Furusiri | Wedding

Wedding event in Banfora, Burkina Faso

Prep Vocab

Dialog

SITUATION: Abi has been invited to a wedding in the family of a neighborhood friend, Sara. She shows up before the festivities start.

SARA: Abi, i nana? N dusu ka di!
ABI: Ɔnhɔn kɛ! Diyagoya don. Bi kɛra donba ye! [1]
SARA: An tɛ taa an sigi? [They go and sit under the tree where the ceremony will take place]
ABI: Kɔɲɔmuso cɛ ka ɲi bi dɛ!
SARA: Tiɲɛ don!
ABI: Ni furu sirila, an bɛ mun kɛ? [2]
SARA: Furu mana siri, an bɛna muguji min ka baro kɛ. [3]
ABI: Ni su kora, an bɛ mun kɛ?
SARA: Su mana ko, an bɛna dɔn kɛ!
ABI: Ni n tɛ dɔn kɛ ka ɲɛ, à bɛna kɛ baasi ye wa?
SARA: À tɛna kɛ baasi ye fewu! Nisɔndiya don dɔrɔn!

SARA: Abi, you've come? I am happy!
ABI: Yes, of course! It's a must. Today is a big today! [1]
SARA: Shall we not go and sit? [They go and sit under the tree where the ceremony will take place]
ABI: The bride is really beautiful today!
SARA: It's true!
ABI: Once the knot/marriage is tied, what do we do? [2]
SARA: When the marriage is tied, we will drink "flour water" and chat. [3]
ABI: When night falls, what do we do?
SARA: When night falls, we will dance!
ABI: If I don't dance well, will it be a problem?
SARA: It won't be a problem at all. It's just (for fun) [lit. "a celebration"]!

Grammar Points

  • 1) Expressing "to be/become" with ka kɛ X ye
  • 2) Expressing "if/when" with ni
  • 3) Compound nouns (Noun + Noun, etc)

Lesson

[Video coming soon!]

Vocab

dusu

heart

diyagoya
requirement; necessity [Lit. "please-displease"]
don/lon
day
k'i sigi
to sit (yourself) down
kɔɲɔmuso
bride
cɛ
appearance
bi
today
furu
marriage
su
night time
ka ko
to wash [used to with `su` to express the idea of "night falling"
Su kora
Night has fallen (Lit. "Night has washed")
dɔn
dance
ka ɲɛ
here, "well"
baasi
problem
fewu
at all
nisɔn
heart
diya
pleasure
ka kɛ
to occur; to take place
Furu kɛra kunun
The wedding was/occured yesterday
Mun kɛra?
What happened?
ka kɛ X ye
to become/be X
Bi kɛra donba ye!
Today is a big day!
Den kɛra cɛ ye
The child became a man
ni
if; when
Ni furu sirila, an bɛna dɔn kɛ
Once the wedding ceremony is complete, we will dance
N'i sera, i ka à fɔ n ye
When you arrive, you (should) tell me
N'i man kɛnɛ, i kana na
If you aren't healthy, you mustn't come
mugu
flour
ji
water
muguji
flour water
takisi
taxi
k'à boli
to drive sth
takisiboli
taxi-driving
yɛrɛ
self
k'à dɔn
to know sth
yɛrɛdɔn
knowledge of self
k'i da/la
to lay yourself down; to go to bed
yɔrɔ
place
dayɔrɔ/layɔrɔ
resting place
bolo
arm
nɛgɛ
metal; iron
bololanɛgɛ
bracelet
waajibi
obligation
mɛri
town hall [< Fr. _mairie_]
eglizi/eglisi
church [< Fr. _église_]
woro
kola nut [traditional gift at ceremonies such as weddings]
furunafolo
dowry [paid by the groom's family to bride's; lit. "marriage-goods"]
karamɔgɔ
teacher; Muslim cleric
alimami
imam
kɔɲɔkɛ/muso
groom/bride
jeli
"griot"; a traditional West African bard
ka fini/fani don
to wear/put on clothes
ka furu siri
to "tie" a marriage (as in, 'to complete vows' etc)
ka dɔn kɛ
to dance
bala
balafon
ka bala fɔ
to play the balafon
dɔnkili
song [Lit. "call to dance"]
X dusu bɛ diya
to rejoice; be happy [Lit. "X's heart is pleasing"]
ka ɲɛnajɛ/ɲɛnagwɛ kɛ
to rejoice
ɲɛnajɛ/ɲɛnagwɛ
rejoicing; celebration
fɛti
party [< Fr. _fête_]
ka laada kɛ
to practice local customs/traditions

ℹ️ How flashcards work.

Exercises

Feedback