Go and get your immunization records

Today's lesson was provided by a rowdy group of middle-aged Burundian men who found my attempts at Kirundi absolutely hilarious.  Unfortunately, not a one among them was literate in their own language, so I have not been able to verify the spelling or the precise, literal translation of each word.

They corrected my crude "zana icanco" (" bring | immunizations ") with:

ugenda uzane icanco -- you go | bring | immunizations

When do you work?

As in English, asking someone "ukora ryari?" ("you work | when ?") has a meaning that is context specific. The answer could be "kuwambere" (Monday) or "ejo" (Tomorrow), or the particular hours that they work.  To ask directly about hours, say "ukora ryari uyumusi?" (" you work | when | today ? ").

Kirundi Months

As has previously been mentioned, Kirundi speakers usually use ordinal numbers to refer to months.  However, each month also has a name in Kirundi, though they are very rarely used.  I was told by my teacher "learn these and you will know something that most Kirundi speakers do not know.  You will have something to teach them about their own language."

January  -- Nzero
February  --  Ruhuhuma
March  --  Ntwarante
April  --  Ndamukiza
May --  Rusama
June  --  Ruheshi
July  --  Mukakaro
August  --  Myandagaro
September  --  Nyakanga
October  --  Gitugutu
November  --  Munyonyo
December  --  Kigarama

I will give you

inzoguha -- I will give you

Kirundi 101 (Essential Words & Phrases)

I recently gave a presentation to a group of my colleagues entitled "Kirundi 101" in which I presented the following list of essential words and phrases as well as the first five dialogues.

Hello (What’s new?)	amakuru?
Hello (How’s it going?)	bite? / gute? (Kinyarwanda: bite only)
Hello (response to: Amakuru, Bite, or Gute)	ni sawa / ni meza (Swahili/Kirundi)
How are you feeling? (are you strong?)	urakomeye?
I’m fine (I’m strong)	ndakomeye
My name is ____.	nitwa _____
What is your name?	witwa nde?
See you later (same day, definite)	turasubira
See you later (indefinite, after today)	tuzosubira (Kinyarwanda: tuzasubira)
Come (follow)	nkurikira
Come in.	injira
Wait a moment / hold please	rindira gato
Wait here	rindirira aha
Wait for me	ndindira
Please sit	icara
Please stand.	haguruka
Give it (to me).	mpa, mhereza (hand it to me)
Take (this).	akira
Please eat.	rya
Please bring ____.	zana ______
Did you bring __________?	wazanye _____?
Do you have __________ (at all)?	urafise ______?
Thank you	urakoze
You’re welcome	korerwa
Yes	ego
No	oya
You are finished (for today)	urahejeje
Is there something else?	hari ibindi ukeneye?
Do you have a question?	urafise ikibazo?
Do you understand?	urumva?
I don’t understand	sinumva
Be quiet.	ceceka

Monday	kuwambere
Tuesday	kuwakabiri
Wednesday	kuwagatatu
Thursday	kuwakane
Friday	kuwagatanu
Saturday	kuwagatandatu
Sunday	kuwamunga
morning	mugitondo
afternoon	umuhingamo
night	umugoroba

0	imburungu
1	rimwe
2	kabiri
3	gatatu
4	kane
5	gatanu
6	gatandatu
7	indwi
8	umunani
9	icenda
10	icumi
11	cumi nu rimwe
12	cumi nu kabiri
13	cumi nu gatatu
14	cumi nu kane
15	cumi nu gatanu
16	cumi nu gatandatu
17	cumi n’indwi
18	cumi n’umunani
19	cumi n’icenda
20	mirong’ibiri
30	mirong'itatu
40	mirong'ine
50	mirong'itanu
60	mirong'itandatu
70	mirong'indwi
80	mirong'umunani
90	mirong'icenda
100	ijana
200	amajana abiri
300	amajana atatu
400	amajana ane
500	amajana atanu
600	amajana atandatu
700	amajana indwi
800	amajana umunani
900	amajana icenda
1000	igihumbi

Dialogue 5: Making an Appointment

Direct Link to fully annotated document: Dialogue 5: Making an Appointment
Text without Annotations:

Making an Appointment:

<Phone rings>

B: (in English) Thank you for calling, how may I help you?

(Urakoze guhamagara, ndagufashe iki?)

{ Thank you | to call , | I help you | (with) what ? }

A:  Do you speak Kirundi?

Uravuga Ikirundi?

{ you speak | Kirundi ? }

B: Yes, I speak Kirundi a little. How can I help you?

Ego, ndavuga ikirundi gikeyi. Ndagufashe iki?

{ Yes | I speak | Kirundi | little . | I help you | (with) what ? }

A: I need to talk to C.

Nkeneye kuvugana na C.

{ I need | to talk with/together | with | C . }

B: C isn’t here.  Who is this?

     C sihari. Uri nde?

