Songhai language guide - Wikivoyage, the free collaborative travel and tourism guide - Guide linguistique songhaï — Wikivoyage, le guide de voyage et de tourisme collaboratif gratuit

Songhai language guide
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Songhai, or koyro boro senni, is a language of the Nilo-Saharan family, spoken in the North of Mali, of Timbuktu at Gao, as well as in part of the Niger. There are different variants of which the most widespread and used is the one spoken in the region of Gao. However, the mutual understanding of the different variants between them is quite large.

Pronunciation

Vowels

Consonant

c, is pronounced kch
h, still sucked
j, is pronounced gj
r, still rolled

Common diphthongs

List of phrases

For this guide, we are using polite form for all expressions, on the assumption that you will be speaking most of the time with people you do not know.

Based

Hello.: hoy baani (in the morning) hiira baani (in the evening)
How are you ?: War ga ban?
Very well: Abori
thanks to God.: Irkoy saabu
What's your name ?: Ma chi ni ma di or Ma no ka chi ni ma di (vulgarly Ni ma di)
My name is _____.: Ay ma di chi ____ (X)
Nice to meet you.: X (X)
Please: X. (X)
Thank you.: Neither nes gouey
You're welcome: X. (X)
Yes: ayo (X)
No: kala kala (X)
excuse me: indjé ay se
I am sorry.: X. (X)
Goodbye: kala wati foo (X)
I do not speak _____.: ay si chi
Do you speak French ?: no chi francais chini?
Does anyone speak French here?: boro fo ga chi francais chini born?
Help !: FABA
Good morning): X (X)
Hello afternoon).: X. (X)
Good evening.: X. (X)
Good night: chigi ma bori (X)
I do not understand: ay si faham (X)
Where are the toilets ?: Man nyeguen di yo?

Problems

Don't bother me.: X. (XX)
Go away !!: wo kouey
Do not touch me !: X! (X)
I'll call the police.: i ga kati you di yo
Police !: you!
Stop! Thief !: wo din djey di
Help me please!: wo faba ay
It's an emergency.: X. (X)
I am lost.: X. ay derey
I lost my bag.
I lost my wallet.: X. (X)
I am in pain.: ay go dorou
I am hurt.: ay marey
I need a doctor.: ay ga yentasou nda wokouey
May I use your phone ?: aye go hin ka gow ni telephone di?

Numbers

1: afoo
2: ihinka
3: ihinga
4: itaaci (itaatchi)
5: iggu (ikgou)
6: iddu (itdou)
7: iyye (iyé)
8: yaaha
9: yagga (iakga)
10: iwoy ("iwoille")
11: awoy chindi fo
12: awoy chindi hinka
13: iwoy cindi hinza (iwoille kchinnedi hinneza)
14: iwoy cindi taaci (iwoille kchinnedi taatchi)
15: iwoy cindi ggu (iwoille kchinnedi gou)
16: iwoy cindi ddu (iwoille kchinnedi dou)
17: iwoy cindi yye (iwoille kchinnedi yé)
18: iwoy cindi yaaha (iwoille kchinnedi iaaha)
19: iwoy cindi yagga (iwoille kchinnedi iakga)
20: waranka (waranneka)
21: waranka cindi foo (waranneka kchinnedi fo)
22: waranka cindi hinka (waranneka kchinnedi inneka)
23: waranka cindi hinza (waranneka kchinnedi inneza)
24: waranka cindi taaci (waranneka kchinnedi taatchi)
25: waranka cindi ggu (waranneka kchinnedi gou)
26: waranka cindi ddu (waranneka kchinnedi dou)
27: waranka cindi yye (waranneka kchinnedi yé)
28: waranka cindi yaaha (waranneka kchinnedi iaha)
29: waranka cindi yagga (waranneka kchinnedi iakga)
30: waranza ("waranneza)
40: woy taaci ("woille taatchi")
50: woy ggu ("woille gou")
60: woy ddu ("woille dou")
70: woy yye ("woille yé")
80: woy yaaha ("woille iaha"))
90: woy yagga ("woille iacga")
100: zangu (zannegou)
200: zangu hinka (zannegou inneka)
300: zangu hinza (zannegou inneza)
400: zangu taaci (zannegou taatchi)
1000: zenber ("zenneber")
2000: zenber hinka (zenneber inneka)

Composite numbers are connected by:
- cindi ("kchinnedi") between tens and ones
- nes, between hundreds and tens, as well as between thousands and hundreds, and so on

so:

3214: zenber hinza nda zangu hinka nda iwoy cindi taaci
9999: zenber yagga nda zangu yagga nda woy yagga cindi yagga

Ordinals

1st: jina (gji-nah)
2nd: ihinkanto
3rd: ihinzanto
4th: itaacanto

1,000,000: milion foo (milionne fo)
half: yeere (iere)

