Category: Chichewa to English Phrasebook

VERBS – Chichewa to English Phrasebook

ndi li*(I am)
u li*(you are)
a li*(he/she is)
ti li*(we are)
mu li*(you are)
a li*(they are)

DESCRIBING – Chichewa to English Phrasebook

Zi li bwino,*It is good.
Si zi li bwino.*It is not good.
Za ipa..*It is bad.
Ndi bukhu.*It is a book.
Ndi la li kulu?*Is it big?
Si, la li ng’ono.*No, it is small.
zo sabvuta?*Is it easy?
Iyayi zo bvuta.*No, it is hard.
Kodi, madzi ali bwino?*Is the water good?
Ayi madzi sali li bwino ku Fransi!*No, the water is not good in France!!
Oh Ipa-ipa!!!*Oh Mate!!!
Chonde, u/musanene ipa-ipa.*Please do not say Mate!
Kodi, ti li osangalatsa?!!!*Are we wonderful?!!!
Zoipa! Inde!!*Darn! Yes!!

ABLE TO – Chichewa to English Phrasebook

Ndi tha (can)*I can
Kodi, ndi tha?*Can I?
Inde, ndi tha.*Yes, I can.
Kodi, mu tha ku-chita ichi (this)?*Can you do this?
Inde, ndi tha- ku-chita icho (that).*Yes, I can do that.
Ndi tha ku dya pangono (little).*I can eat a little.
Ndi tha ku-mwa pangono.*I can drink a little.
Ndi tha ku-pita (go).*I can go.
Ndi tha ku-bwera (come)*I can come.
Ndi tha ku-gona (sleep).*I can sleep.
U/Mu tha ku-lankhula (speak).*You can speak.
Kodi, u/mu tha ku-lankhula?*Can you speak?
Inde, ndi tha (can).*Yes, I can.
Kodi, mu tha ku-chita (do) icho?*Can you do this?
ayi si ndi tha ku-chita icho.*No, I can not do that.
Kodi, mu ku-mvetsa?*You can understand?
Mu ku-mvetsa?*You understand?
Inde, pangono.*Yes, a little.
Kodi, mu tha ku-nena MERT?*Can you say Mate?
Inde, ndi tha ku-lankhula pang’ono Chichewa!*Yes, I can speak a little Chichewa!
Zoipa. Ndi li okongola! Darn!*I am wonderful!

DOING – Chichewa to English Phrasebook

Ndi chita (do).*I do.
Ndi ma chita.*I do this.
Mu chita.*You do.
U/Mu chita icho (that).*You do that
Ti chita icho.*We do that
Ndi, ti sangalala (happy).*We are happy.
Ndi zo sabvuta (easy) kodi?*Is it easy?
Inde, ndi zo bvuta (difficult).*Yes, it is not difficult.
Kodi, mu chita icho/izo (that)?*Do you do that?
Chuta leyo, chondi (please)!!!*Do that, please!!!
Zoipa!!*Darn!!!
A li osangalatsa.*It is wonderful!

KNOWING – Chichewa to English Phrasebook

Ndi dziwa ichi.*I know this.
Kodi, u/mu dziwa ichi ?*Do you know this?
Inde, ndi dziwa ichi.*Yes, I know this.
u/Mu dziwa icho.*You know that.
Kodi, u/mu dzwa icho?*Do you know that?
Ayi, si ndi dziwa icho.*No, I do not know that.
Ndi dziwa mkazi uyo.*I know that woman.
Ndi dzima mamuna/bambo uyo.*I know the man.
A ndi dziwa ine (me).*He knows me.
Kodi, mu nzima mkazi uyo?*Do you know that woman?
Ayi, moni a-mayi? No.*Good morning Madame?
Muli bwino a-mayi?*Are you well, Madame?
Ayi si ndi li bwino. Tsalani bwino*No, I am not well!! Goodbye!!!
Si mu dziwa mkazi!*You do not know her!
Zoipa. A li osangalatsa!*Darn! She is wonderful!

