Introduction to
Chichewa Language
Frank J Banda
Specific objectives for this lesson
• By the end of this lesson you should be able to:
(a)pronounce correctly the 5 vowels in
Chichewa language
• (b) appreciate word formation in Chichewa
language using consonant and vowel
• (c) use some basic phrases and sentences in
Chichewa greetings
Introduction continued...
• Chichewa is one of the tonal bantu languages
in Africa
• (Tonal languages are those that depend on
tone of words to convey meaning)
• It is widely spoken in Malawi and Zambia
including some parts of neighboring
Mozambique.
Chichewa Alphabet
• It has 24 letters in its Alphabet and thus because Chichewa
does not have the letter Q and X in its Alphabet.
• Just like English, The Chichewa language has 5 vowel
sounds.
• Unlike English the sound of each Chichewa vowel is always
pure and has no equivalent in English.
• Chichewa has the following vowel sounds
• a, e, i, o, u pronounced as follows:
• a. Sounds as the first vowel sound in the word Father
• e. Sounds as the first vowel sound in the word Made
• i. Sounds as the first vowel sound in the word Easy
• o. Sounds as the first vowel sound in the word only or over
• u. Sounds as the first vowel sound in the word ooze
Complex sounds
• Nosal sounds are created with the aid of an
apostrophe in a combination of ng'
• This is pronounced as the second and third
sound in the English letter Singing (chichewa
words and nouns like ng'oma(noun, meaning
'drum') ng'ombe (noun, meaning 'cattle')
ng'amba (verb meaning 'tear,' as in cloth or
paper)
Letters, syllables and common
words formation
• All words in Chichewa end with a vowel
• All vowel sounds do not change unlike in English language
• Every syllable usually consists of one or more vowel sounds.
• Examples
• ana (Children/kids)
• Amayi (mother/mum/a woman)
• abambo (a man/men)
👰
• mamuna wanga (my husband)
• Mkazi wanga(my wife ) Note:wanga/anga is a possessive
adjective equivalent to my in English
• bambo (dad/father)
• agogo (grandfather/grandmother)
• Chemwali (sister)
• Mchimwene(brother)
Syllables and common words
continued...
• Note: the letter C always carry an H
• Example: chala (finger)
• Chikwama (bag), chikondi (love)
• Words with nasal sound (ng')
• Examples: pang'ono (little something,/few)
• Yang'ana (verb, meaning "look")
Commonly used phrases and
Expressions in Chichewa
greetings
Greetings is regarded highly in the Malawian
society:
The following expressions are used when greeting
one another (commonly referred to as malonje, in
Chichewa)
In The morning:
Mary: Mwadzuka bwanji (how did you wake up/
good morning)
John: Ndadzuka bwino kaya inu (i woke up well,
what about you?)
Greetings continued...
• In the afternoon
• John : Mwaswera bwanji? (How was your day?)
• Jonathan: Ndaswera bwino kaya inu? (My day
was well how about you?)
• John: Ndaswera bwinonso, zikomo (My day was
well too thank you)
• General greetings
• A. Muli bwanji (How are you?)
• B. Ndilibwino kaya inu? (I'm fine how about you?
• A.Inenso ndili bwino,zikomo (I'm also fine, thank
you)
Greetings continued...
Abambo anu ali bwanji? (How is your father?)
Abambo anga ali bwino, zikomo (My father is
fine thank you)
Mwalandiridwa (you are most welcome)
Tionana (see you later)
Zikomo (Thanks)
Pepani (sorry)
End of lesson 1 (phunziro
loyamba lathera pano)
• Zikomo
• Thanks
