30 Lingala Phrases to Learn Today
Lingala is more than a language. It moves through music, across borders and through generations of families who carried it far from the Congo River basin and never let it disappear.
Today, Lingala is spoken by millions of people across Central Africa, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo, Angola and diaspora communities around the world.
If you have been curious about Lingala but did not know where to start, start here. No grammar pressure. No prior knowledge needed. Just useful Lingala phrases you can start using today.
Greetings — the first bridge between people
In Lingala, greetings carry real weight. They are not just polite words. They are a way of acknowledging the person in front of you.
| English | Lingala |
|---|---|
| Hello | Mboté |
| Good morning/Good afternoon/Good evening | Mboté |
| Hello to you (singular) | Mboté na yo |
| Hello to you (plural) | Mboté na bino |
| How are you? | Ozali ndenge nini? |
| How are you today? | Ozali ndenge nini lelo? |
| I am fine | Nazali malamu |
| Nice to meet you | Nasepeli kokutana na yo |
| See you later | Tokomona lisusu sima |
| See you soon | Tokomona lisusu kala mingi te |
Worth knowing: Mboté can mean both “hello” and “welcome”. One word, two open doors.
Everyday conversation — simple phrases you can use
These expressions can help you understand and respond in basic conversations, messages or everyday situations.
| English | Lingala |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Matondi |
| Excuse me / Sorry | Limbisa ngai |
| You’re welcome | Na eloko té |
| I don’t know | Nayebi te |
| I don’t understand | Nazali kososola te |
| Is everything okay? | Ozali malámu? |
| It is okay | Ezali malámu |
| No problem | Likambo té |
| I am going home | Nazali kokende na ndáko |
| I reached home safely | Nakomi malámu na ndáko |
Words of love — Lingala speaks from the heart
Some languages carry emotion in a very musical way. Lingala is one of them. These phrases are simple, but they can carry a lot of feeling when said with intention.
| English | Lingala |
|---|---|
| I love you | Nalingi yo |
| I miss you | Nazali kozanga yo |
| You are beautiful | Ozali kitoko |
| My love | Bolingo na ngai |
| I need you | Nazali na posa na yo |
| I love you with all my heart | Nalingi yo na motema na ngai mobimba |
| See you tomorrow | Tomonani lobi |
| Love is a beautiful thing | Bolingo ezali eloko kitoko |
Useful questions — when you need to navigate
Learning basic questions is one of the fastest ways to start communicating in a new language.
| English | Lingala |
|---|---|
| Where are you? | Ozali wapi? |
| Where are you going? | Ozali kokende wápi? |
| What is your name? | Nkombo na yo nani? |
| How much does it cost? | Ezali boni? |
There is more where this came from
These 30 phrases are only the beginning. On Kukubela, you can keep learning Lingala with structured lessons, native-speaker audio, a dictionary, translated music and guided practice.
Over 40.049 learners have already started learning African languages with Kukubela.
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