Language/Lingala/Grammar/Questions

MITUNA/QUESTIONS - Learn the Lingala Language

There exist two kinds of questions in lingala, just like in English. We can build questions by using the interrogative form of the verb or a question word.

Yes/No Questions

Lingala yes/no-questions do not swap the verb and the subject. We just add a question mark to the affirmative form and raise the voice to indicate the interrogative form

• Ayebi nga?: Does he/she know me?
• Mike alobaka falanse?: Does Mike speak French?
• Boza malamu?: Are you all okay?
• Oza na nzala?: Are you hungry?
• Okoki kosalisa nga?: Can you help me?
• Boza bandeko?: Are you siblings?
• Ayebi nkombo nayo?: Does he/she know your name?
• Bovandaka esika moko?: Do you live together?
• Okoya lobi na pokwa?: Will you come tomorrow evening?
• Basilisi musala?: Have they finished working?
• Baza baboti nayo?: Are they your parents?
• Kongo eza munene?: Is the DRC big?
• Bakutanaki yenga eleki?: Did they meet last Sunday?
• Mwasi nayo alambaka malamu?: Does your wife cook well?
• Boyebanani

Question words

Nini: What/Which

• • Olobi nini?: What do you say?
  • Eza nini?: What is it?
  • Lelo eza mukolo nini?: Which day are we today?

Nani: Who/Whom

• • Eza ya nani?: To whom does it belong?
  • Wana nani?: Who is that?

Wapi: Where

• • Saki nanga eza wapi?: Where is my bag?
  • Bavandaka wapi?: Where do they live?
  • Owuti wapi?: Where are you coming from?

Tango nini/mukolo nini/ngonga nini: When

• • Tango nini makita ekobanda?: When will the meeting begin?
  • Bokoya tango nini?: When will you (all) come?
  • Likambo oyo ekosila mukolo nini?: When will this problem take an end?

Boni: How many

• • Oza na bana boni?: How many children do you have?
  • Batu boni baza na kelasi nayo?: How many people are there in your class?

Mutuya nini: How much(price)

• • Mutuka oyo eza mutuya nini?: How much is this car?
  • Telefoni naye eza mutuya nini?: How much does her phone cost?

Mbala boni: How often

• • Oliaka mbala boni na mukolo?: How often do you eat a day?

Pona nini: Why

• • Ozoyekola lingala pona nini?: Why are you learning lingala?
  • Asiliki pona nini?: Why is he/she angry?

NOTE: We can notice that lingala question words are most of the time used at the end of sentences while English ones are always at the beginning.