Uvuga icyongereza?
The English phrase "do you speak english?" is translated into Kinyarwanda as Uvuga icyongereza?
This phrase is used to ask someone if they have the ability to speak the English language, where icyongereza means English.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of Uvuga, which is the second-person singular form of the verb kuvuga (meaning "to speak" or "to say") and icyongereza, which is the noun for the English language.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Kinyarwanda, questions are often formed simply by using the statement form with a rising intonation at the end. To ask if a group of people speaks English, change the prefix from U- (singular you) to Mu- (plural you) to get Muvuga icyongereza?
When do people say it?
If you want to respond to this question by saying "No, I do not speak English", you can say Oya, ntivuga icyongereza.
Did you know?
- In formal settings, such as meeting a government official, you would avoid the singular U- prefix and use the plural Mu- prefix as a sign of respect, even when speaking to one person.
- In Rwanda, because English replaced French as the official language of education in 2008, the ability to answer Yego, mvuga icyongereza is often seen as a sign of the younger generation's schooling.
- Because Kinyarwanda is a tonal language, the meaning of uvuga can change significantly depending on the pitch used by the speaker.
Examples in context
- Mwaramutse, uvuga icyongereza?Good morning, do you speak English?
- Nyamuneka, uvuga icyongereza?Excuse me, do you speak English?
Example conversation
Jean meets Beatrice at a market in Kigali.
- JeanMuraho! Uvuga icyongereza?Hello! Do you speak English?
- BeatriceYego, ndacyuvuga gato.Yes, I speak a little.
- JeanNi byiza, nshaka guzugura imbutsande.That's good, I want to buy some fruit.
- BeatriceSawa, Jean. Ndagufasha.Okay, Jean. I can help you.
