Language/Lingala/Vocabulary/Telling-Time

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◀️ Numbers 1-10 — Previous Lesson	Next Lesson — Regular Verbs ▶️

Lingala → Vocabulary → 0 to A1 Course → Numbers and Time → Telling Time

Learning how to tell time in Lingala is a practical and essential skill for those wishing to communicate with native Lingala speakers. In this lesson, you will learn how to tell time in Lingala, including how to say the hours, minutes, and the difference between a.m. and p.m.

Consider exploring these related pages after completing this lesson: Important words & Using ‘moko’ and ‘liboso’.

Lingala Numbers Review

Before we dive into telling time, let's have a quick review of numbers in Lingala. Numbers are an important part of any language, and this is especially true for Lingala. Here are the numbers from one to ten in Lingala:

Lingala	Pronunciation	English
moja	moh-jah	one
mbili	mm-bee-lee	two
tatu	tah-too	three
nne	nneh	four
tano	tah-noh	five
sita	see-tah	six
saba	sah-bah	seven
nane	nahn-neh	eight
tisa	tee-sah	nine
kumi	koo-mee	ten

The numbers in Lingala have a straightforward pronunciation, but make sure to practice each one until you feel comfortable with your pronunciation.

Telling Time

Now that we have reviewed the numbers in Lingala, let's move on to telling time. To tell time in Lingala, we use a combination of numbers, words, and phrases. Let's start with the basics:

The Hours

In Lingala, we use "saa" to express the concept of the hour. Here are the Lingala words for some of the hours of the day:

Lingala	Pronunciation	English
saa moja	sah-ah moh-jah	one o'clock
saa mbili	sah-ah mm-bee-lee	two o'clock
saa tatu	sah-ah tah-too	three o'clock
saa nne	sah-ah nneh	four o'clock
saa tano	sah-ah tah-noh	five o'clock
saa sita	sah-ah see-tah	six o'clock
saa saba	sah-ah sah-bah	seven o'clock
saa nane	sah-ah nahn-neh	eight o'clock
saa tisa	sah-ah tee-sah	nine o'clock
saa kumi	sah-ah koo-mee	ten o'clock

When telling time, the hour always comes first, followed by the minutes.

The Minutes

In Lingala, we express the concept of minutes using "senti." For example,

2:05 p.m. would be expressed as "saa mbili na senti tano ya mchana"
9:42 p.m. would be expressed as "saa tisa na senti arobaini na mbili ya usiku"

Here are some additional examples:

Lingala	Pronunciation	English
saa kumi na moja na senti ishirini	sah-ah koo-mee nah moh-jah nah sen-tee ee-shee-roh-nee	twenty past eleven
saa tano na dakika hamsini	sah-ah tah-noh nah dah-kee-kah hahm-see-nee	half past five
saa mbili na nusu	sah-ah mm-bee-lee nah noh-soo	half past two
saa moja na dakika kumi	sah-ah moh-jah nah dah-kee-kah koo-mee	ten past one

When telling time, it is important to note that the minute comes after "na," which means "and." The word "dakika" means "minutes," and "nusu" means "half."

A.M. and P.M.

In Lingala, we use "ya asubuhi" to indicate the morning and "ya mchana" to indicate the afternoon. As for the evening, we use "ya jioni" to indicate the late afternoon and "ya usiku" to indicate the night. To indicate a.m. or p.m., we simply add "ya asubuhi" or "ya jioni" to the hour. For example,

2:00 p.m. would be expressed as "saa mbili ya mchana"
6:30 a.m. would be expressed as "saa sita na nusu ya asubuhi"
9:00 p.m. would be expressed as "saa tisa ya jioni"

By adding "ya asubuhi" or "ya jioni" to the hour, we can indicate whether the time we are referring to is in the morning or the afternoon/evening.

Practice Makes Perfect

To really master telling time in Lingala, it is important to practice as much as possible. Try asking a friend to quiz you on different times of the day and see if you can respond correctly. The more you practice, the more comfortable you will become with the vocabulary and the grammar of telling time in Lingala.

Congratulations on learning how to tell time in Lingala! This is an important skill that will come in handy when communicating with native speakers. Keep practicing and working hard, and you'll be well on your way to fluency in no time.

Table of Contents - Lingala Course - 0 to A1

Course Presentation

Greetings and Introductions

Nouns and Pronouns

Numbers and Time

Verbs and Conjugation

Family and Relationships

Adjectives and Adverbs

Food and Dining

Prepositions and Conjunctions

Travel and Transportation

Lingala Culture and Traditions

Professions and Hobbies

Questions and Interrogatives

Daily Routines and Activities

Imperatives and Commands

Other Lessons

Sources

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