Dugutaga | Travel

Image
Abidjan's downtown Plateau neighborhood
Audio file

SITUATION: Abi just got back from a trip. She is walking in her neighborhood when a friend, Baba, greets her.

BABA: Abi, i ni fama!
ABI: Nse! I ni ce.
BABA: I tun bɛ Ameriki? [1]
ABI: Ayi, n tun tɛ so. N tun bɛ Abidjan.
BABA: À ka di?
ABI: Kosɛbɛ! N terimuso sigilen bɛ yen. N taara tile fila kɛ ale fɛ. [2]
BABA: O ka ɲi. I y'an sama?
ABI: Ɔwɔ! I ka sama bɛ du kɔnɔ.
BABA: I tun bɛ na n'à ye kɛ! [3]
ABI: Hakɛto b'à la! N sɛgɛnnen don. À ka girin. N ma se ka na n'à ye.
BABA: Baasi tɛ! Su kolen, n bɛna tɛmɛ k'à minɛ!

BABA: Abi, it's been a while!
ABI: Nse! Hi.
BABA: You were in America? [1]
ABI: No, I wasn't at home. I was in Abidjan.
BABA: Is it pleasant (that you went there)?
ABI: Definitely! My friend lives there. I went and spent two days at her place. [2]
BABA: That's good. Did you gift us?
ABI: Yes! Your gift is in the courtyard.
BABA: You should have brought it, man! [3]
ABI: My apologies! I'm tired. It's heavy. I wasn't able to bring it.
BABA: No problem! Once night has fallen, I will come and grab it.

Grammar Points

  • 1) Retrospective marker tun in non-verbal constructions
  • 2) The resultative participle -len (NOTE: This point is also covered later down the road in "Ɲɛnafin")
  • 3) Retrospective marker tun in verbal constructions

[Video coming soon!]

fama
absence
so
home
terimuso
friend
tile fila
two days (often used to express "a while")
ka mɔgɔ sama
to give sb a gift from one's travels (Lit. "To gift sb")
sama
gift (from travels)
ka na ni X ye
to bring X
ka sɛgɛn
to tire
girin/gwili
heavy
ka se
to able to
su
night
ka ko [su]
to fall [night]
ka tɛmɛ
to pass (by)
k'à minɛ
to grab sth
-len/nen
resultative participle ("-ed") [Bambara]
-nin
resultative participle ("-ed") [Jula]
I sigilen bɛ min?
Where do you live? [Lit. "You seated are where?"]
I dalen don?
Are you laying down? [Lit. "You laid.down it.is?"]
N ye Musa sigilen fo
I greeted Musa (who was) seated
tun
retrospective marker
Abi don
It's Abi
Abi tun don
It was Abi
Musa tun tɛ
It wasn't Musa
Abidjan ka jan
Abidjan is far
Abidjan tun ka jan
Abidjan was far
Abi bɛ Abidjan
Abi in in Abidjan
Abi tun bɛ Abidjan
Abi was in Abidjan
Abi ye kalanden ye
Abi is a student
Abi tun ye kalanden ye
Abi was a student
N bɛ taa Bamakɔ
I go to Bamako [habitually]
N tun bɛ taa Bamakɔ
I would go to Bamako [habitually in the past]
I tun bɛ na n'à ye
You should have come with it [Lit. "You were coming with it"]
N taara Bamakɔ
I went to Bamako
N tun taara Bamakɔ
I had gone to Bamako
N bɛna taa Bamakɔ
I will go to Bamako // I am going to go to Bamako
N tun bɛna taa Bamakɔ
I was going to go to Bamako
N ma taa Bamako
I didn't go to Bamako
N tun ma taa Bamako
I hadn't gone to Bamako
teri
friend
teriya
friendship
jɛɲɔgɔn
companion
somɔgɔw
family members
ka taa/taga dugu la
to travel [Lit. "to go at the land"
dugutaga
travel; travels; journey
ka yaala
to walk; to stroll; to wander
tunga
abroad; away from from home; "adventure"
N bɛ tunga la
I am abroad; I am on an adventure (away from home)
faso
homeland; home town; motherland [Lit. "father-house"]
ka bɔ mɔgɔ ye
to visit a person
ka (taa) bɔ X
to (go) visit X [a place]