How to Say “Welcome” in Lingala
The Lingala word for welcome is Boyei bolamu. Boyei bolamu is used specifically as a greeting to acknowledge someone’s arrival at a place.
About Lingala
Lingala is spoken in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo, where it is a national language in both countries. It is the everyday language of the capitals Kinshasa and Brazzaville and of Congolese rumba music. About 20 million people speak it, most of them as a second language.
Lingala is written in the Latin alphabet with the extra letters ɛ and ɔ, open forms of e and o. It is tonal, with high and low tones, though tone marks are usually left out. The common greeting is Mbote, hello.
| Family | Niger-Congo, Bantu |
|---|---|
| Speakers | about 20 million, most as a second language (2020) |
| Where spoken | Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo |
| Script | Latin alphabet |
| Tones | high and low |
| Codes | ln (ISO 639-1), lin (ISO 639-3) |
Speaker number: Meeuwis, A Grammatical Overview of Lingala (2020), via Wikidata. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
How to Say “School” in Lingala
The English word “school” is translated into Lingala as kelasi. kelasi refers to an institution dedicated to teaching and learning.
How to Say “Crazy” in Lingala
The English word ‘crazy’ can be translated into Lingala as liboma. The term liboma is an adjective used to describe someone who is insane or demented.
How to Say “Hello, How Are You” in Lingala
mbote, sango nini is the Lingala phrase for “hello, how are you”. This phrase is a common greeting used to say hello and ask someone how they are doing.
How to Say “My Friend” in Lingala
moninga na ngai is the Lingala phrase for my friend. This phrase is used to refer to a person with whom one has a bond of mutual affection.
How to Say “Home” in Lingala
The Lingala word for home is ndako. ndako refers to a house or structure in which someone lives, see also domicile, dwelling, abode.
How to Say “Hi” in Lingala
The English phrase “hi” is translated into Lingala as mbote. The word mbote is a versatile greeting used to say both “hi” and “hello” in Lingala.
How to Say “Thank You God” in Lingala
The English phrase “thank you god” is translated into Lingala as matondi na Nzambe. matondi na Nzambe is an expression used to show gratitude to God.
How to Say “I Miss You” in Lingala
The English phrase “I miss you” is translated into Lingala as Nazali kozanga yo.