɡu/ | mói /moi/ | muanya /mwaɲa/ | dîba /diːba/ | juba /dʒuba/ | likumbi /likumbi/ | dzuwa /dzuwa/ |
| Moon | ngonda /ŋɡonda/ | sánzá /sanza/ | ngonde /ŋɡonde/ | ngondo /ŋɡondo/ | ñondo /ɲondo/ | kakweji /kakwedʒi/ | mwedzi /mwedzi/ |
| Mother | mama /mama/ | mamá /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mâmu /maːmu/ | bama /bama/ | mama /mama/ | mai /mai/ |
| Father | tata /tata/ | tatá /tata/ | tata /tata/ | tâtu /taːtu/ | batata /batata/ | tata /tata/ | baba /baba/ |
| Eat | ku dia /ku dja/ | kolía /kolia/ | kudya /kudja/ | kudia /kudia/ | kuja /kudʒa/ | kulya /kuʎa/ | kudya /kudja/ |
| Drink | ku nua /ku nua/ | komɛ́la /komɛla/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | kunua /kunua/ | kutoma /kutoma/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | kumwa /kumwa/ |
| Love | zola /zola/ | bolíngo /boliŋɡo/ | henda /henda/ | dinanga /dinaŋɡa/ | butemwe /butemwe/ | zangi /zaŋɡi/ | kufuna /kufuna/ |
| Heart | ntima /ntima/ | motéma /motema/ | muxima /muʃima/ | mucima /mut͡ʃima/ | muchima /mutʃima/ | mutima /mutima/ | mtima /mtima/ |
| Tree | nti /nti/ | nzété /nzete/ | mukune /mukune/ | mutshi /mut͡ʃi/ | kichi /kitʃi/ | mutondo /mutondo/ | mtengo /mteŋɡo/ |
| House | nzo /nzo/ | ndáko /ndako/ | inzo /inzo/ | nzubu /nzubu/ | nzubo /nzubo/ | zuvo /zuvo/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ |
| Dog | mbwa /mbwa/ | mbwá /mbwa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | kawa /kawa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ |
| Cat | nyau /ɲau/ | nyáu /ɲau/ | kasalu /kasalu/ | nyao /ɲao/ | kapuso /kapuso/ | katako /katako/ | paka /paka/ |
| Hand | koko /koko/ | lobɔ́kɔ /lobɔkɔ/ | lukwaku /lukwaku/ | tshianza /t͡ʃianza/ | kuboko /kuboko/ | livoko /livoko/ | nkono /nkono/ |
| Eye | disu /disu/ | líso /liso/ | dixi /diʃi/ | dîsu /diːsu/ | jiso /dʒiso/ | liso /liso/ | diso /diso/ |
| Hello | mboté /mbote/ | mbóte /mbote/ | kiebi /kiebi/ | moyo /mojo/ | mwapoñai /mwapoɲai/ | mwane /mwane/ | mwadzukabwanji /mwadzukabwandʒi/ |
| Thank you | matondo /matondo/ | matɔ́ndɔ /matɔndɔ/ | kishukutu /kiʃukutu/ | tuasakidila /tuasakidila/ | nasakwilila /nasakwilila/ | nasakwilila /nasakwilila/ | ndatenda /ndatenda/ |
| One | mosi /mosi/ | mɔ̌kɔ́ /mɔkɔ/ | -moxi /moʃi/ | umue /umue/ | umo /umo/ | -mwe /mwe/ | posi /posi/ |
| Good | mbote /mbote/ | malámu /malamu/ | kiá /kja/ | bimpe /bimpe/ | kyawama /kjawama/ | -mwaza /mwaza/ | nadidi /nadidi/ |
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