Poster text: ESSENTIAL WOLOF PHRASES; Salam alaykum! Peace be upon you; Maalikum salaam, And upon you peace; Noo tudd? What is your name? Maa ngi tudd... My name is...; Na nga def? How are you? Maa ngi fi rekk, I am here only/fine; Naka sa yaram? How is your health?; Jërëjëf. Amul solo, You're welcome; Ñaata la? How much is it? Teemeer la, It's 100; Waaw, Yes; Déedéet, No; Ba beneen yoon. Until next time / Goodbye.

“Expressions Ouolof Essentielles”

Na nga def. – Hello. (singular)
Na ngeen def. – Hello everybody. (plural)
Jaam nga fanane. – Good morning.
Jamm nga yendoo. – Good afternoon.
Fanaanal jaam. – Goodnight.
Ba beneen. – Goodbye.
Su la nexee. – Please.
Jai-rruh-jef. – Thank you.
Agsil. – You’re welcome. (singular)
Agsileen ak jaam. – You’re all welcome. (plural)
Baal ma. – Sorry./Pardon.
Wau. – Yes.
Deh-det. – No.
Jaam nga am? – Have you peace? (How are you?)
Jaam rek. – Peace only. (I’m fine.)
Yow nag? – And you?
Naka-nga sant? – What’s your first name?
Maa ngi tudd … . – My name is … .
Fan nga dahk? – Where do you live?
Fan nga joghe? – Where are you from? (singular)
Fan ngeen joghe? – Where are you all from? (plural)
Maa ngi joghe les USA. – I’m from the USA.
Deg nga Angale? – Do you speak English?
Deg nga Faranse? – Do you speak French?
Angale rekk laa degg. – I speak only English.
Degg naa tuuti Faranse. – I speak a little French.
Mahn deggumah Wolof. – I don’t speak Wolof.
Mahn deggumah Faranse. – I don’t speak French.
Degguma. – I don’t understand.
Dama bahggoon … . – I’d like … .
Fahn la … ? – Where is … ?
Soreh na? – Is it far?
Cha kanam. – Straight ahead.
Chammoon. – Left.
Ndeyjoor. – right.
Dugghal waay! – Get in!
Lii naata? – How much is this?
Seer na torob. – It’s too much.
May ma jaam! – Leave me alone!

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174 responses to “Some Essential Wolof Phrases”

  1. Mark Avatar
    Mark

    In Wolof! Thanks

    Like

    1. Amadou Avatar
  2. Mark Avatar
    Mark

    Can someone tell me how to say “Hope you are ok, I miss you and love you”

    Like

    1. Amadou Avatar

      Yaakaar sa yaram jamm, dama la nob ak nala namm. <– Not 100% sure about this, can someone confirm?

      yaakaar – hope; sa (your) yaram (body/health) jamm (peace/well) – your body at peace/you're in good health; dama (I) la (you) nob (love) – I love you; ak – and; nala (I will[?]) namm (miss) – I will miss you.

      Like

  3. Interested Avatar
    Interested

    I believe I have it..thank you my friend, would be..jeri jef suma xarrit..
    I still can’t make the right sound for “X” tho..that’s going to take much more practice.

    Like

    1. Amadou Avatar

      After I went through all that I see you already have it 🙂

      Like

      1. Interested Avatar
        Interested

        It’s great to have it all in one post tho, Amadou..this is a wonderful site..everyone can learn lots if we just take the time to make a few notes..and practice, practice, practice.

        Like

        1. Amadou Avatar

          Thank you. I have been away from the site for awhile but I have some things in the works and will begin updating the site in a few weeks. I’m glad to see that even in my absence this site remains useful for those who wish to learn Wolof.

          Like

  4. Binta Avatar
    Binta

    i knw it as jerejef ore jere jef (thank you)

    Like

    1. Interested Avatar
      Interested

      I appreciate your quick reply Binta..I’m goint to try it today. Jere jef.

      Like

  5. Interested Avatar
    Interested

    I would like to be able to say..Thank you very much..or, Thank you my friend..in Wolof. Someone told me the other day..Danga Rafet..

    Like

    1.  Avatar
      Anonymous

      jiri jif is thankyou

      Like

      1. Interested Avatar
        Interested

        I appreciate the reply. Can that be expanded just a bit to make it a little more personal, say add the words, My friend?

        Like

    2. Amadou Avatar

      Jere-jef is ‘thank you’. Torop is ‘very much’ (from French ‘trop’). So, Jere-jef torop would be like ‘merci beaucoup’ (French) which is how they would probably say it in Senegal, at least in the urban centers.

      Xarit/xariit is ‘friend’. Sama/suma is ‘my’. Suma xarit — “my friend”.

      So, to finally answer your question 🙂 “Torop jere-jef, suma xarit!” or in French; “Merci beaucoup, mon ami!”

      Bare/bari is another way to say ‘much’. Jaaraama is another way to say ‘thank you’.

      By the way, danga rafet means “You are beautiful”.

      Like

      1. Amadou Avatar

        P.S. — Xarit is pronounced like hair-reet. The ‘x’ is like a guttural ‘h’.

        Like

  6. bamba Avatar

    woloffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff ya nekhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hey hey heyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

    Like

  7. bamba Avatar

    woloffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff hahahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!@!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Like

  8. Mara Avatar

    How do you say in Wolof “with Love”? Like when tou are going to give someone a present and you say this is from me with love! In Frech avec amour.

    Like

    1. Amadou Avatar

      With love = ak mbeggeel; ak cofeel (friendship). ‘Ak’ means and/with. ‘Nob’ is a verb that also means ‘to be in love’.

      Like

      1. maria Avatar
        maria

        hey do you know the meaning of this phrase “akh ki dou moromou domou khadj bobou” can u help me please..i really need it..thank you

        Like

  9. tandie Avatar
    tandie

    I want to learn wolof

    Like

    1. Amadou Avatar

      You’re in the right place 🙂

      Like

  10.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    I am a nurse, arriving in Dakar on March 23rd with a team of doctors and nurses. We are looking for people to help us with translation: English to Wolof. If you know of anyone interested and available, March 26-30 let me know. sheriprn@comcast.net

    Like

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