Lingala — top 255 words
High-frequency vocabulary for English speakers. Reveal each card, then rate your recall — the schedule adapts (SM-2) and is stored on your device.
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Full word list
| # | Lingala | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | mbote | hello / greetings |
| 2 | mbote mingi | hello / many greetings (warm) |
| 3 | boyei bolamu | welcome (lit. come well) |
| 4 | matondo | thanks / gratitude |
| 5 | matondo mingi | thank you very much |
| 6 | soki | please / if |
| 7 | nabongi te | I don't understand |
| 8 | koloba | to speak / to say |
| 9 | komeka | to try |
| 10 | kotika | to stop / to leave / to let |
| 11 | kokeya | to go |
| 12 | koya | to come |
| 13 | kozala | to be / to exist / to have |
| 14 | kolya | to eat |
| 15 | komela | to drink |
| 16 | kolala | to sleep |
| 17 | kofanda | to sit / to stay / to live |
| 18 | kotomboka | to stand up |
| 19 | kokomba | to sweep / to search |
| 20 | kozwa | to take / to get / to receive |
| 21 | kopesa | to give |
| 22 | komona | to see |
| 23 | koyeba | to know |
| 24 | kobanda | to start / to begin |
| 25 | kosilisa | to finish / to end |
| 26 | kotambola | to walk / to travel |
| 27 | kokende | let's go / going |
| 28 | kolanda | to follow / to continue |
| 29 | kobanga | to fear / to be afraid |
| 30 | kolinga | to love / to want / to like |
| 31 | kokanisa | to think / to consider |
| 32 | kokanga | to catch / to close / to lock |
| 33 | kobuka | to break / to cross |
| 34 | kokela | to put / to place / to build |
| 35 | koteka | to sell |
| 36 | kosomba | to buy |
| 37 | kobeta | to hit / to beat / to play (music) |
| 38 | kokota | to enter / to go in |
| 39 | kobima | to exit / to go out |
| 40 | kotanga | to read / to count |
| 41 | kokomba | to look for / to sweep |
| 42 | lelo | today |
| 43 | lobi | tomorrow |
| 44 | loba ya kala | yesterday |
| 45 | suka | end / finish / stop |
| 46 | nzoto | body |
| 47 | motó | head |
| 48 | miso | eyes |
| 49 | matoyi | ears |
| 50 | monoko | mouth |
| 51 | zolo | nose |
| 52 | loboko | arm / hand |
| 53 | lokolo | leg / foot |
| 54 | motema | heart |
| 55 | epai | place / location |
| 56 | na | in / at / with / and / to |
| 57 | te | not / no (negation) |
| 58 | awa | here |
| 59 | kuna | there / over there |
| 60 | wapi | where? |
| 61 | nani | who? |
| 62 | nini | what? |
| 63 | ndenge nini | how? |
| 64 | tango nini | when? |
| 65 | mpo nini | why? |
| 66 | boni | how much / how many? |
| 67 | ee | yes |
| 68 | te | no / not |
| 69 | soki | if / please |
| 70 | kasi | but |
| 71 | to | or |
| 72 | mpe | also / and / too |
| 73 | solo | true / really / indeed |
| 74 | ata | even / although / despite |
| 75 | sikoyo | now |
| 76 | mbala | time / occasion |
| 77 | mbala moko | once / one time |
| 78 | mbala mingi | many times / often |
| 79 | kala | old / long ago / before |
| 80 | malamu | good / well / nice |
| 81 | mabe | bad / wrong / ugly |
| 82 | monene | big / large / important |
| 83 | moke | small / little / few |
| 84 | mosusu | another / other |
| 85 | nyonso | all / every |
| 86 | moto | person / someone / fire |
| 87 | bato | people / persons |
| 88 | mwasi | woman / wife / female |
| 89 | mobali | man / husband / male |
| 90 | mwana | child / son / daughter |
| 91 | bana | children |
| 92 | tata | father / Mr. |
| 93 | mama | mother / Mrs. |
| 94 | ndeko | sibling / friend / relative |
| 95 | monganga | doctor / healer |
| 96 | mokristo | Christian |
| 97 | moako | farmer / peasant |
| 98 | mosali | worker / employee |
| 99 | mokonzi | chief / leader / boss |
| 100 | mokambi | guide / director |
| 101 | lopango | compound / fence / yard |
| 102 | ndako | house / home / building |
| 103 | liboso | front / before / first |
| 104 | nsima | after / behind / back |
| 105 | likoló | up / above / sky / heaven |
| 106 | nse | down / below / ground |
| 107 | kati | inside / middle / among |
| 108 | libanda | outside / foreign |
| 109 | penepene | near / close / almost |
| 110 | mosika | far / distant |
| 111 | makasi | strong / hard / powerful / serious |
| 112 | nkembo | glory / honour / praise |
| 113 | bolingo | love / affection |
| 114 | ntalo | price / cost / value |
| 115 | mbongo | money / wealth |
| 116 | biloko | things / goods / stuff |
| 117 | eloko | thing / stuff |
| 118 | esika | place / location / position |
| 119 | loposo | country / outside / abroad |
| 120 | mboka | village / hometown / country |
| 121 | etuka | neighbourhood / village area |
| 122 | engumba | city / town |
| 123 | lopango la mboka | country compound |
| 124 | mikili | countries / lands |
| 125 | ngai | I / me / my |
| 126 | yo | you (sing.) / your |
| 127 | ye | he / she / it / his / her |
| 128 | biso | we / us / our |
| 129 | bino | you (pl.) / your (pl.) |
| 130 | bango | they / them / their |
