Kinshasa Lingala→English

Translate Kinshasa Lingala to English the way locals mean it.

A textbook reader may take Kinshasa Lingala's short particles and familiar phrases literally, even when they are softeners, idioms, or signals of shared understanding.

Going the other way? English to Kinshasa Lingala

474 local dialects

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What locals actually say

Naza kaka, merci.

I'm hanging in there, thanks.

Kaka means "still" or "just," and here it makes the reply modest and reassuring rather than meaning "I am only."

Likambo te, tokosala yango lobi.

No problem, we'll do it tomorrow.

Likambo te literally means "no matter," but it is the everyday idiom for "no problem" or "don't worry."

Yo moko oyebi ndenge ezalaka.

You know how it is.

Yo moko, literally "you yourself," emphasizes shared knowledge and can add a gently reproachful "you know what I mean" tone.

Pesá ngai mwa mbongo ya transport, nazonga na ndako.

Give me a little money for transport, I’m heading home.

The French loanword "transport" is a natural Kinshasa urbanism used for everyday travel expenses.

Kende kaka tout droit, na coin ya liboso kende na gauche.

Go straight, then take a left at the first corner.

The French insertions "tout droit" and "coin" signal the code-switched street-direction style common in Kinshasa.

Naza na posa ya makayabu na fufu, lelo.

I’m craving salted fish with fufu today.

The construction "naza na posa ya" expresses a current craving, while "makayabu" is the familiar Kinshasa term for salted fish.

Grande sœur na ngai aboti mwana ya mobali.

My older sister has had a baby boy.

The French kinship loan "grande sœur" is a natural marker of colloquial urban Kinshasa speech.

Lelo moyi ezali kobeta makasi, memá mayi.

The sun is really beating down today, bring some water.

The idiomatic construction "moyi ezali kobeta" describes harsh sun through the local image of the sun hitting hard.

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

How Kinshasa Lingala differs

Kinshasa Lingala; mbote greetings; French loanwords natural in urban register.

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Localization Notes explaining why locals say it that way