Cilubà
Luba-Kasai
Atlantic-Congo (Bantu)
Luba-Kasai (Cilubà) is one of DRC's four national languages. Spoken in the Kasai region, it has tone, vowel length contrasts, and an extensive noun class system. It is closely related to neighboring Luba-Katanga.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Luba-Kasai
Water
mâyi
/maːji/
Fire
kapia
/kapia/
Sun
dîba
/diːba/
Moon
ngondo
/ŋɡondo/
Mother
mâmu
/maːmu/
Father
tâtu
/taːtu/
Eat
kudia
/kudia/
Drink
kunua
/kunua/
Love
dinanga
/dinaŋɡa/
Heart
mucima
/mut͡ʃima/
Tree
mutshi
/mut͡ʃi/
House
nzubu
/nzubu/
Dog
mbwa
/mbwa/
Cat
nyao
/ɲao/
Hand
tshianza
/t͡ʃianza/
Eye
dîsu
/diːsu/
Hello
moyo
/mojo/
Thank you
tuasakidila
/tuasakidila/
One
umue
/umue/
Good
bimpe
/bimpe/
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu) languages
| Meaning | Luba-Kasai | Kikongo | Kaonde | Luvale | Luganda | Kinyarwanda | Nyaturu |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | mâyi /maːji/ | maza /maza/ | mema /mema/ | meya /meja/ | amazzi /amaːzːi/ | amazi /amaːzi/ | maazi /maːzi/ |
| Fire | kapia /kapia/ | tiya /tija/ | mujilo /mudʒilo/ | kakahya /kakahja/ | omuliro /omuliɾo/ | umuriro /umuɾiɾo/ | moto /moto/ |
| Sun | dîba /diːba/ | ntangu /ntaŋɡu/ | juba /dʒuba/ | likumbi /likumbi/ | enjuba /eɲɟuba/ | izuba /izuba/ | nzua /nzua/ |
| Moon | ngondo /ŋɡondo/ | ngonda /ŋɡonda/ | ñondo /ɲondo/ | kakweji /kakwedʒi/ | omwezi /omwezi/ | ukwezi /ukwezi/ | umweri /umweɾi/ |
| Mother | mâmu /maːmu/ | mama /mama/ | bama /bama/ | mama /mama/ | maama /maːma/ | mama /maːma/ | mama /mama/ |
| Father | tâtu /taːtu/ | tata /tata/ | batata /batata/ | tata /tata/ | taata /taːta/ | papa /paːpa/ | tata /tata/ |
| Eat | kudia /kudia/ | ku dia /ku dja/ | kuja /kudʒa/ | kulya /kuʎa/ | kulya /kulja/ | kurya /kuɾja/ | kuria /kuɾia/ |
| Drink | kunua /kunua/ | ku nua /ku nua/ | kutoma /kutoma/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | kunywa /kuɲʷa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ |
| Love | dinanga /dinaŋɡa/ | zola /zola/ | butemwe /butemwe/ | zangi /zaŋɡi/ | okwagala /okwaːɡala/ | urukundo /uɾukundo/ | butogwa /butoɡwa/ |
| Heart | mucima /mut͡ʃima/ | ntima /ntima/ | muchima /mutʃima/ | mutima /mutima/ | omutima /omutima/ | umutima /umutima/ | umutima /umutima/ |
| Tree | mutshi /mut͡ʃi/ | nti /nti/ | kichi /kitʃi/ | mutondo /mutondo/ | omuti /omuti/ | igiti /iɡiti/ | umuti /umuti/ |
| House | nzubu /nzubu/ | nzo /nzo/ | nzubo /nzubo/ | zuvo /zuvo/ | ennyumba /eɲɲumba/ | inzu /inzu/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ |
| Dog | mbwa /mbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | kawa /kawa/ | embwa /embwa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ |
| Cat | nyao /ɲao/ | nyau /ɲau/ | kapuso /kapuso/ | katako /katako/ | kkapa /kːapa/ | injangwe /indʒaŋɡwe/ | paka /paka/ |
| Hand | tshianza /t͡ʃianza/ | koko /koko/ | kuboko /kuboko/ | livoko /livoko/ | omukono /omukono/ | ikiganza /ikiɡanza/ | ukuboko /ukuboko/ |
| Eye | dîsu /diːsu/ | disu /disu/ | jiso /dʒiso/ | liso /liso/ | eriiso /eɾiːso/ | ijisho /idʒiʃo/ | iriiso /iɾiːso/ |
| Hello | moyo /mojo/ | mboté /mbote/ | mwapoñai /mwapoɲai/ | mwane /mwane/ | oli otya /oli otja/ | muraho /muɾaːho/ | mbukire /mbukiɾe/ |
| Thank you | tuasakidila /tuasakidila/ | matondo /matondo/ | nasakwilila /nasakwilila/ | nasakwilila /nasakwilila/ | webale /weːbale/ | murakoze /muɾakoze/ | ahsante /ahsante/ |
| One | umue /umue/ | mosi /mosi/ | umo /umo/ | -mwe /mwe/ | emu /emu/ | rimwe /ɾimwe/ | umwe /umwe/ |
| Good | bimpe /bimpe/ | mbote /mbote/ | kyawama /kjawama/ | -mwaza /mwaza/ | kirungi /tʃiɾuŋɡi/ | byiza /bjiza/ | kihi /kihi/ |
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