A Rough Guide to IciBemba

Volume 1 of the hopefully soon-to-exist, volunteer/co-worker produced:

EWB Language Guide Series

Written by: Owen Scott, Elias Mutwale

Table of Contents
Section
Disclaimer
Preface
On the Importance of Language
Pronunciation
Greetings
Verbs (conjugation)
Verbs (list)
Feelings
Times
Some Nouns
Connecting Words
Other Useful Things
Sentences

Page
1
2
3
4
5
6
11
12
13
14
15
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Disclaimer
It is almost certain that not everything in this guide is correct. However, much of it is.
Thereits been said.

Preface
I developed this guide during my last few weeks in Zambia as a way to help future EWB
volunteers (and volunteers with other organizations) to learn Bemba prior to leaving for
overseas. The impetus for the guide came from the many nights I spent sitting alone by
candlelight studying verb conjugation by written practice; I simply felt like much of the
study I did while in Zambia could have been done more effectively prior to leaving (and
with less opportunity cost related to other cool stuff).
I am by no means fluent in Bemba; in fact, I can barely speak the language at all, and
have never held down anything close to a conversation. However, I did learn a lot in my
time overseas, and feel that that knowledge is valuable and worth sharing.
This guide was written by me (Owen), and then edited and contributed to heavily by my
friend, co-worker, and primary Bemba teacher Elias Mutwale. He even edited some of
my English. I cant express in words how grateful I was for his help, and hope that many
future volunteers from EWB can participate in collaborative efforts such as this to take
our organizational language learning capacity to another level.
This guide is not a how-to guide, nor is it an exercise book, nor is it divided into bitesize lessons. Rather, it is simply an organized presentation of information. It is up to the
reader to decide how this information is to be used/learned. I trust you to figure this one
out for yourself
(also, any questions about this guide, contact: owenscott@ewb.ca)

On the Importance of Language

Understanding and speaking the local language while overseas can bring you many
things. It can gain you added trust, it can bring you added comprehension of your
surroundings, and it can allow you to interact more enjoyably with other people.
However, there are more important reasons to learn language as well.
In Zambia, as in many countries, English is the official language but it is no ones first
language. English is learned in school, and, in most cases, school is not free. Thus, I
might posit that English language ability and socio-economic status correlate fairly
closely.
For this reason, as a volunteer, by limiting yourself to effective communication only in
English, you are also severely reducing your ability to even interact with the poorest of
the poor; the people whose lives and opportunities you are ostensibly overseas to help
improve. For me, this is the most important of many good reasons why language learning
should continue to be a core organization value of EWB, and why we desperately need to
work as an organization to make sure that resources and techniques are available to help
our volunteers turn ambition into action with regards to language. Hopefully this guide
can be a start.

Pronunciation
Dont worry about being perfect. Just be close. You will learn more once you get there.
Everything in this guide is written very phonetically, so follow this outline and you will
be fine.
Vowels:

a like the a in cat

e like the a in mate
i like the i in ski
o like the oa sound in coat
u like the oo sound in cool

Most consonants are pronounced the same as in English. There are a few exceptions:
Consonants: c like the ch in chair
b like a mix of b, w, and v (try saying all three at once)
ng like the ng in singing

Greetings
During your time in Zambia you will be constantly greeting people. Exchanging
greetings and enquiring as to other peoples well-being is an integral part of the Zambian
culture.
Usually, when first meeting someone (even if you know them already) you should start
with a hello. Depending on the context and time of day, what hello you use will vary.
Following this initial greeting, you should move on to ask how they are. There is
essentially no limit to the number of enquiries you can make (although there kind of
itits situation dependentnot that I really ever understood anything that well), so feel
free to use more than one in succession. The list that follows is a list of some of the basic
greetings to get you started. You will learn more as you travel.

Hellos
iciBemba

English

When to Use

Greeting: Mwashibukeni?
Response: Eya mukwai.

Good morning?
Yes mukwai.

Morning

Greeting: Mwaikaleni?
Response: Eya mukwai.

Youve been good?

Yes mukwai.

Afternoon

Greeting: Cungulo mukwai.

Response: Eya mukwai.

Good evening mukwai?

Yes mukwai.

Greeting: Mwapoleeni?
Reponse: Eya mukwai.

Hello?
Yes mukwai.

Anytime

Greeting: Mwabombeni?
Response: Eya mukwai.

Works good?
Yes mukwai.

When someones
working.

Evening

How are you?s

iciBemba

English

When to Use

Greeting: Muli Shaani?

Response: Bwino.

How are you?

Well.

Anytime

Greeting: Mwashibukashaani?
Response: Bwino.

How did you sleep?

Well.

Morning

Greeting: Mwaikalashaani
Response: Bwino.

Well.

Greeting: Mwabombashaani?
Reponse: Bwino.

How has work been?

Well

At/after work.

Greeting: Kunganda Kulishaani?

