Being mostly Moslem, the Gambians often use the general formal greeting of 'Salam Ali Kum'. The reply is 'Mali Kum Salam'. If you want an elaborate 'cheers!', try this one:
Kin Ding - Kon Dong - Eye deeya - Eye Lamma Lamma
Which roughly means 'Its nice to be nice' (the first bits are the sound of clinking glasses or bottles). Here are a few other key phrases:
| English | Mandinka
| Wollof
| Fulla
| Jola |
| Good Morning | E samma | | | |
Good Afternoon
| E Tinyan
| | | |
Good Evening
| E Wulara
| | | |
| Hello, How are you? | A bin yadi?
| Nanga def?
| Ta na la? | Cassumei |
| Hello, I'm well | A bi jan
| Jamma rek
| Jam tum
| Cassumei Kep
|
| How's it going? | Co tenante? | | | |
| Well thanks | Te nante
| | | |
How's today?
| Somon dabi di?
| | | |
| Its Peaceful | Kaira bi
| | | |
| Thank you.. | Abarake.. | Jerre jeff
| | |
..very much
| ..Barke | | | |
See you later
| Fo nyato
| | | Bakka jm
|
See you tomorrow
| Fo samma
| | | |
Greetings!!
| A samma daaay!
| | | |
Softly Softly Catchy Monkey
| Domanding Domanding Ne Ka Sula Deng Moota
| Ndanka Ndanka Moy Jeppa Domi Gollo | Seyda Seyda Nanga Ta Bit'oh Wah Ndoo
| |
Download the Mandinka and Wollof dictionaries and grammar guides here.