Language/Kinyarwanda/Vocabulary/Introducing-Yourself

Kinyarwanda → Vocabulary → 0 to A1 Course → Greetings and Introductions → Introducing Yourself

Introducing yourself is an important part of any social interaction. In this lesson, you will learn how to introduce yourself and ask for someone's name in Kinyarwanda, as well as how to say 'nice to meet you'.

Basic Phrases

Before diving into introductions, let's review some basic Kinyarwanda phrases that will be helpful during your interactions with Rwandans:

Kinyarwanda	Pronunciation	English
Muraho	moo-rah-ho	Hello (informal)
Mwaramutse	mwa-rah-moo-tseh	Good morning (formal)
Igihumbi cyiza	ee-ghee-hoom-bee chyee-zah	Good afternoon/evening (formal)
Murabeho	moo-rah-bay-ho	Goodbye (informal)
Murakoze	moo-rah-ko-zeh	Thank you (informal)

Introducing Yourself

To introduce yourself in Kinyarwanda, you can use the following phrase:

Kinyarwanda	Pronunciation	English
Niraba __________.	nee-rah-bah __________.	My name is __________.

Simply fill in the blank with your name.

Here's an example:

Kinyarwanda	Pronunciation	English
Niraba Marie.	nee-rah-bah muh-ree	My name is Marie.

To ask someone for their name in Kinyarwanda, you can use the following phrase:

Kinyarwanda	Pronunciation	English
Ijambo ryawe ni iri?	ee-jahm-boh rya-weh nee ee-ree?	What is your name?

Here's an example conversation:

A: Muraho! B: Muraho! A: Niraba Marie. Ijambo ryawe ni iri? B: Ijambo ryanjye ni Jean. Nice to meet you. A: Amakuru? B: Ni meza. Wowe? A: Ni meza kandi. Murabeho.

Translation:

A: Hello! B: Hello! A: My name is Marie. What is your name? B: My name is Jean. Nice to meet you. A: How are you? B: I'm fine. And you? A: I'm fine too. Goodbye.

Vocabulary

Here are some additional words and phrases that will be helpful when introducing yourself:

Kinyarwanda	Pronunciation	English
Ijambo	ee-jahm-boh	word(s)
Iri jambo	ee-ree jahm-boh	this word/phrase
Aha	ah-hah	here
Ni	nee	is/am/are
Umunsi mwiza	oo-moon-see mwee-zah	Good day
Nshuti	nshoo-tee	friend
Njye	n-jyeh	I/me

Remember, to ask someone what their name is, you can say "Ijambo ryawe ni iri?" (What is your name?). To respond, you can say "Niraba __________." (My name is __________.).

And to say "Nice to meet you," you can say:

Kinyarwanda	Pronunciation	English
Nanjye ndashima kubona	nah-nyeh n-dah-shee-mah koo-boh-nah	I am also pleased to meet you.

Congratulations on learning how to introduce yourself and ask for someone's name in Kinyarwanda! Practice makes perfect, so don't be afraid to strike up a conversation with the locals next time you're in Rwanda.

Table of Contents - Kinyarwanda Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Basic Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

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Nouns and Pronouns

• Noun Classes
• Personal Pronouns

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-10
• Telling Time

  ---

Verbs and Tenses

• Present Tense
• Past Tense

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Describing Relationships

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Describing Nouns
• Describing Verbs

  ---

Food and Drink

• Common Foods
• Eating and Drinking

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Questions and Negation

• Asking Questions
• Negating Sentences

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Asking for Directions

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Rwandan Customs and Traditions

• Traditional Celebrations
• Rwandan Etiquette

Other Lessons

• How to Say Hello and Greetings
• Basic Greetings
• Days of the Week
• Modes of Transportation
• Express Surprise
• Telling Time
• Asking for Directions
• Food
• Geography