You cannot visit a country without knowing a few words of the language. There are three official languages in Rwanda: Kinyarwanda, French and English. Although the majority of Rwandans speak only Kinyarwanda some also speak Kiswahili, a language spoken in several countries of East Africa.
In Kinyarwanda, INZU means family. It also means the household or home. INZU includes the extended family not only husband, wife and children but relatives as well.
To help you with the pronunciation of the words in Kinyarwanda, here are a few hints taken from the book “le Petit Futé Rwanda”:
- “ e “ is pronounced « ay » as in hay
- “ g “ is pronounced « gu »as in gum
- “ u “ is pronounced « ou » as in Houston
- “ c “ is pronounced « tch » as in check
- “ s “ is pronounced « ss » as in class
- “ r “ Is often heard and written as an “ l “ and vice versa.
Greetings
- Hello muraho
- Good morning mwaramutse
- Good afternoon mwiriwe
- Good evening mwiriwe
- How are you ? amakuru ? bite se ?
- Find, thank you ni byiza/amakuru ni meza/yego
- Please mubishoboye
- Thank you urakoze (to one person) murakoze (to many people)
- Sorry mumbabarire/mbabarira
- Goodbye, see you mwilirwe
- Goodbye, see you muramuke
- Farewell murabeho
- Friend inshuti
Basic expressions
- Yes yego
- No oya
- A little bike/bito
- A lot cyane
- Maybe ahali/birashoboka
- Good byiza
- Hot gishyushye/birashyushye
- Cold gishyushye/birakonje
- Be carefull itonde
- And na
- Here hano
- There hariya
- Now ubu/nonaha
- Day umunsi
- Week icyumweru
- This week iki cyumweru
- Next week icyumweru gitaha
- Month ukwezi
- Year umwaka
- Today none
- Yesterday ejo hashize
- Tomorrow ejo hazaza
- Morning igitondo
- Afternoon nyuma ya sasita
- Evening umugoroba
- Night ijoro
Questions
- Where? hehe ?
- When? ryali ?
- How? bite / gute ?
- Why? kuki ?
- How many or how much? angahe ? bingahe ?
- Who? ninde (singulier) ? bande (pluriel) ?
- What is your name? witwa nde ?
- Where I can find gas? lisansi nayibona hehe ?
Helpful sentences
- My name is… nitwa…
- I’m happy ndanezerewe/ndishimye/ndanyuzwe
- I’m in a hurry ndihuta
- I’m hungry ndashonje
- I’m tursty mfite inyota
- I’m sleepy, I want to sleep mfite ibitotsi
- I’m sick ndarwaye
- It’s expensive kirahenda
- I don’t have money nta mafranga mfite
- I don’t understand simbyumva
- I need help ushobora kumfasha
- I would like ndashaka…
- Give me… mpa…
- It’s good ni byiza
- It’s bad or it’s not good ni bibi
- C’est délicieux biraryoshye/birabishye
- You lie, He lies urabeshya, arabeshya
At the table
- To cook guteka
- Kitchen igikoni
- Market isoko
- Knife icyuma
- Fork ikanya
- Serving spoon ruche
- Spoon ikiyiko
- Plate isahani
- Garlic tungurusumu
- Ginger tangauzi
- Avocado avoka
- Mandarin mandarine
- Mango umwembe (imyembe)
- Margarine margarine (Blue Band)
- Aubergine ikibiringanya
- Lemon indimu
- Baking powder chapa mandazi
- Jam confitire
- Juice jus (prononcé « jee »)
- Flour ifarini / ubugali
- Chili (hot sauce) urusenda (pilipili)
- Charcoal stove imbabura
- Beer inzoga
- Water amazi
- Coffee ikawa
- Tea icyayi
- Milk amata
- Powdered milk amata yifu (nido)
- Plain yoghurt yawurute
- Sweet yoghurt yaurte
- Bread umugati (imigati)
- Butter amavuta y’inka
- Honey ubuki
- Cooking oil amavuta
- Egg igi (singulier) amagi (pluriel)
- Beef inyama z’inka
- Chiken inyama z’inkoko
- Goat inyama z’ihene
- Pork inyama z’ingurube
- Fish ifi (amafi)
- Beans ibishyimbo
- Tomato inyanya/itomati
- Pumpkin igihaza
- Salt umunyu
- Sauce, gravy isosi
- Mashed tomato sosi tomate
- Cooking banana igitoke, ibitoke
- Ripe babana umuneke (imineke)
- Pineapple inanasi
- Orange icunga (amacunga)
- Potato ibirayi
- Sweet potato ibijumba
- French fries efriti
- Rice umuceli
- Soup isupu
- Sugar isukari
- Porridge, oatmeal igikoma
- Onion igitunguru (ibitunguru)
- Passion fruit marakuja / amatunda
- Pasta makaroni
- Papaya ipapayi (amapapayi)
- Japanese plum ibinyomoro
- Peanuts ubunyobwa
On the road
- Road umuhanda
- Street inzira
- Village umudugudu
- House inzu
- Car imodoka
- Plane indege
- Far kure
- Close, near hafi
- To the right i buryo
- To the left i bumoso
- Strait imbere
- Bridge ikiraro/iteme
- Hills agasozi, imisozi
- Rock urutare
- River umugezi
- Lake ikiyaga
- Waterfall isumo
- Sun izuba
- Moon ukwezi
- Night ijoro
- Rain imvura
- Thunderstorm imvura y’amahindu
Numbers
- 1 rimwe
- 2 kabiri
- 3 gatatu
- 4 kane
- 5 gatanu
- 6 gatandatu
- 7 karindwi
- 8 umunani
- 9 icyenda
- 10 icumi
- 20 makumyabiri
- 30 mirongwitatu
- 40 mirongwine
- 50 mirongwitanu
- 60 mirongwitandatu
- 70 mirongwirindwi
- 80 mirongwinani
- 90 mirongwicyenda
- 100 ijana (une centaine) amagana (des centaines)
- 200 maganabiri
- 1 000 igihumbi (un millier) ibihumbi (des milliers)
- 2 000 ibihumbi bibiri
- 3 000 ibihumbi bitatu
- 4 000 ibihumbi bine
At the hôtel
- Money amafaranga
- Bed igitanda
- Bedroom icyumba
- Key urufunguzo
- Shower douche
- Bathtub baignoire
- Restroom toilette
- Hot water amazi ashyushye
- Cold water amazi akonje
- Medecine umuti
- Soap isabuni
- Tooth paste colgatte
Miscellaneous
- School ishule
- Kid(s) umwana, abana
- Boy umuhungu
- Girl umukobwa
- Old umusaza
- Woman/women umugore, abagore
- Man/men umugabo, abagabo
- White man/men umuzungu, abazungu
- Farmer umuhinzi
- King umwami (singulier) bami (pluriel)
- Genocid jenoside
- Doctor umuganga
- Cow inka
- Bull imfizi
- Goat ihene
- Sheep intama
- Chiken inkoko
Body parts
- Head umutwe
- Mouth umunwa
- Ear amatwi
- Eyes amaso
- Fingers intoki
- Hand ikiganza
- Arm ukuboko/akaboko
- Back umugongo
- Belly, stomach inda
- Legs amaguru
- Foot (feet) ibirenge