Nyanja (chinyanja), also known as Chewa (chicheŵa) after the largest tribe speaking it, is a Bantu language spoken by over 15 million people in southern Africa. Chewa/Nyanja is an official language and common lingua franca in Malawi and Zambia, and is spoken by some in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa as well.
The name Nyanja actually means "lake", so chinyanja is the "language of the lake" — referring to the language of the Chewas and other tribes who have adopted their language. In Malawi, the official name is Chichewa, while Zambia and Mozambique call it Nyanja.
Basic Nyanja pronunciation is relatively straightforward, although getting it exactly right will require more study as the language is tonal and has some unusual sounds (for the native English speaker). Stress is usually placed on the second-last syllable. The writing system is logical if a little inconsistently applied in no small part due to dialectal variations.
Vowels
All vowels are pronounced "pure" and as in Italian.
a
as in father
e
as in bed or weigh
i
as in machine
o
as in vote
u
as in hoop
Consonants
Note that the consonants 'n' and 'm' can form initial clusters as in ndapita ("I'm going") or mpingo ("church").
b
like 'b' in "bed" (this English sounding explosive "b" is usually preceded by "m" to make a consonant blend)
b
like 'b' in the American southern dialect "down by the Bayou" (implosive 'b')
c, ch
like 'ch' in "chip" (without aspiration)
d
like 'd' in "dog" (this English sounding explosive 'd' never begins a word)
d
like 'd' in the American southern dialect "Down by the bayou" or the modern slang, "Dude!" (implosive 'd')
di
like 'dzi'
f
like 'ph' in "phone"
g
like 'g' in "go", like 'j' in "jello"
h
like 'h' in "help", emphasized in diphthongs
j
like 'dg' in "edge"
k
like "sKat" (unaspirated 'k')
kh
like 'c' in "cat"
l
like 'l' in "love"
m
like 'm' in "mother"
n
like 'n' in "nice"
ng
like 'ng' in "song" plus a hard 'g' afterward (two sounds)
ng'
like 'ng' in "song" (one sound)
ny
like 'ñ' in Spanish mañana
p
like "sPat" (unaspirated 'p')
ph
like 'p' in "pig"
r
pronounced softly like 'l', often interchangeable
s
like 'ss' in "hiss"
si
like 'she' in "sheet"
t
like "sTop" (unaspirated 't')
th
like 't' in "top"
tch
like 'ch' in "chip" (normally aspirated)
w
like 'w' in "wheel"
ŵ
bilabial fricative (IPA [ɸ], not found in English), best said like a weak 'w' edging towards 'f'
z
like 'z' in "adze"
Phrase list
For this phrasebook, we use the polite form for all phrases, on the presumption that you'll mostly be talking to people you don't already know.
There are significant dialectal variations in the language. Unless otherwise noted, all phrases here use the Malawi (Chichewa) dialect.
Basics
Hello.
Moni.
Sir (or) Mister
Abambo
Madam
Amayi
How are you?
Muli bwanji?
Fine, thank you. (And you?)
Ndili bwino.(Kaya inu? [or] Kaya anzathu?)
What is your name?
Dzina lanu ndani?/Dzina lanu ndi yani?
My name is ______ .
Dzina langa ndi ______.
Please.
Chonde.
Thank you.
Zikomo. (very common - ends most conversations)
Yes
Ee / Eya / Inde (can also mean "indeed").
Truly (or) Really
Ndithu
No
Iyayi (used strongly) or ayi (more polite)pronsed as the letter e then I
...an English-language newspaper. (nyuzi ya chingelezi...)
...an English-English dictionary.
Dictionary ya chingelezi
Driving
I want to rent a car.
Ndikufuna rent Galimoto. (...)
Can I get insurance?
Can I get insurance? (...)
stop (on a street sign)
stop (...)
one way
one way (...)
yield
yield (...)
no parking
no parking (...)
speed limit
speed limit (...)
gas (petrol) station
gas station (...)
petrol
petrol (...)
diesel
diesel (...)
Authority
I haven't done anything wrong.
sindinapange mulandu ulionse. (...)
It was a misunderstanding.
It was a misunderstanding. (...)
Where are you taking me?
muli kundipereka kuti? (...)
Am I under arrest?
kodi mwandi manga? (...)
I am an American/Australian/British/Canadian citizen.
I am an American/Australian/British/Canadian citizen. (...)
I want to talk to the American/Australian/British/Canadian embassy/consulate.
I need to talk to the American/Australian/British/Canadian embassy/consulate. (...)
I want to talk to a lawyer.
I want to talk to a lawyer. (...)
Can I just pay a fine now?
Can I just pay a fine now? (...)
Learning more
How do you say my condolences in Nyanja?
(...)
What is this/that called?
Nichani ichi? Muchiyitana chani icho?(...)
What is this/called in Chichewa?
Ichi ndi Chiyani pa Chichewa?
This is a usable phrasebook. It explains pronunciation and the bare essentials of travel communication. An adventurous person could use it to get by, but please plunge forward and help it grow!