Response: Kunganda Kuliye Bwino

Hows home?
Home is well.

Anytime.

Afternoon

Verbs (conjugation)
Verb conjugation can be one of the most beneficial things to study before going overseas.
If you intend to learn the language beyond simple greetings, there is no getting around
learning the grammar rules surrounding verbs. The following section lists some of the
most important verb tenses you will use while speaking Bemba. (Note: in Bemba, the
very itself never changes based on conjugation; only the words that precede it do).

Past Tense (yesterday or before)

English
I verbed
You verbed
He/She verbed
We verbed
They verbed
You (plural) verbed

iciBemba
Nali verb
Wali verb
Ali verb
Twali verb
Bali verb
Mwali verb

English
I didnt verb
You didnt verb
He/She didnt verb
We didnt verb
They didnt verb
You (plural) didnt verb

iciBemba
Nsha verb
Tawa verb
Ta verb
Tatwa verb
Taba verb
Tamwa verb

Past Tense (earlier today)

English
I verbed
You verbed
He/She verbed
We verbed
They verbed
You (plural) verbed

iciBemba
Naci verb
Waci verb
Aci verb
Twaci verb
Baci verb
Mwaci verb

English
I didnt verb
You didnt verb
He/She didnt verb
We didnt verb
They didnt verb
You (plural) didnt verb

iciBemba
Nshaci verb
Tawaci verb
Taci verb
Tatwaci verb
Tabaci verb
Tamwaci verb

Past Tense (very recentalmost present)

English
Ive verbed
Youve verbed
He/She has verbed
We have verbed
They have verbed
You (plural) have verbed

iciBemba
Na verb
Wa verb
A verb
Twa verb
Ba verb
Mwa verb

English
I havent verbed
You havent verbed
He/She hasnt verbed
We havent verbed
They havent verbed
You (plural) havent verbed

iciBemba
Nshi verb
Tau verb
Ta verb
Tatu verb
Taba verb
Tamu verb

Present Tense
English
Im verbing
Youre verbing
He/She is verbing
Were verbing
Theyre verbed
Youre (plural) verbed

iciBemba
Nde verb
Ule verb
Ale verb
Twale verb
Bale verb
Mule verb

English
Im not verbing
Youre not verbing
He/She isnt verbing
Were not verbing
Theyre not verbing
Youre (plural) not verbing

iciBemba
Nshile verb
Taule verb
Tale verb
Tatule verb
Tabale verb
Ta-mule verb

Present Tense (youre physically on your way to do it)

English
iciBemba
Im going to verb
Naya muku verb
Youre going to verb
Waya muku verb
He/She is going to verb
Aya muku verb
Were going to verb
Twaya muku verb
Theyre going to verb
Baya muku verb
Youre (plural) going to verb
Mwaya muku verb
*Note: you can also go to place, e.g. Naya muku Zambia (Im going to Zambia)
English
Im not going to verb
Youre not going to verb
He/She is not going to verb
Were not going to verb
Theyre not going to verb
Youre (plural) not going to verb

iciBemba
Nshilaya muku verb
Tauleya muku verb
Taleya muku verb
Tatuleya muku verb
Tabaleya muku verb
Tamuleya muku verb

Future Tense (later today)

English
Ill verb
Youll verb
He/She will verb
Well verb
Theyll verb
Youll (plural) verb

iciBemba
Nala verb
Wala verb
Ala verb
Twala verb
Bala verb
Mwala verb

English
I wont verb
You wont verb
He/She wont verb
We wont verb
They wont verb
You (plural) wont verb

iciBemba
Nsha verb
Tawa verb
Ta verb
Tatusa verb
Taba verb
Tamwa verb

Future Tense (tomorrow or later)

English
Ill verb
Youll verb
He/She will verb
Well verb
Theyll verb
Youll (plural) verb

iciBemba
Nka verb
Uka verb
Aka verb
Tuka verb
Baka verb
Muka verb

English
I wont verb
You wont verb
He/She wont verb
We wont verb
They wont verb
You (plural) wont verb

iciBemba
Nshaka verb
Tawaka verb
Taka verb
Tatwaka verb
Tabaka verb
Tamwaka verb

Something you always do

English
I verb
You verb
He/She verbs
We verb
They verb
You (plural) verb

iciBemba
Nda verb
Ula verb
Ala verb
Tula verb
Bala verb
Mula verb

English
I dont verb
You dont verb
He/She doesnt verb
We dont verb
They dont verb
You (plural) dont verb

iciBemba
Nshi verb
Tau verb
Ta verb
Tatu verb
Taba verb
Tamu verb

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Verbs (list)
Once youve got a grip on verb tenses, it can be useful to study some verbs to go along
with them. The following section lists some of the most important verbs you may need to
know when speaking Bemba in your community. You will probably learn more as you
travel.
English
to learn
to teach
to eat
to drink
to feel
to go
to sleep
to read
to write
to bath
to take
to fetch (water)
to meet
to cook
to sit
to walk (to travel)

iciBemba
uku-sambilila
uku-sambilisha
uku-lia
uku-nwa
ukw-umfwa
uku-ya
uku-lala
uku-belenga
uku-lemba
uku-samba
uku-senda
uku-tapa
uku-monana
ukw-ipika
ukw-icala
ukw-enda

