oli wa?
The English phrase "where are you?" is translated into Luganda as oli wa?
oli wa? is a question used to ask for someone's current physical location.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of o- (you), -li (are) and wa (where).
When do people say it?
When asking a question, you can use Ssebo to mean "Sir" or Nnyabo to mean "Madam" as a greeting before the phrase.
Did you know?
- In certain social settings, asking 'where are you?' can be a polite way of asking 'how are you doing?' or 'what is your current state?', rather than just a literal physical location.
- Luganda is a tonal language, meaning the pitch used when saying oli wa? can change the emphasis or the urgency of the question.
- In some contexts, oli wa? can be used rhetorically to express surprise that someone has finally appeared after being missing for a long time.
Examples in context
- Oli wa?Where are you?
- Nantongo, oli wa?Nantongo, where are you?
Example conversation
Nantongo is calling Kato on the phone because he is late.
- NantongoKato, oli wa?Kato, where are you?
- KatoNze ndi mu kibuga.I am in the city.
- NantongoOli wa kati?Where are you now?
- KatoNdi ku kkubuki.I am on the road.