    { C | isn’t present . | You are | who ? }

A: I am A.

Ndi A.

{ I am | A . }

B: Ah, A, hello. What do you need?

Ah, A, amakuru.  Ukeneye iki?

{ Ah , | A , | hello . | You need | what ? }

A: I need help filling out a job application.

Nashaka uwomfasha kwuzuza urupapuro rwo gusaba akazi.

{ I would like | you help me | to fill out | a paper | of/for | to ask | work/job }

B: We can help you with that. Let’s make an appointment. Can you come in tomorrow?

Turashobora kugufasha. Reka ndaguhe isango. Ushobora kuza ejo?

{ We can | to help you. | Let me | give you | appointment. |

You can | to come | tomorrow ? }

A: No, I work tomorrow.

Oya, ejo ndakora.

{ No , | tomorrow | I work . }

B: Can you come in on Friday?

Urashobora kuza kuwagatanu.

{ you can | to come | Friday ? }

A: Yes, I can come in then. What time?

Ego. Gihe ki?

{ Yes. Time | what ? }

B: 10 o’clock?

Isaha zine zuzuye?

{ hour | four (ten) | o’clock }

A: Yes, I will be there at 10 o’clock on Friday.

Ego, nzoba ndahari isaha zine kuwagatanu.

{ Yes . | I will be present | hour | four (ten) | Friday . }

B: Great, see you then.

Neza cane, tuzosubira rero.

{ well | very , | see you later | then . }

A: Thank you, have a nice day.

Urakoze, ugire umusi mwiza.

{ Thank you , | have | day | nice . }

B: You’re welcome.

    Korerwa.  

{ be served }

Dialogue 4: Meeting a Friend

Direct Link to fully annotated document: Dialogue 4: Meeting a Friend


Text without Annotations:

Meeting a Friend:

A: Good Morning!

    Mwaramutse!

    { it became morning (?) }

B: Good morning. What’s up?

Mwaramutse nesa.  Amakuru?

{ It became morning | well. | News ? }

A: It's going well! How are you?

Amakuru ni meza, bite? ( or Amakuru yawe?)

{ news | is | well , | how (is it going) ? }   or   { news | yours ? }

B: I'm good. Do you know C?

Nisawa. Urazi C?

{ (I’m) good. You know | C ? }

A: No. Hello, C. My name is A.

Oya. Amakuru, C. Izina ryanje ni A.

{ No. | news, | C . | Name | my | is | A }

C: Pleased to meet you.

    Amakuru.

    { News. }

B: C is my cousin.

    C ni muvyaranje.

    { C | is | my cousin . }

A: Where are you from?

Uturuka hehe?

{ you come from | where ? }

C: I am from Burundi.

(Jewe) nturuka mu Burundi.

{ (I/me) | I come from | in | Burundi }

A: Do you live in Pittsburgh?

Uba Pittsburgh?.

{ you reside | (in) Pittsburgh ? }

C: Yes, I live in East Liberty.

Ego, mba muri East Liberty.

{ yes , | I reside | in | East Liberty }

A: Do you like East Liberty?

Urakunda kuba muri East Liberty?

{ you like | to reside | in | East Liberty ? }

C: Yes, I like it.

Ego, Ndahakunda.

{ Yes , | I like it (that place) }

A: Where do you work? What do you do?

     Ukora He? Ukora Iki?

    { you work | where ? | you work | what ? }

C: I work at Giant Eagle.  I cook food there.  I am also a student.

    Nkorera Giant Eagle / Nkora muri Giant Eagle. Ndateka. Kandi ndi umunyeshule.

    { I work for | GE / I work | in | GE .  | I cook. | Also | I am | a student . }

A: Wow! You do a lot.

    Oh! Ukora vyinshi!

    { Wow! | You do | many things . }

C: Yes, I am very busy. Yes, I have no time. / No, not very many.

    Ego, nta mwanya mfise. / Oya, sivyinshi cane.

    { Yes , | no | time | I have . / No, | not many things | very . }

A: Giant Eagle is far from East Liberty. Do you drive?

Giant Eagle iri kure ya East Liberty. Uratwara umuduga?

{ GE | is | for | from/of | East Liberty . | You drive | a car ? }

C: No. I don’t have a license. I ride the bus.

Oya, nta ruhusha mfise. Nhoresha bus / Ngenda na bus.

{ No, | no/negation | permission | I have . | I use | bus / I go | with | bus . }

A: Well, I’m in a hurry, I must go. It was good to see you.

    Ndihuta, ntegerezwa kugenda. Nyviza kubonana.

{ I’m in a hurry, | I must | to go . | It’s good | to see each other . }

C: It was good to meet you.  Goodbye.

    Nvyiza ko duhuye. Nagasaga.

    { It’s good | that | we meet .  | Goodbye . }

B: See you later.

Tuzosubira.

{ See you later . }