English→Congolese Swahili

Translate English to Congolese Swahili like a local.

This Swahili sounds like eastern DRC through its simplified agreement, Kingwana patterns, and everyday French words woven into family and street speech.

Going the other way? Congolese Swahili to English

474 local dialects

AIRTranslate on iPhone choosing between Swahili varieties

What locals actually say

Do you have a charger?

Uko na chargeur?

Congolese speakers commonly use uko na for possession, while chargeur is the everyday French loan for a phone charger.

Can you send me some airtime?

Unaweza kunitumizia unités kidogo?

Unités is the usual DRC word for mobile airtime, and tumizia gives the familiar sense of sending it to someone.

I’m at the market; I’ll be home soon.

Niko kwenye marché, narudi nyumbani hivi karibuni.

Marché is the ordinary French loan in eastern DRC speech, while narudi is used directly for going back home rather than a more formal textbook phrasing.

I don't have enough money to pay for the taxi.

Sina makuta ya kutosha kulipa taxi.

Makuta is a common Congolese word for money, while taxi reflects the French-influenced urban vocabulary typical of eastern DRC.

Where is the pharmacy?

Pharmacie iko wapi?

Pharmacie is the French loan used locally for pharmacy, instead of the more neutral Swahili duka la dawa.

Please put a little more salt in the beans.

Tafadhali, tia munyu kidogo zaidi kwa madesu.

Madesu is the widely used Congolese term for beans, showing Lingala influence in Congolese Swahili.

It's raining hard, bring an umbrella.

Mvua inanyesha sana, leta parapluie.

Parapluie is a natural French loan in Congolese Swahili for umbrella, especially in everyday urban speech.

Are you free tomorrow evening?

Uko libre kesho jioni?

Libre is the common French-derived word for free or available in Congolese Swahili, rather than the more formal neutral construction.

Notes like these come with every AIRTranslate translation, so you learn why locals phrase it that way as you go.

How Congolese Swahili differs

Congolese Swahili (Kingwana leanings). Simpler agreement patterns and French loanwords are natural; eastern DRC usage.

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Localization Notes explaining why locals say it that way