Language/Lingala/Vocabulary/Telling-Time

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

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LingalaVocabulary0 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


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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