Time

now: marsa
later: X (X)
before: X (X)
morning: soubahi
in the morning: X (X)
afternoon: djari
evening: chigi héré
In the evening: X (X)
night: chigi

Time

one o'clock in the morning: X (X)
two o'clock in the morning: X (X)
nine o'clock in the morning: X (X)
midday: X (X)
one p.m: X (X)
two in the afternoon: X (X)
six in the evening: X (X)
seven o clock in the evening: X (X)
a quarter to seven, 6:45 p.m.: X (X)
quarter past seven, 7:15 p.m.: X (X)
half past seven, 7:30 p.m.: X (X)
midnight: X (X)

Duration

_____ minutes): ______ X (X)
_____ time): ______ X (X)
_____ days): ______ X (X)
_____ week (s): ______ X (X)
_____ month: ______ X (X)
_____ year (s): ______ X (X)
weekly: djari
monthly: handou
annual: djiri

Days

today: hanoX)
yesterday: Bi (X)
tomorrow: suba (X)
this week: Habo-wo (X)
last week: Habo kan bisa (X)
next week: Bené-Habo (X)

Sunday: Laadi (X)
Monday: Tinni (X)
Tuesday: Talata (X)
Wednesday: Larba (X)
Thursday: Lamisi (X)
Friday: Jumma (X)
Saturday: Sibti (X)

Month

If those who speak the language use a calendar other than Gregorian, explain it and list the months.

January: X (X)
February: X (X)
March: X (X)
April: X (X)
may: X (X)
June: X (X)
July: X (X)
August: X (X)
September: X (X)
October: X (X)
November: X (X)
December: X (X)

Write time and date

Give examples of how to write time and date if it differs from French.

Colors

black: i bibi
White: i korey
Grey: X (X)
red: i tchirey
blue: i boula
yellow: i kara
green: i firji
orange: X (X)
purple: X (X)
Chestnut: X (X)

Transport

Bus and Train

How much does the ticket cost to go to ____?: tuesday na ka chi bllet ka kouey?
A ticket for ____, please.: yé hin ka dou billet ka kouey toumbouctou?
Where is this train / bus going?: man no ka bus wo ga kouey?
Where is the train / bus to ____?: man no ka mobile di go ka kouey?
Does this train / bus stop at ___? bus wo ga key man?
When does the train / bus to XXX leave?: safo no ka mobile di ga kouey?
When will this train / bus arrive in _____?: safo no ka mobile di goka?

Directions

Where is _____ ? ?: man no ka
...the train station ?: X (X?)
...the bus station ?: X (X?)
... the airport?: X (X)
... downtown?: ...in the city ? gandé
... the suburbs?: X (X?)
...the hostel ?: X (X)
...the hotel _____ ?: X (X)
... the French / Belgian / Swiss / Canadian embassy?: ? (X)
Where are there paintings of ...: X (X)
... hotels?: X (X)
... restaurants?: ... restaurants? X (X)
... bars?: X (X)
... sites to visit?: X (X)
Can you show me on the map?: no hinka tcherbou ay sse carte di ga?
Street: binda
Turn left: siri ni kamba wawo
Turn right.: siri ni kamba gouma
left wawo
right: gouma
straight: X (X)
in the direction of _____: X _____ (X)
after _____: X _____ (X)
before _____: X _____ (X)
Locate the _____.: X (X)
crossroads: X (X)
North: X (X)
South: X (X)
is: X (X)
Where is: X (X)
at the top: X (X)
downstairs: X (X)

Taxi

Taxi!: X! (X!)
Take me to _____, please.: X _____ X (X)
How much does it cost to go to _____?: X _____? (X _____?)
Bring me there, please.: X (X)

Housing

Do you have free rooms?: X (X?)
How much does a room cost for one person / two people?: X (X?)
Is there in the room ...: X (X ...)
...sheets ?: X (X?)
...a bathroom ?: X (X?)
...a phone ?: X (X?)
...a television ?: X (X?)
Can I visit the room?: X (X?)
You don't have a quieter room?: X (X?)
... bigger ?: X (... X?)
...cleaner ?: X (... X?)
...less expensive?: X (... X?)
well, I take it.: X (X)
I plan to stay _____ night (s).: X (X)
Can you suggest me another hotel?: X (X?)
Do you have a safe?: X (X?)
... lockers ?: X (...)
Is breakfast / dinner included?: X (X?)
What time is breakfast / dinner?: X (?)
Please clean my room.: X (X)
Can you wake me up at _____ o'clock?: X (X _____X)
I want to let you know when I'm leaving.: X (X)

Silver

Do you accept euros?: ? (X?)
Do you accept Swiss francs?: ? (X?)
Do you accept Canadian dollars?: X (X?)
Do you accept credit cards ?: X (X?)
Can you change me?: X (X?)
Where can I change it?: X (X?)
Can you change me on a traveler's check?: X (X?)
Where can I redeem a traveler's check?: X (X?)
What is the exchange rate?: X (X?)
Where can I find an ATM?: X (X?)

