greeting for the first time – muraho

good morning – mwara mutse

hello – mwiriwe

have a good day – umunsi mwiza

have a good day (16-18h) – umugoroba mwiza

good evening – muraramukeho, umugoroba mweza

good night – ijoro geza

good-bye (to a lot of people) – muririrweho

farwell – murabeho

go well – urugenda gweza

go = genda

good weekend – icyumweru cyiza

have a good day at work – akazi keza

have good weather – mugire ibihe byiza

Q: how goes it? – amakuru?

A: well  – ni meza

Q: abandi baraho? – how are your people?

A: yes – yego (apparently manners dictate that you don’t go into answering the question thoroughly)

no – oya

I would like to know news of your brother – ndashaka amakuru y’abavandimwe

how was the weather? – hariya wari uri hameze gute?

it was cold – ikirere cyari gikonje

it is hot – harashyushye

it is cold – harakonje

the evening is pleasant – hari amafufu

the day is pleasant – hameze neza, hari amahumbezi

it rains – imvura iragwa

Rwanda is beautiful and I like it – u Rwanda ni rwiza ndarukunda

beautiful – rwiza

I love it – ndarukunda

selfish – kwikunda

to be loved – gukundwa

did you rest well? – mwirewe neza?

merry Christmas – Noheli nziza

happy new year – umwaka mushya

bless you (for sneezing) – urakire / twese

are you sick? – warwaye?

I am sick. Please excuse-me – narwaye, mbabarira

I am tired – ndananiwe

I have a stomache – ndwaye igifu

I have a bad stomach – ndwaye mu nda

I am not feeling well – ndumva ntameze neza

I have a headache – namenetse umutwe

I have fever – mfite ibicurane, gutenguwera

my child is sick – umwana wanjye ararwaye

my husband is sick – umugabo wanjye ararwaye

my wife is sick – umugore ararwaye

my father is sick – data ararwaye

my mother is sick – mama ararwaye

my brother is sick – mushiki wanjye ararwaye

my sister is sick – mushiki wanjye ararwaye

my (for people) – wanjye

I am sick – narwaye

you are sick – warwaye

he/she is sick – ararwaye

at the hospital – kubitalo

I want to learn Kinyarwanda – ndashaka kwiga ikinyarwanda

I speak a little – ndavuga buke

I understand a little when one speaks slowly – ndaumva buke  u genze buhoro

I understand – ndaumva

I don’t understand (hear) – sinumva

listen – umva

a little – buke

slowly – buhoro

goes – ugenze

where are you coming from? – uje uturuka he?, uturutse he?, uruwahe

I am coming from home – muvuye murugo

I am coming from Gikondo – mvuye i Gikondo

I am coming from – myuye, nturutse

I am of Pakistani origin and British – ndi umunya Pakistani wumwongereza

I live under the lights of RDB – ntyuye munsi ya feu rouge za RDB

I live – ntyuye

I work at RDB – nkorera kuri RDB

I work – ndakora (different from when followed by ‘kuri RDB’)

you work – urakora (sing.)

you work – murakora (pl)

What work do you do? – mwaba mukora ibiki mu buzima busanzwe?
transliteration: qu’est ce que vous faites dans la vie courrante?

mwaba – qu’est-ce

murakora – you work

ibiki – que

buzima – dans la vie

busanzwe – courrante

what is your name? – izina ryawe ninde?

izina – name

rwaye – your

ninde – what

my name is . . . – izina ryanjyeni . . .

rwaye – my

ryawe – your

ryege – his

ryacu – our

ryabo – your (pl.)

bo – their

Introduction to Kinyarwanda on this website

Lesson 2: Getting around, issuing instructions to taxi drivers in Kinyarwanda