During my trip to Southern Uganda I interacted with people who mainly spoke a local language called Rukiga. They said there is no dictionary for their language as of yet (although it is apparently being worked on), so I just kept asking them to teach me words and phrases and their grammar bit by bit. So here I’m sharing what I learned from my friends here in Uganda with you. Thanks to Tabitha and Tutamuzongoza and Jovan Tumwijukye specially who taught me and my friend a lot of these words and they spent time correcting the writing and pronunciation.
# Pronunciation
The “r” letter is sometimes read with a sound that is in-between L and R (get phonetic annotation for these)
The “k” letter is sometimes read with a ch sound (need phonetic)
Pronunciations may vary depending on the region. As an example, in one area we were told Musana means sun, but in another region we were told it’s pronounced as Mushana.
# A tiny dictionary of words
Rukiga English
Webare Thank you (single person)
Webare kusiuma Response to webare
Mwebare Thank you (multiple people)
Engaji Gorilla 🦍
Kengaji Junior gorilla (used after Akana)
Akana Baby
Agandi How are you (used as greeting)
Nigye Good (response to Agandi)
Kache Small
Munonga A lot
Kihango Big
Byinji Many of something
Ruhanga wangye My Lord
Eshaha Time
Olaleje Good night (single person)
Mulaleje Good night (many people)
Olileje Good morning (single person)
Mulileje Good morning (multiple person)
Kunaaba Take shower
Twena All of us
Embwa Dog
Ahamuheru End
Hamwe And
Enyonyi Bird, airplane
Ekinyonyi Bird
Omunywani Friend
Omwojo omunywani Boyfriend
Omuhara Girl
Omwojo Boy
Omusheija Man
Ego Yes
Wapi No
Omujinya Jealous person
Omukundwa Sweetheart
Embuzi Goat
Echiroto Dream
Nyine enjara I’m hungry
Ndu hire I’m tired
Nikibi Ugly, a bad deed
Echiroto nkirungi Good dream
Wanji Response to someone calling you. Can be used when you don’t understand what they said, but also in general
Embuzi Goat
Akana Kembuzi Baby goat
Entama Sheep
Musana, Mushana (different pronunciation) Sun
Omwanya gobsinge Peaceful Place
Echirwa Island
Chine Have
Nyingyi A lot
Ruhanga eizina rye rehimbisibwe Hossana
Akasero Basket with handles
Akatebo Basket
Akibo Small basket
Musingirio A kind of bean that grow while twining (while connected to something, grows around it
Enyawawa The crying bird
Sawa I’m ok (be careful: this word means “something bitter” in Swahili)
Nimarungy I’m ok (response to Agandi)
Mwakora You have done great (multiple people)
Wakora You have done great (single person)
Etanuru Bricks arranged in a dome shape with fire under and inside them, to dry the bricks
Tutamuzongoza A person’s name, means someone who is not to be disturbed (or disturb others)
Akana Kente Calf
Omwana Human baby
Omuzeire Parent
Mama Mother
Taata Father
Buhunga A food made with maize flour mixed with hot water and sugar (called porridge in some areas)
Entuhe Crusted Crane
Ruhanga God
Amina Amen
Matooke Mashed green banana
Chinnurile Delicious
Bun Bread bun
Omugisha Blessing
Abatabani Sons
Yaabagirati Said
Ekibi Sins
Byona Everything
Ezitarikuzira Those which you can’t refuse
Nyamaishwa Animals
Aha This
Buri That
Muhango Great
Enshaija Male (animal)
Enkazi Female (animal)
Enshaija n’enkazi Male and female (animals)
Omusheija omukazi Male and female (humans)
Otwareho You will take (a part of something, not all)
Kare kare Goodbye
Ebinyugunyugu Butterfly
# Numbers
Rukiga English
Omwe One person
Emwe One
