1. About Fula
Fula — called Fulfulde in its central and eastern dialects and Pulaar/Pular in the west — is an Atlantic language of the Niger–Congo family, spoken by roughly 25–40 million people in a broad belt across the Sahel, from Senegal to Sudan. It is a dialect continuum rather than one uniform language, so forms vary by region; this guide uses the Latin orthography and widely-shared (pan-Fula) basics, and notes where usage differs.1
Fula is written three ways: a Latin alphabet (used here) with special letters for its implosive sounds; the older Ajami (Arabic-based) tradition; and Adlam, a script created specifically for Fula in 1989 by two Guinean teenage brothers, Ibrahima and Abdoulaye Barry.2
Key features to know from day one
- A noun-class system. Fula sorts nouns into around twenty-plus classes (a bit like genders, but many more), and each class has its own agreement.1
- Plurals by consonant mutation. The plural often changes the word's FIRST consonant: Pullo ('a Fula person') → Fulɓe ('Fula people') — the p→f change is why the language is known as Fula, Fulani and Peul.1
- Implosive consonants. ɓ and ɗ are 'implosive' b and d (made by pulling air inward); ƴ is a glottalized y, and ŋ is 'ng'. These are real letters, distinct from b, d, y.2
- Greetings centre on peace. The word jam ('peace') runs through Fula greetings — Jam tan ('peace only') is a common 'I'm fine'.3
- Numbers are partly five-based: 6–9 build on 'jee-' (jeegom 6, jeeɗiɗi 7…), and tens use cappanɗe.3
2. The Latin alphabet
Fula's Latin orthography adds a few special letters for sounds English lacks. Because these are distinct letters, this guide stores them in answers — but plain ASCII (b, d, y, ng) is also accepted while you learn.2
| Letter | Sound | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ɓ | implosive 'b' (air pulled in) | distinct from plain b |
| ɗ | implosive 'd' (air pulled in) | distinct from plain d |
| ƴ | a glottalized 'y' | a y with a catch |
| ŋ | 'ng' as in 'sing' | can start a word |
| ' | glottal stop | as in go'o (one) |
| Adlam | Fula's own script (1989) | written right-to-left |
A note on varieties: vocabulary and spelling differ between Pulaar (west) and Fulfulde (centre/east). The basics below are widely understood, but a local teacher's forms should take priority where they differ.
3. Greetings & numbers
Greetings revolve around wishing peace (jam) and asking after each other through the day.3
| Fula | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Jam | Peace (the core of greetings) |
| Jam tan | Peace only (= I'm fine) |
| Jam waali | Good morning |
| No ngoolu daa? | How are you? / hello (Pulaar) |
| Jaaraama | Thank you |
| Eey | Yes |
| Alaa | No |
| Pullo | a Fula person (singular) |
| Fulɓe | Fula people (plural) |
| Ɓiɗɗo | child (singular) |
Numbers 1–10
| Value | Fula | Value | Fula |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | go'o | 6 | jeegom |
| 2 | ɗiɗi | 7 | jeeɗiɗi |
| 3 | tati | 8 | jeetati |
| 4 | nayi | 9 | jeenayi |
| 5 | joyi | 10 | sappo |
Practice: greetings & numbers
Practice: Core Fula greetings (built on jam 'peace') and the first five numbers. You may type the special letters (ɓ, ɗ) or their plain ASCII forms (b, d).. Type the missing word — accents are optional.
- 1.the word 'peace' (the heart of Fula greetings):
Hint: the single word at the centre of every Fula greeting
- 2.'peace only' (= I'm fine): Jam
Hint: completes 'Jam ___' — the word for 'only'
- 3.Thank you:
Hint: the everyday word for gratitude
- 4.Yes:
Hint: the short affirmative
- 5.No:
Hint: the basic negative; also 'there is none'
- 6.the number 'one':
Hint: the first counting number (has a glottal stop)
- 7.the number 'two':
Hint: begins with the implosive ɗ
- 8.the number 'three':
Hint: the number after two
- 9.the number 'four':
Hint: the number after tati
- 10.the number 'five':
Hint: the number of fingers on one hand; 6–9 build on it
10 questions
Grammar reference: Greetings per Fulfulde/Pulaar teaching resources; numerals per Omniglot 'Fula numbers'. All prompts original to LinguaCommons. CEFR A1. Confidence: High for numerals; High–Medium for greetings (dialect variation).. Sentences are original to LinguaCommons.
4. Noun classes, mutation & the number system
Noun classes and consonant mutation
The defining feature of Fula is its noun-class system. Every noun belongs to a class, and forming the plural often mutates the initial consonant: Pullo → Fulɓe ('a Fula person' → 'Fula people'). The same change gives the language its many names — Fula, Fulani, Peul, Fulɓe.1
Building bigger numbers
After joyi (5), the numbers 6–9 are built with jee-: jeegom (6), jeeɗiɗi (7), jeetati (8), jeenayi (9); then sappo (10), noogas (20), cappanɗe tati (30), teemedere (100) and ujunere (1000). Compounds use e ('and'): sappo e go'o (11).3
Practice: numbers 6–10, bigger numbers & the script
Practice: The five-based numbers 6–9 (jee-…), the round numbers, the linking word e, and the name of Fula's own script. Special letters or ASCII both accepted.. Type the missing word — accents are optional.
- 1.the number 'six':
Hint: the first of the 'jee-' numbers, after joyi (5)
- 2.'seven' (jee + two):
Hint: jee- + the word for two
- 3.'eight' (jee + three):
Hint: jee- + the word for three
- 4.'nine' (jee + four):
Hint: jee- + the word for four
- 5.the number 'ten':
Hint: the round number after the nines
- 6.the number 'twenty':
Hint: the round number after ten
- 7.the number 'one hundred':
Hint: the round number for 100
- 8.the linking word 'and' (sappo go'o = 11): ___
Hint: the one-letter word joining tens and units
- 9.plural of Pullo ('a Fula person') by consonant mutation:
Hint: change the initial p of Pullo to f and add the plural class ending
- 10.the script created for Fula in 1989 by the Barry brothers:
Hint: Fula's own right-to-left alphabet, named for its first four letters
10 questions
Grammar reference: Numerals per Omniglot 'Fula numbers'; script per 'Fula alphabets'. All prompts original to LinguaCommons. CEFR A2. Confidence: High.. Sentences are original to LinguaCommons.
5. Beyond the basics
🚧 In development. This section will cover the noun-class agreement system in full (class suffixes and the determiners that agree with them), the verb system, and word order. Content here is being expanded in a later run and is not yet complete.
🚧 In development. A strategy for the consonant-mutation grades (continuant / stop / nasal) and high-frequency vocabulary will be added here, drawn from Arnott (1970) and standard dictionaries.
🚧 In development. This section will treat the Pulaar (west) vs Fulfulde (centre/east) varieties and the Ajami and Adlam writing traditions. Not yet complete.
🚧 In development. Planned: pulaaku (the Fula code of conduct) and its vocabulary, proverbs, and oral tradition. Not yet complete.
🚧 In development. Planned: fluent control of noun-class agreement and a media plan (Fula radio, Adlam materials). Not yet complete.
- Fula language — overview — noun classes, mutation, dialects
- Fula alphabets (Latin, Ajami, Adlam) — the writing systems
- Numbers in Fula (Omniglot) — the numeral system, Latin & Adlam