mbote, sango nini
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. While mbote serves as a standard greeting, the follow-up sango nini is the most common way to ask how a person is.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of mbote (hello) and sango nini (what news). Within the second part, sango means news or information and nini means what.
When do people say it?
When someone asks sango nini, you can respond with Sango te, which literally means "no news" but functions to say you are fine or that everything is okay. Another common response is Sango malamu, meaning "good news" or that everything is good.
Did you know?
- The word nini in the phrase sango nini is borrowed from Swahili.
- In many social settings, responding with 'no news' is considered more humble and culturally appropriate than listing your many successes.
- Lingala is a vehicular language, meaning it was developed as a trade language and incorporates words from various neighboring languages like Swahili.
Examples in context
- Mbote, sango nini?Hello, how are you?
- Mbote, sango nini na yo?Hello, how are you doing?
Example conversation
Clarisse and Jean meet on a street in Kinshasa.
- ClarisseMbote, sango nini, Jean?Hello, how are you, Jean?
- JeanSango te, Clarisse. Yo mpe?Nothing new, Clarisse. And you?
- ClarisseSango te, naza malamu.Nothing new, I am fine.
- JeanEzalí malamu.That is good.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nini, sango, CC BY-SA 4.0.
