Chichewa Phrases
Vowels
Chichewa vowels are always pronounced the same way. If you know Spanish, you will easily be able to pronounce them, as they are the same.
a = ah (taco)
e = ay (grande)
i = ee (tortilla)
o = oh (nacho)
u = oo (tortuga)
Pronunciation
Mostly Chichewa is very phonetic. A few notes though…
-r’s are pronounced with a flip of the tongue, like Spanish. So it’s more like a “d” sound.
-you’ll find that l’s and r’s are often exchanged. No problem.
-Be careful of multiple consonants at the beginning of a word. N’s and m’s are barely pronounced. (ie Nsmia or Ndili - you hardly hear the n at all - try not to say indeelee, which is very overpronounced.) Also extra d’s in the middle of a word are generally underplayed.
One final note - Most of the Malawians we met spoke some English, and many spoke English very well. When communicating in English, avoid slang phrases of any kind (it creeps into our language so easily!). Try to phrase things simply - think about how it will translate in their minds. And if you’re having trouble communicating something, try choosing different words. We used the phrases “no problem” and “is it possible” a lot.
Greetings
When you meet someone, they will probably say:
“Muli bwanji?” (how are you)
You reply:
“Ndili bwino” (I’m fine.)
Then, in order to be polite, you must say:
“Kaya inu?” (and you?)
and they’ll say “Ndili bwino” also.
If it is morning:
Mwadzuka bwanji?
Ndadzuka bwino. Kaya inu?
Ndadzuka bwino.
If it is afternoon or evening:
Mwaswera bwanji?
Ndaswera bwino. Kaya inu?
Ndaswera bwino.
After the greeting, one or both of you will often say:
Zikomo kwambiri. (which means, thank you very much)
Zikomo (thank you) is a great word. We used it constantly - it can mean thank you, okay…or many other things.
Other helpful words / phrases
See you later — Tionana
See you tomorrow — Tionana mawa
food — chakudya
water — madzi
God — Mulungu
chimbudzi — toilet
Chimbudzi chili kuti - Where is the toilet? (note: you need to say toilet, not bathroom)
This is a work in progress - more to come soon!
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Great to read and see video of a little town where I was birn and played till I was 13.My parents then migrated to the UK and I have never been back to Mponela.Would have loved to see a video of the shops on the main road as my dad had 2 of them back in 1970. I still remember a lot of phrases in Chichewa. The people are very nice and friendly.
Zokomo kwambili ,ine ndakondwela kwamibili kuona Mponela pa website yanu.
how would i say “hope” in Chichewa??? thanks!
Hey thank you so much for posting all of this! i am going on a mission trip to Malawi and you are the first helpful website i have found! thank you so much!
Those of you visiting Malawi should try and ventire away from the main towns and mix with the locals and try out ( maize dough and ocra leaves) cima and thelele , roasted flying termites, mowa (local brew).Malawi lake areas are also excellent places to visit.Traditional dances such as chinyawu are also great way to be entertained. I have excellent memories of Malawi and hope you all have fun.
I recommend staying at the Red Zebra, lake malawi, Senga Bay-wonderful lodging , nice people and great food. I spent a month in malawi last year. Anyone needing a host family in the blantyre area , I have missionary friends there, native malawians, and they would be a great contact to show you the real malawi. Just have questions concerning going to malawi, contact me at malawimissions@yahoo.com
Autumn - hope in Chichewa is chiyembekeza… that is, in case you ever check back here ;o)
Love Malawi in every way!
Excellent - thank you so much for some very helpful advice and some basic chichewa words. Do please find the time to put up some more. The only sites I have managed to find seem to have long lists of words but no simple sentences. I have just come back after my first ever visit of 6 weeks and I can’t wait to go back. The people were wonderful and I loved my visits in the villages. Everyone was so welcoming and the children soon got used to a zungu in their midst!
actually hope is chikhulupililo
Hope is chiyembekezo not chiyembekeza and faith is chikhulupiliro.
Thanks
hey everyone - based on my experience, you WILL find different spellings and pronunciations of words depending on who you’re talking to, and what village you’re in
so don’t stress over it.
I’ve heard a great song that I’d like to know the english meaning. It sounds like Fanana na yesu?
Loved doing missions work in Malawi so much I’m deferring for a year from college and going back there for a while! The people are so awesome, so loving. I would recommend the Hippo View Lodge, it gets you out of the city. It’s in Blantyre, I believe.
Quick question, i am trying to decifer what i think is a Malawian worship song. I am not even going to try and pronounce it in malawian. in English i seem to remember it sounding like: ” never been it zhem-bi-you” any idea what that means?
Can anyone show me some phrases of compliments in Chichewa? I know the basic small-talk stuff because that’s all you can find on the internet… but some other phrases would be nice to know! Thanks =]
How do you say - I Miss You
RE: I’ve heard a great song that I’d like to know the english meaning. It sounds like Fanana na yesu?
I taught in a village outside Blantyre and the children taught me this song. It means fanana means redemption. The song is about turning back to Jesus.
Having a family background from Blantre Malawi I can tell you that the word hope in Chichewa means Chiyembekezo
Our Lords Prayer in Chichewa
Atate wathu wa Kumwamba, dzina lanu liyeretsedwe.
Ufumu wanu udze, kufunu kwanu kuchitidwe,
monga kumwamba chomwecho pansi pano.
Multipatse ife lero chakudya chathu chalero.
Ndipo mutikhulukire mangawa athu,
monga ifenso takululukira amangawa athu.
Ndipo musatitengere kokatiyesa,
Koma mulipulumutse kwa woipayo.
Chifukwa wanu uli ufumu ndi mphamvu ndi ulemerero,
ku nthawi zonse. Amen
P.S Is there anyone here in the UK that can help me learn more and can speak the language/ chichewa ?