Unit 1 Vocab

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Unit 1

Sanji | Rain

tile [tle]

sun

yɔrɔ

place

ka gan/gwan

to heat (up)

funteni

heat

nɛnɛ

cold

kɔni

"in any case"

mago/mako

(a) need

sanji

rain

ka na

to come

ka suma

to cool down

ka fin

to blacken

kaban

already

ɲɛ

eye; face

sankaba

cloud

fiɲɛ

wind [Bambara]

fɔɲɔ

wind [Jula]

ka wuli

to rise

ka bin

to fall

so

house

Nɛnɛ bɛ dɛ!

It's cold, man!

Funteni tɛ dɛ!

It's not hot, man!

Funteni bɛ n na!

I'm hot!

Nɛnɛ tɛ n na

I'm not cold

Dugu mago bɛ sanji la

The town needs rain

Sanji ka kan ka na

Rain needs to come

Sanji bɛ ka bin

It's raining

Fiɲɛ tɛ ka ci

The wind isn't blowing

Sanji tɛ na dun!

The rain isn't coming, you know!

Tile bɔra

The sun has come out

Tile bɛ

The sun is out

Funteni bɛ

It's hot

ka wɔsi

to sweat

ka taa kɛnɛ ma

to go outside

ka sigi suma na

to sit in the shade

ka ji suma min

to drink cold water

Nɛnɛ bɛ

It's cold

Nɛnɛ bɛ n na

I'm cold

ka fini girinman don

to put on heavy clothing

San finna

The sky has darkened [as in, "It looks like rain"]

San(ji) bɛ ka na

Rain is coming

Fiɲɛ wulila

The wind has picked up [Lit. "The has risen"]

ka taa so/bon kɔnɔ

to go inside the house

ka to so/bon kɔnɔ

to stay inside the house

ka "parapluie" ɲini

to seek an umbrella

San(ji) binna

Rain has fallen

Fiɲɛ/Fɔɲɔ bɛ ci

The wind blows

Sanji ye n ɲigin

The rain got me wet

samiya
rainy season [when farming occurs; around June-August in West Africa]
Sanji bɛ na samiya la

Rain comes during rainy season

fo(nɛnɛ)
cold season [when things are very dry and dusty around Dec-Jan in West Africa]
ka sumaya
to become cool
Yɔrɔ bɛ sumaya fo la

The place cools down in cold season

Weather Expressions

Tile bɔra
The sun has come out [as in, "It's sunny"]
Tile ma bɔ
The sun hasn't come out [as in, "It's not sunny"]
Tile bɛ
There is sun [as in, "It's sunny"]
Tile ka farin
The sun is fiery [as in, "It's really sunny out"]
Yɔrɔ ganna
It's hot [Lit. "The place has heated up"]
Yɔrɔ kalayara
It's hot [Lit. "The place has warmed up"]
Dugu jɛra / Dugu gwɛra
The day has risen [Lit. "The land has whitened"
Dibi donna
It's gotten dark [Lit. "Darkness has entered"]
Su kora
It's night time [Lit. "The night has washed"]
Nɛnɛ bɛ

It's cold

Funteni bɛ

It's hot

Sankabaw ka ca
The clouds are abundant [as in, "It's really cloudy"
San finna
The sky has blackened [as in, "It looks like it will rain"]
San(ji) bɛ ka na
It's going to rain [Lit. "Sky(water) is coming"]
Sanji bɛ ka bin
It's raining [Lit. "Rain is falling"]
San(ji) nana
It rained [Lit. "Sky(water) came)"
Fiɲɛ/fɔɲɔ bɛ ci
The wind blows
Fiɲɛ/fɔɲɔ ka ca
It's windy [Lit. "The wind is abundant"]
Yɔrɔ ka di
It's nice out [Lit. "The place is pleasing"]
Yɔrɔ jara
It's dry out [Lit. "The place has dried"]
Nɛzi binna
It snowed [Lit. "Snow fell"]

Kalan | Studies

k'à kalan
to study/read sth
kalan
studies/reading
ka kalan kɛ
to study/read [Lit. "to do studies/reading"]
k'à sɛbɛn
to write sth
sɛbɛnni
writing; instance of writing
ka sɛbɛnni kɛ
to write [Lit. "to do writing"]
gɛlɛn/gwɛlɛn
difficult
nɔgɔn/nɔgɔ
easy
o

that

kitabu
book [< Ar.]
gafe
book
biki
pen [< Fr. bic]
kala
pen [Ar. qalam]
ka baara kɛ
to work [lit. 'to do work']
k'à durusi
to memorize sth [especially Quranic verses]
walanda
lesson
k'à ɲininka
to ask sb
ɲininkali
question
jaabi
answer
k'à jaabi
to answer sb
ka jaabi di
to give an answer
ka ɲinɛ

to forget sth

N hakili bɔra
I forgot [Lit. "My idea/intellect went out"]
k'à dege
to learn sth
ka mɔgɔ kalan fɛn na
to teach sb sth [Lit. "to study sb on sth"]
ka mɔgɔ dege fɛn na
to teach sb sth [Lit. "to learn sb on sth"]
kalankɛyɔrɔ
"study place" [e.g., a school or classroom]
kalanso
school [lit. "study house"]
lakɔli
school [Fr. école]
k'à dɔn
to know sth [Bambara]
k'à lɔn
to know sth [Jula]
k'à faamu
to understand sth
k'à mɛn
to hear sth [can be used to express the idea of "getting" what someone says]

Te | Tea

grɛn
tea-drinking group [< Fr. "grin"]
te
tea
ka mɔ
to ripen; to be ready [for tea, foods, etc]
sukaro
sugar
ka te wuli
to prepare/make tea [Lit. "to raise tea"]
tiga
peanut(s)
ka tiga ɲimi
to eat peanuts [Lit. "to chew peanuts"]
maribatiga
salted roasted peanut(s)
kɔgɔ
salt
baro
chatting
k'à baro
to entertain sb via conversation [Lit. "to chat sb"]
ka baro kɛ
to chat
wɛri/wɛrɛ
a glass [< Fr. verre]
ka kuma
to talk
kuma
talk; words; remarks
fɔlɔ
yet [Lit. "first"]
kaban
already [< ka ban "to end"]
k'à balabala
to boil sth
teri
friend
sigiyɔrɔ
chair; seat; bench [lit. "sit-place"]
X ka di Y ye
Y likes X [Lit. "X is pleasing to Y"]
X man di Y ye
Y doesn't like X [Lit. "X isn't pleasing to Y"]
ka
infinitive marker
An bɛ te min ka baro kɛ
We drink tea and chat
N nana baro kɛ
I came and chatted / I came to chat
N taara te min
I went and drank tea / I went to drink tea
ka sɔrɔ ka
"and then"
Adama ye te wuli ka sɔrɔ k'à min
Adama prepared tea and then drank it
sa
exasperation particle
"O man ɲi sa!"
"That's no good, man!"
Aw fana sa!
"Man, you guys (are killing me)!" [Lit. "Y'all too, man!]
bɛɛ
all; each
dɔ
some
si
none; any
foyi/fosi
none; nothing
wɛrɛ
another; other
dɔwɛrɛ
another one; some other one
dɔrɔn
only
Hɔn!
Here! [as in, "Here, take this"]

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