Ibiri Two
Ishatu Three
Ina Four
Itahano Five
Mukaga Six
Mushanju Seven
Mundane Eight
Mwenda Nine
Ekumi Ten
Ekumi ne emwe Eleven
Ekumi ne ibiri Twelve
Ekumi ne ishatu Thirteen
Makumi abiri Twenty
Makumi abiri ne emwe Twenty one
Makumi ashatu Thirty
Makumi ana Forty
Makumi atahano Fifty
Makumi mukaga Sixty
Makumi mushanju Seventy
Makumi munana Eighty
Makumi mwenda Ninety
Igana Hundred
Igana makumi ana One hundred forty
Igana emwe One hundred one
Igana makumi abiri ne munana One hundred twenty eight
Bibiri Two hundred
Bishatu Three hundred
Bina Four hundred
Bitahano Five hundred
Rukaga Six hundred
Magana mukaga Six hundred (another way of writing it)
Rukumi One thousand
Eukumi igana makumi ana One thousand one hundred forty
Omutwaro Ten thousand
Emitwaro ebiri Twenty thousand
# Phrases
Eizina ryangye Mahdi: my name is Mahdi
Ndaruga Iran: I’m from Iran
Nashemererwa kubanimwe: I’m happy to be here
Webare munonga: thank you very much
Aha nyamaishwa eztarikuzira: those animals you can’t refuse (ritually clean)
Yesu asimwe: praise God
Asimwe munonga, amen: response to Yesu asimwe
Ruhanga ni muhango: God is great
Ruhanga ny mulingi: God is good
Ekibi kya Noa: sins of noah
Mwije murye: Come and eat
Ndakukunda munonga: I love you a lot
Neshaha zokurya: Time to eat
Neshaha zokuzakubyama: time to sleep
Orakundachi: what do you prefer?
Embwa hamwe na pusi: dog or cat
Nishahazingahe: what Time is it
Eizina ryawe niriha: what is your name?
Eizina rye niriha: what is his/her name?
Kunaaba twena: all of us take a shower
Kafumbo: village with people with good ideas
You are jealous of my bf: Oyinihre
omujinya omunwani wange omwojo.
Echirwa chine emitti nyingyi: island with a lot of trees
Murikuza bunyonyi erizooba: we are going to bunyonyi today
Mpa ameizi: give me water
Ekibo kyebichiga chiga: basket of chiga beans
Aha obuhunga bunnurile: this buhunga is delicious
# How to say beautiful
How the adjective changes based on what we are talking about:
Animals:
Eboneire (beautiful for singular non-human?)
Ziboneire (beautiful for plural non-human?)
Kaboneire (beautiful when used after Akana)
Other things (based on first letter of word and context):
Pair 1 (kind of things that have life):
Goboneire (beautiful for singular non-human)
Eboneire (beautiful for multiple non-human)
Pair 2 (kind of things that have no life):
Leboneire (beautiful for singular non-human)
Gabonaire (beautiful for plural non-human)
Oboneire (beautiful for singular human telling them directly)
Baboneire (beautiful for plural human, when telling a third person)
Muboneire (beautiful for plural human, when telling themselves directly)
Aboneire (beautiful for singular human, when telling a third person)
Eizina riboneire: beautiful name
Eizina rya we liboneire: your name is beautiful
Omushozi (singular mountain) goboneire
Emishozi (multiple mountain) eboneire
Omuti (tree) goboneire
Emiti (multiple trees) eboneire
Eibare (stone) leboneire
Amabare (stones) gaboneire
Ente (cow) eboneire
Ente (cows) zeboneire
Engaji eboneire
Engaji zeboneire
Akana kenjagi kaboneire munonga munonga: baby gorilla is very very beautiful
The local people told me there is no dictionary of Rukiga yet, but it is being worked on and will be piblished soon. however, one potentially usedful resource for learning Rukiga is using a binle in Rukiga and comparing it to an English bible. A bible in Rukiga is [available online](https://www.bible.com/bible/1434/GEN.1.RR64).