English
to play (a game/sport)
to play (an instrument)
to understand/listen
to try
to roast/fry
to like
to run
to wash
to see
to think
to buy
to work
to dance
to watch
to make
to pack

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iciBemba
uku-teya
uku-lisha
uku-umfwa
uku-esha
uku-salula
uku-temwa
uku-butuka
uku-washa
uku-mona
uku-totonkanya
uku-shita
uku-bomba
uku-shana
uku-tamba
uku-panga
uku-longa

Feelings
Expressing feelings is a very important thing to be able to do while interacting with
people. The verb uku-umfwa is to feel (see previous section). The following section
will show you how to express in Bemba some of the things you may be feeling while
travelling.
English
Hungry
Thirsty
Tired
Sleepy
Awake
Happiness
Sad
Lonely
Sick
Examples: Nde umfwa utulo.
Na umfwa nsala.
Nala umfwa insansa.

iciBemba
Insala
Icilaka
Ukunaka
Utulo
Buka
Insansa
Ubulanda
Fuluka
Ukulwala
Im feeling sleepy.
Ive felt hungry.
I will feel happy.

uku-umfwa sana feeling - to feel very feeling

Examples: Nde umfwa sana icilaka.
Nali umfwa sana ukunaka.
Nala umfwa insansa.

Im feeling very thirsty.

I felt very tired.
I will feel very happy.

uku-umfwa panono feeling - to feel a little feeling

Examples: Nde umfwa panono insala
Na umfwa ukunaka panono
Nali umfwa panono ubulanda

Im feeling a little hungry

Ive felt a bit tired
I felt a bit ubulanda

Note: uku-umfwa should be pronounced uk-umfwa

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Times
As you will see later in this guide, being able to mention various times of the day will be
very helpful once you start trying to form simple sentences.
English
Today
Yesterday/Tommorow (determined by context)
At a certain point in the future
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
This morning
This afternoon
This evening
Yesterday/Tommorow morning
Yesterday/Tommorow afternoon
Yesterday/Tommorow evening
Pa day of the week

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Bemba
Lelo
Mailo
Panshita imo
Ulu cello
Akasuba
Icungulo
Luno ulu celo
Kano akasuba
Cino icungulo
Mailo ulu celo
Mailo acasuva
Maielo icungulo
On day of the week (in English)

Some Nouns
Better learnt on the ground, but I figured Id include a few just for fun (if I were trying to
learn the language before going overseas my main focus would be on verb conjugation,
not noun memorization; in my opinion memorization is easier done through practice than
study).
English
fire
nshima (staple food)
house
banana
mushroom
beans
rice
groundnuts (peanuts)
pen/pencil

Bemba
umulilo
ubwali
inganda
inkonde
ubowa
cilemba
umupunga
imbalala
icilembelo

English
road
bicycle
water
toilet
bag
stomach
chicken
fish
guitar

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Bemba
umusebo
incinga
amenshi
icimbusu
icola
ulufumo
inkoko
isabi
banjo

Connecting Words
Youll need a few of these to get going, but I dont know that many. This is a start
English
and/with
and then
pantu
pali
to
at/on

Bemba
na
elyo
because
about
ku
pa

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Other Useful Things

These dont necessarily fit nicely into the structure of this document, but they are good to
know.
English
Give me (completely polite to say)
Where?
Shinga?
Ishina lyandi nine
Nimwebo banana ishina?
Muleya kwisa?
Mwafuma kwisa?
Mwende bwino.
Amenshi ayakunwa
Kuti na
Ndefwaya

Bemba
Peniko
Kwisa?
How much for?
My name is
What is your name?
You are going where?
You have come from where?
Go well.
Water to drink.
Can I/I can
Im wanting

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Sentences
This final section will show you how to combine some of the basic things in this guide to
form more complex sentences. As you will see, the simple tools provided in this
document will allow you to begin to say relatively complex things. These are just a few
examples.
Nde fwaya uku-samba cino icungulo.
I want to bath this evening.
Na umfwa sana icilaka, peniko amenshi ayakundwa.
I feel very thirsty, give me water to drink.
Nde fwaya uku-afwa uku-lima uku-sambilisha pali Zambia.
I want to help to farm to learn about Zambia.
Shinga ubwali na inkoko?
How much for nshima with chicken?
Mailo akasuba nka afwa uku-salula imbalala.
Tomorrow afternoon I will want to help to roast groundnuts.
Nde umfwa sana utulo, nka samba mailo ulucelo.
Im feeling very tired, I will bath tomorrow morning.

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