Eat

A table for one person / two people, please.: X (X)
Can I have the menu ?: X (X?)
Can I visit the kitchens?: X (X?)
What is the specialty of the house ?: X (X?)
Is there a local specialty?: X (X?)
I am vegetarian.: X. (X)
I do not eat pork.: X. (X)
I only eat kosher meat.: X (X)
Can you cook light? ('with less oil / butter / bacon): X (X?)
menu: X ('X)
à la carte: X (X)
breakfast: X (X)
to eat lunch: X (X)
tea: X (X)
supper: X (X)
I want _____: X. (ay ga baa _____)
I would like a dish with _____.: X (X _____)
chicken: gorgo (X)
beef: hawham (X)
deer: X (X)
Fish: hariham
some salmon: X (X)
tuna: X (X)
whiting: X (X)
cod: X (X)
seafood: X (X)
of the dulse: X (X)
lobster: X (X)
clams: X (X)
oysters: X (X)
mussels: X (X)
some snails: X (X)
frogs: koron bata
Ham: binka bachi
pork / pig: binka
wild boar: X (X)
sausages: X (X)
cheese: X (X)
eggs: gorgoguuri or gorgon fessan
a salad: salaati (X)
vegetables (fresh): X (X)
fruit (fresh): tuurize (X)
bread: buru or takoula
toast: X (X)
pasta: (makroni)
rice: X (gnaari or haourou or tassou
Beans: dunguuri (X)
Can I have a drink of _____?: X (X _____?)
Can I have a cup of _____?: X (X _____?)
Can I have a bottle of _____?: X (X _____?)
coffee: Coffee (X)
tea: reachy (X)
juice: X (X)
sparkling water: X (X)
water: hari (X)
beer: hari foutou
red / white wine: X (X)
Can I have _____?: X (X)
salt: tchiri
pepper: X (X)
butter: X (X)
Please ? (grab the waiter's attention): X (X)
I finished: albarka (X)
That was delicious..: X (X)
You can clear the table.: X (X)
The bill, please.: X. (X)

Bars

Do you serve alcohol?: X (X)
Is there table service?: X (X?)
One beer / two beers, please.: X (X)
A glass of red / white wine, please: X. (X)
A big beer, please.: X (X)
A bottle, please.: X. (X)
_____ (hard liquor) and _____ (mixer), please.: _____ and _____, please. (X)
whiskey: X (X)
vodka: X (X)
rum: X (X)
some water: (X)
soda: X (X)
Schweppes: X (X)
Orange juice: X (X)
Coca: X (X)
Do you have appetizers (in the sense of chips or peanuts)? X (X)
Another one, please.: X (X)
Another for the table, please.: X (X)
What time do you close ?: X (...)

Purchases

Do you have this in my size?: X (X)
How much does it cost ?: margye no (X)
It's too expensive !: a ga sendi! (X)
Could you accept _____?: X (X)
Dear: X (X)
cheap: X (X)
I can't pay him / her.: X (X)
I do not want it: X. (X)
You are fooling me.: X (X)
I am not interested.: X (X)
well, I'll take it.: X (X)
Could I have a bag?: X (X)
Do you ship abroad?: X (X)
I need...: ay ga ba (X)
... toothpaste.: X (X)
... a toothbrush.: X (X)
... tampons.: X (X)
...soap.: saafun (X)
... shampoo.: X (X)
... an analgesic (aspirin, ibuprofen): X. (X)
... medicine for a cold.: X. (X)
... stomach medicine.: X (X)
... a razor.: X (X)
... batteries.: X (X)
... an umbrella: X. (X)
... a parasol. (Sun): X (X)
... sunscreen.: X (X)
... of a postcard.: X (X)
... postage stamps.: X (X)
...writing paper.: X (X)
... a pen.: X (X)
... of books in French.: X (X)
... magazines in French.: X (X)
... a newspaper in French.: X (X)
... of a French-XXX dictionary.: X (X)

Drive

I would like to rent a car.: X. (X)
Could I be insured?: X (X)
stop (on a panel): stop (X)
One Way: X (X)
yield: X (X)
parking forbidden: X (X)
speed limit: X (X)
gas station: X (X)
gasoline: X (X)
diesel: X (X)

Authority

I did not do anything wrong..: X (X)
It is a mistake.: X. (X)
Where are you taking me?: man lan ir kuoy? (X)
Am I under arrest?: X (X)
I am a French / Belgian / Swiss / Canadian citizen.: (X)
I am a French / Belgian / Swiss / Canadian citizen: . (X)
I must speak to the French / Belgian / Swiss / Canadian Embassy / Consulate: (X)
I would like to speak to a lawyer.: X (X)
Could I just pay a fine?: X (X)

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