Kimbundu
Niger-Congo (Atlantic-Congo, Bantu; Guthrie Zone H.20 — North Mbundu)
Kimbundu (also called North Mbundu) is a Bantu language of the Niger-Congo family, spoken by roughly two million people in northwestern Angola, including the capital Luanda and the provinces of Bengo, Kwanza Norte, and Malanje. It is written in the Latin alphabet and is one of Angola's recognized national languages, though Portuguese is the sole official language. Kimbundu contributed several words to Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese, including 'samba', 'marimba', and 'banjo'.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Kimbundu
Water
menha
/meɲa/
Fire
tubia
/tubja/
Sun
muanya
/mwaɲa/
Moon
ngonde
/ŋɡonde/
Star
tetembwa
/teˈtembwa/
Mother
mama
/mama/
Father
tata
/tata/
I
eme
/eme/
You
eie
/eje/
Name
dijina
/diˈʒina/
Eye
dixi
/diʃi/
Hand
lukwaku
/lukwaku/
Heart
muxima
/muʃima/
Love
henda
/henda/
Tree
mukune
/mukune/
House
inzo
/inzo/
Dog
imbwa
/imbwa/
Cat
kasalu
/kasalu/
Eat
kudya
/kudja/
Drink
kunwa
/kunwa/
One
-moxi
/moʃi/
Two
-iadi
/jaːdi/
Hello
kiebi
/kiebi/
Thank you
kishukutu
/kiʃukutu/
Good
kiá
/kja/
Words compared
Compared with related Niger-Congo (Atlantic-Congo, Bantu; Guthrie Zone H.20 — North Mbundu) languages
| Meaning | Kimbundu | Lunda | Kikongo | Luvale | Luba-Kasai | Kaonde | Kirundi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | menha /meɲa/ | meji /medʒi/ | maza /maza/ | meya /meja/ | mâyi /maːji/ | mema /mema/ | amazi /amaːzi/ |
| Fire | tubia /tubja/ | kesi /kesi/ | tiya /tija/ | kakahya /kakahja/ | kapia /kapia/ | mujilo /mudʒilo/ | umuriro /umuɾiɾo/ |
| Sun | muanya /mwaɲa/ | itaŋwa /itaŋwa/ | ntangu /ntaŋɡu/ | likumbi /likumbi/ | dîba /diːba/ | juba /dʒuba/ | izuba /izuba/ |
| Moon | ngonde /ŋɡonde/ | kakweji /kakwedʒi/ | ngonda /ŋɡonda/ | kakweji /kakwedʒi/ | ngondo /ŋɡondo/ | ñondo /ɲondo/ | ukwezi /ukwezi/ |
| Star | tetembwa /teˈtembwa/ | katumbwa /katumbwa/ | mbwetete /mbwetete/ | tanganyeka /taŋɡaˈɲeka/ | mutoto /mutoto/ | lutanda /lutanda/ | inyenyeri /iɲeɲeri/ |
| Mother | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mâmu /maːmu/ | bama /bama/ | mama /maːma/ |
| Father | tata /tata/ | tata /tata/ | tata /tata/ | tata /tata/ | tâtu /taːtu/ | batata /batata/ | data /data/ |
| I | eme /eme/ | ami /ami/ | mono /mono/ | ami /ami/ | meme /meme/ | amiwa /amiwa/ | jewe /dʒewe/ |
| You | eie /eje/ | eyi /eji/ | ngeye /ŋɡeje/ | ove /ove/ | wewe /wewe/ | obewa /obewa/ | wewe /wewe/ |
| Name | dijina /diˈʒina/ | ijina /idʒina/ | nkumbu /nkumbu/ | lijina /liˈʒina/ | dîna /diːna/ | jizhina /dʒiʒina/ | izina /izina/ |
| Eye | dixi /diʃi/ | disu /disu/ | disu /disu/ | liso /liso/ | dîsu /diːsu/ | jiso /dʒiso/ | ijisho /idʒiʃo/ |
| Hand | lukwaku /lukwaku/ | chikasa /tʃikasa/ | koko /koko/ | livoko /livoko/ | tshianza /tʃianza/ | kuboko /kuboko/ | ikiganza /ikiganza/ |
| Heart | muxima /muʃima/ | muchima /mutʃima/ | ntima /ntima/ | mutima /mutima/ | mucima /mutʃima/ | muchima /mutʃima/ | umutima /umutima/ |
| Love | henda /henda/ | kukeŋa /kukeŋa/ | zola /zola/ | zangi /zaŋɡi/ | dinanga /dinaŋɡa/ | butemwe /butemwe/ | urukundo /uɾukundo/ |
| Tree | mukune /mukune/ | mutondu /mutondu/ | nti /nti/ | mutondo /mutondo/ | mutshi /mutʃi/ | kichi /kitʃi/ | igiti /iɡiti/ |
| House | inzo /inzo/ | itala /itala/ | nzo /nzo/ | zuvo /zuvo/ | nzubu /nzubu/ | nzubo /nzubo/ | inzu /inzu/ |
| Dog | imbwa /imbwa/ | kawa /kawa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | kawa /kawa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ |
| Cat | kasalu /kasalu/ | — /—/ | nyau /ɲau/ | katako /katako/ | nyao /ɲao/ | kapuso /kapuso/ | akayabu /akajabu/ |
| Eat | kudya /kudja/ | kudya /kudja/ | ku dia /ku dja/ | kulya /kuʎa/ | kudia /kudia/ | kuja /kudʒa/ | kurya /kuɾja/ |
| Drink | kunwa /kunwa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | ku nua /ku nwa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | kunua /kunua/ | kutoma /kutoma/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ |
| One | -moxi /moʃi/ | wumu /wumu/ | mosi /mosi/ | -mwe /mwe/ | umue /umue/ | umo /umo/ | rimwe /ɾimwe/ |
| Two | -iadi /jaːdi/ | ayedi /ajedi/ | zole /zole/ | -vali /vali/ | bibidi /bibidi/ | bibili /bibili/ | kabiri /kabiri/ |
| Hello | kiebi /kiebi/ | mwani /mwani/ | mboté /mbote/ | mwane /mwane/ | moyo /mojo/ | mwapoñai /mwapoɲai/ | amahoro /amahoɾo/ |
| Thank you | kishukutu /kiʃukutu/ | nasakalili /nasakalili/ | matondo /matondo/ | nasakwilila /nasakwilila/ | tuasakidila /tuasakidila/ | nasakwilila /nasakwilila/ | murakoze /muɾakoze/ |
| Good | kiá /kja/ | chachiwahi /tʃatʃiwahi/ | mbote /mbote/ | -mwaza /mwaza/ | bimpe /bimpe/ | kyawama /kjawama/ | nziza /nziza/ |
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