COMMON WORDS – Chichewa to English Phrasebook

Thank you*Zikomo
Hello*Moni
Mr.*A-Bambo
Mrs.*A-Mayi
Yes*Inde
No*Iyay
Good*Bwino?
Please*Chonde
Do you have?*Kodi mu li ndi…?
Goodbye*Tsalani bwino
See you soon!*Ndikuwona posachedwa
Who?*Ndani?
What?*Chani?
I want*Ndi funa
Where?*Kuti?
today (lero)
tomorrow (mawa)
paper pepala)
newspaper (gazeti/pepala)
day*(tsiku)
week*(mulungu)
year*(chaka)
hour*(hora)
minute*(mphindi, many (ambiri)
hamburger,*(hamburger)
think*(ganiza)
read*(werenga)
write*(lemba)
laugh*(seka)
dance*(bvina)
later*(patsogolo)
stop*(ima)
policeman*(polisi)
six*(-zisanu ndi-chimodzi)
seven*(zisanu ndi-ziwiri)
eight*(zisanu ndi-zitatu)
nine*(zisanu ndi-zinai)
ten*(khumi)
hundred*(zana)
thousand*(chikwi)
mate*(bwenzi)
see you soon*(tionana posachedwa)

UNDERSTANDING – Chichewa to English Phrasebook

Ndi mvetsa.*I understand.
si ndi mvetsa.*I do not understand.
U/mu mvetsa.*You understand.
siMu mvetsa (understand).*You do not understand.
Kodi, muwa mvetsa a-kazi (women)?*Do you understand women?
Ayi, ayi, si ndi a mvetsa iwo!!*No. No. I do not understand them!!!
Oh. zoipa Oh.*Darn! Mate!
Chonde musanene/musati Ipa-ipa ayi.*Please do not say Mate!
Mu li osangalatsa!*You are intertaining!

NUMBERING – Chichewa to English Phrasebook

Ndi li ndi vuto li modzi*I have one problem.
Inde, mu li ndi vuto limodzi*Yes, you have a problem.
Ayi, mu li ndi mavuto awiri.*No, you have two (of them).
A li ndi atatu.*He has three.
A li ndi anai (4).*She has four.
Ti li ndi asanu (5).*We have five.
Kodi, mu li ndi asanu?*Do you have five?
Inde, tsopono, ndi li ndi asanu!!*Yes now, I have five problems!!!
Ana onse!*All the children!
Ana ali/ndi osangalatsa!*Children are wondeful!

WAITING – Chichewa to English Phrasebook

Ndi funa (want).*I want.
Ndi funa ku-dya pang’ono (a little).*I want to eat a little.
Ndi funa ku-mwa madzi.*I want to drink water.
Ndi funa ku-pita ku chiumbudzi (toilet) !!!!*I want to go to the toilet!!!
Kodi, mu funa ku-dya pangono?*Do you want to eat a little?
Iyayai, si ndi funa ku-dya*No, I do not want to eat.
Zoipa, Ndi kufuna kuku-patsa pang’ono (some*Darn! I want to give you a bit.
Iyayi, zikomo.*No, thank you.
Ndi funa ku-bwera (come).*I want to come.
Kodi, mu-funa ku gona ndi ine?*Do you want to sleep with me?
Ayi Si, ndi funa ku-gona No,*I do not want to sleep.
Miguel, kodi, mu funa ku-dya achule?*Miguel do you want to eat the frogs?
Zoipa. Si tsopano, zikomo.*Darn! Not just now, thank you!
Ti li osangalala!*We are wonderful

GETTING – Chichewa to English Phrasebook

Chonde, patse ndalama (money),*Please give me the money.
Chonde, tenga ndalama..*Please take the money.
Ndi tenga ndalama.*I take the money.
Chonde, patse tikiti.*Please give me the ticket.
Chonde, tenga tikiti.*Please take the ticket.
Ndi tenga tikiti.*I take the ticket.
Chonde, patse ichi (thing).*Please give me the thing.
Chi li kuti (where)?*Where is the thing?
Si-ndi ku dziwa*I do not know.
Chonde, patse mamuna/mzi bambo (man)!*Please give me a man
Zoipa. . Mkazi li ti!*Darn-t!!! What a woman!!
A li osangalatsa!*She is intertaining