English→Somali

Translate English to Somali like a local.

Somali with real spoken phrasing in the standard Latin orthography.

Going the other way? Somali to English

474 local dialects

What locals actually say

How's it going?

Iska warran?

“Iska warran”, literally give the news, is the everyday Somali greeting, far more common than any formal hello.

Thank you.

Mahadsanid.

“Mahadsanid” is the everyday thanks, understood everywhere Somali is spoken.

How much is it?

Waa imisa?

“Waa imisa” is the direct market question, complete as is.

Can you break this bill?

Lacagtan ma ii jajabin kartaa?

Jajabin means breaking a banknote into smaller denominations, a natural Somali way to ask for change.

Turn right there.

Halkaa midig uga leexo.

Uga leexo means turn off or turn toward a route, while halkaa anchors the direction to a nearby place.

This sauce is very spicy.

Suugadani aad bay u kulushahay.

Suugo is the everyday Somali word for sauce, and kulul signals heat or spiciness in food.

My little brother is still sleeping.

Walaalkay yar weli wuu hurdaa.

Weli means still, while the wuu construction marks masculine subject agreement in the present tense.

I have a meeting at nine.

Sagaalka kulan baan leeyahay.

Baan combines baa and aan to focus the subject, giving the natural sense of I am the one who has a meeting at nine.

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

Standard Somali (Mogadishu); rich idiom and alliterative flavour where natural.

Every one of 474 dialects, with voice, camera, a keyboard for any app, and offline packs.