How to Impress the Locals with Your Luganda Skills: A Traveller’s Guide

The Baganda people of Uganda speak Luganda, also known as Ganda, which is a Bantu language. It is one of the most spoken languages in Uganda, with about 6 million people who can speak it. For any discerning traveller visiting Uganda, especially Kampala, the capital city, learning a bit of the local language is always an essential ingredient in truly immersing oneself in another culture. So, without further ado, here are some common Luganda phrases to enrich your Ugandan adventure:

Greetings:

Greetings are very important in Luganda and are often used to begin a conversation with someone. In a formal setting, it is important to use titles to address someone. To a man, you say 'ssebo,' and to a woman, you say 'nnyabo.' For example, how are you, ‘ssebo’, or thank you, 'nyabo,' or ssebo. Peter, what time should we meet tomorrow?

Some common greetings in Luganda are:

• Hello/How are you? Oli otya (singular) or Muli mutya (plural)
• I'm fine with Gyendi (singular) or Gyetuli (plural).
• Thank you very much. Webale nyo (singular) or Mwebale nyo (plural)
• Good morning. Wasuze otya nno? (How was your night?)
• Good afternoon. Osiibye otya nno? (How was your day?)
• Good evening. Osiibye otya nno? 
• Good night: sula bulungi (sleep well).
• Goodbye/See you soon: Welaba/Nja kulaba edda
• How are you doing? : Gyebale ko

Questions:

Questions are useful to ask for information, directions, opinions, etc. In Luganda, questions usually start with a question word or end with a question particle. Some common question words and particles in Luganda are:

• What: Ki
• Who: Ani
• Where: Wa
• When: Ddi
• Why: Lwaki
• How: Otya
• How much or how many? Meka
• Yes/No : Ye/Neda

Some common questions in Luganda are:

• What is your name? : Erinnya lyo gwe’ani?
• Where are you from? : Ova wa?
• Where are you going? : Ogenda wa?
• When are you coming back? Okomawo ddi?
• Why are you late? : Lwaki okeleye?
• How are you feeling? :  Owulira otya?
• How much is this? (Kino kigula meka)
• Do you speak English? : Omanyi olungereza/oluzungu.

Other useful Luganda phrases:

Besides greetings and questions, there are some other useful phrases that you can use in different situations. Some of them are:

•  Nice to meet you: Nsanyuse okukulaba
• Please, Mwattu
• Excuse me: Nsonyiwa
• Help me: Nnyamba
• I don't understand: Sisobola okutegeera
• I don't know: Simanyi
• I like it: Nkyagala.
• I don't like it: Sikyagala
• I'm hungry or thirsty: Enjala enuma or Mpulira Enyonta
• I'm tired or sick. Nkoye or Ndimulwade
• Where is the toilet? : Eliwa tooyi?
• How do I get to ... Nsobola ntya okugenda...
• What time is it? (Essawa meka)

While this list of common Luganda phrases is not exhaustive, understanding and speaking a few words here and there adds to the authenticity and enjoyment of your Ugandan experience. You’ll find that even your modest effort to learn the language will be appreciated by the locals, often leading to warm smiles, increased camaraderie, and even better bargains or service.

If you enjoyed this blog post and want to learn more about Luganda and Uganda, please subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media. You can also check out our other blog posts on topics such as Ugandan cuisine, culture, history, wildlife, and more. And if you know any other Luganda phrases that are useful or interesting, please share them with us in the comment section below. We would love to hear from you and learn from your experience. 

Don't be afraid to try out your new language skills and connect with the locals—you never know what kind of adventures await you. Happy travels!