| 131 | oyo | this / these / that / these |
| 132 | wana | that / those over there |
| 133 | ye moko | alone / him/herself |
| 134 | elanga | farm / garden / field |
| 135 | mbisi | fish |
| 136 | nyama | meat / animal |
| 137 | mbuma | fruit / seed |
| 138 | makemba | plantains / bananas |
| 139 | lituma | plantain dish |
| 140 | liboke | food wrap |
| 141 | mai | water |
| 142 | lotoko | traditional alcohol / drink |
| 143 | sango | news / information |
| 144 | lisapo | story / tale / fable |
| 145 | nzela | path / road / way |
| 146 | bato ba ndako | household / family |
| 147 | boloko | prison / jail |
| 148 | nsango | news / message / gospel |
| 149 | kelasi | class / school |
| 150 | sukali | sugar |
| 151 | mungwa | salt |
| 152 | mafuta | oil / fat / fuel |
| 153 | mpembe | white |
| 154 | ndombe | black |
| 155 | pupa | red / yellow |
| 156 | langi | colour / paint |
| 157 | nsango ya sika | news update / recent news |
| 158 | kokangama | to be stuck / to hang / to cling |
| 159 | kolakisa | to show / to teach / to demonstrate |
| 160 | kosalisa | to help / to assist |
| 161 | kotombola | to carry / to lift |
| 162 | kozela | to wait |
| 163 | kozongela | to reply / to respond / to return |
| 164 | koyoka | to hear / to feel / to obey |
| 165 | kopona | to fall / to choose |
| 166 | kobakisa | to add / to increase |
| 167 | kokata | to cut |
| 168 | kofuta | to pay |
| 169 | kobongisa | to prepare / to fix / to repair |
| 170 | kosangana | to meet / to gather |
| 171 | koleka | to pass / to exceed / to cross |
| 172 | kobalisa | to inform / to notify |
| 173 | kosekwa | to be surprised / to laugh |
| 174 | kobunga | to mix / to confuse / to lose the way |
| 175 | kolobaka | to say / to speak often |
| 176 | kopusha | to ask |
| 177 | koloba malamu | to speak well / to say something good |
| 178 | kotindela | to send to |
| 179 | kobakama | to be caught |
| 180 | kotombela | to carry for |
| 181 | kopesela | to give to |
| 182 | kotangela | to read for / to count for |
| 183 | koyebisa | to inform / to make known |
| 184 | kosalela | to work for / to serve |
| 185 | komipesa | to offer / to donate |
| 186 | komiyeba | to know oneself / to be aware |
| 187 | komizela | to wait for oneself |
| 188 | esika oyo | here / this place |
| 189 | tango oyo | now / this time |
| 190 | mbula | rain / year |
| 191 | moyi | sun / day / daylight |
| 192 | butu | night |
| 193 | tongo | dawn / morning |
| 194 | midi | noon / midday |
| 195 | mpokwa | evening / late afternoon |
| 196 | eleko | season / period / era |
| 197 | ntango | time / period |
| 198 | sanza | month / moon |
| 199 | poso | week |
| 200 | tango ya poso | weekend / end of week |
| 201 | ye akei | he/she went |
| 202 | biso tokeyi | we went |
| 203 | ye akoya | he/she will come |
| 204 | biso tokoya | we will come |
| 205 | ye azali | he/she is |
| 206 | biso tozali | we are |
| 207 | nakei | I went |
| 208 | nakoya | I will come |
| 209 | nazali | I am |
| 210 | ozali | you are |
| 211 | azali | he/she/it is |
| 212 | tozali | we are |
| 213 | bino bozali | you (pl.) are |
| 214 | bango bazali | they are |
| 215 | moto moko | one person |
| 216 | bato mibale | two people |
| 217 | bana misato | three children |
| 218 | ndako moko | one house |
| 219 | biloko mingi | many things |
| 220 | mbongo mingi | a lot of money |
| 221 | liboso ya | before / in front of |
| 222 | nsima ya | after / behind |
| 223 | kati ya | inside / between / among |
| 224 | banda | since / from |
| 225 | tii | until / as far as |
| 226 | pamba te | not for nothing / seriously |
| 227 | ntina | reason / cause / root |
| 228 | ntina ya nini | what is the reason? |
| 229 | likolo ya | on top of / above |
| 230 | nse ya | below / under |
| 231 | mpe | also / and / too |
| 232 | boye | like this / so / thus |
| 233 | ndenge | manner / way / how |
| 234 | ndenge moko | the same way / same |
| 235 | ndenge ya malamu | in a good way |
| 236 | ndenge ya mabe | in a bad way |
| 237 | tosali nini | what shall we do? |
| 238 | tokeya wapi | where shall we go? |
| 239 | nakosalisa yo | I will help you |
| 240 | nakopesa yo biloko | I will give you things |
| 241 | ozali malamu? | are you well? / are you good? |
| 242 | nazali malamu | I am well / I am good |
| 243 | osali nini? | what did you do? |
| 244 | osali malamu | you did well |
| 245 | nakei kelasi | I went to school |
| 246 | akoya lobi | he/she will come tomorrow |
| 247 | tokei lisanga | we went together |
| 248 | batomboli biloko | they carried things |
| 249 | epai ya nani? | where to? / whose place? |
| 250 | epai ya monganga | at the doctor's place |
| 251 | esika ya malamu | a good place |
| 252 | ntalo ya biloko | price of goods |
| 253 | mbongo ya kofuta | money to pay |
| 254 | mosali ya biso | our worker |
| 255 | mokonzi ya etuka | neighbourhood chief |