Learn Kimbundu
The first 65 words
Every human language can express the same 65 basic concepts — the semantic primes. They are the ideas all other meanings are built from, which makes them the most useful place to start. Here is each one in Kimbundu, in the modern official spelling, linked to its dictionary entry.
59/65 words mapped to dictionary entries
Substantives
personal pronoun: my person; I.
eme nga ku zolà
I love you.
Attested — Chatelain, 1889
second person singular personal pronoun: you; your person
eie u muloji
You are a wizard.
Attested — Chatelain, 1889
Someone: ele ué'u?
ku mundu oko kueniê mutu, uauaba usokela n'cie
In this world there is no one as beautiful as you.
Attested — Chatelain, 1894
Thing. What is said or serves as the subject of discourse.
O kamba rietu riakexile mu binga kima
Our friend was asking for something.
Attested — Chatelain, 1889
Group of people; personnel; crowd; folk.
atu kiiari
two people
Attested — Chatelain, 1889
Body; exterior; the outside. | The visible part.
Relational substantives
Determiners
Quantifiers
One.
mutu umoxi
one person
Attested — Chatelain, 1889
Two.
atu kiiari
two people
Attested — Chatelain, 1889
Denotes indeterminate but not large quantities; some; a few , k'axingenek'á; small elements or groups among many ; any; one or the other.
Amoxi êxi: "Tu mu jiba ni matadi."
Some said: "We shall kill him with stones."
Attested — Chatelain, 1894
(III) All | Whole; complete | Without exclusion.
kiatundu ioso mu kuuaba
nicer than all
Attested — Chatelain, 1889
To abound; to have much; to exist in excess, in quantity.
of little extent or volume; small; tiny; infantile; limited; little; small quantity
Evaluators
Descriptors
Mental predicates
To imagine | To consider | To think about, meditate, suppose. | To intend | To care; to plan; to project | To represent in the mind | To brood.
To know; to be acquainted with.
To intend; to want.
Se uandala, zuela.
If you want to, speak.
Attested — Chatelain, 1894
Not a single word in Kimbundu — this concept is expressed grammatically.
To feel.
Kitangana, uivua bu kanga bu muelu ua 'nzo
A while later, she hears something outside, at the door of the house.
Attested — Chatelain, 1894
To see; to witness; to attend | To sight; to recognize: kima u ki mona ni u ki tange. | To note; to observe.
Eme ki ngimona kioso ki ngibanga.
I do not see what I shall do.
Attested — Chatelain, 1894
To attend; to hear.
Speech
Actions, events, movement
Existence, possession
To be; to remain; to reside | To live; to exist. | To dwell; to coexist , ngolela ji ku fila ku muxima.
O jingombe jala mu iangu? — Jalê-mu.
Are the oxen in the grass? — They are not.
Attested — Chatelain, 1889
To be; to remain; to reside | To live; to exist. | To dwell; to coexist , ngolela ji ku fila ku muxima.
Sai-ku, sai-bu, sai-mu
there is, there are
Attested — Chatelain, 1889
To be. | To exist permanently. | To have such or such a condition. | V. kúkala.
My; mine.
O m'bik' ó ki uami ê
This slave is not mine.
Attested — Chatelain, 1889
Life and death
Not a single word in Kimbundu — this concept is expressed grammatically.
To cease to live
Mona a Nzambi ua tu fuila
The Son of God died for us.
Attested — Chatelain, 1889
Time
Time that elapses between two operations.
Now.
nga mu vuala kindaula
I gave birth to it just now.
Attested — Chatelain, 1894
From before; formerly.
After.
Not a single word in Kimbundu — this concept is expressed grammatically.
Not a single word in Kimbundu — this concept is expressed grammatically.
Not a single word in Kimbundu — this concept is expressed grammatically.
Moment; instant.
Kitangana, uivua bu kanga bu muelu ua 'nzo
A while later, she hears something outside, at the door of the house.
Attested — Chatelain, 1894
Space
In what part or place ?
Here; in this place; at this point.
O hoji ixi: "Iza baba; ngi zukame."
The lion said: "Come here; come close to me."
Attested — Chatelain, 1894
The upper part of the elevated object.
Below; underneath; beneath.
Eie, uakuata o uanda koxi a menia
You who are holding the net under the water.
Attested — Chatelain, 1894
Far | The highest, most distant or deepest point. | The vastness of the waters; the open sea | Field; place of combat. | Audience; judgement.
To be neighbouring; to be at a short distance, nearby | To be a neighbour, to be close to. | To dwell in the vicinity.
Side; part; section; half; moiety; each of the parts into which a whole is divided; share; each of the four cardinal points; right or left side of an animal's body; flank; direction; band.
of place. In, inside, within.
To touch; to spread by contagion: kitangu u kuata soko rie.
Logical concepts
of negation. No.
kana
no
Attested — Chatelain, 1889
It may be that; possibly; perhaps.
To be able; to be sufficient.
-tena
to be able
Attested — Chatelain, 1889
interrog. Why? For what reason, cause or motive?
mukonda
because
Attested — Chatelain, 1889
In the event that; If , u ku jiba | Should it happen that.
Intensifier, augmentor
Not a single word in Kimbundu — this concept is expressed grammatically.
More; again ; still; to a greater degree.
Similarity
Based on the Natural Semantic Metalanguage research programme (Goddard & Wierzbicka). Mappings are drawn from the historical dictionary corpus and are under editorial review.