Unit 1 Vocab

san

sky [sometimes by extension used to refer to "rain"]

sanji

rain

ka bin

to fall

ka fin

to blacken

tile [tle]

sun

farin

fiery

ka gan/gwan

to heat (up)

funteni

sun

sankaba

cloud

fiɲɛ

wind [Bambara]

fɔɲɔ

wind [Jula]

ka suma

to cool (down)

Walayi!

By God!

ka ɲigin

to wet; to become wet

ka ja

to dry (up)

nɛzi

snow [< Fr. neige]

samiya

rainy season [when farming occurs; around June-August in West Africa]

fo(nɛnɛ)

cold season [when things are very dry and dusty around Dec-Jan in West Africa]

ka sumaya

to become cool

sumaya

coolness; Malaria

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]

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"]