Browse African Slang

Demander (To ask for) - Lingala

Dire la vérité (To tell the truth) - Lingala

Enlever (To remove) - Lingala

Chercher l'amour (To look for love) - Lingala

Seek luck

Chercher l'espoir (To seek hope) - Lingala

Chercher des problèmes (To look for trouble) - Lingala

Chercher intensément (To search intensely) - Lingala

Chercher le voleur (To look for the thief) - Lingala

Eat once a day

Name of Congo

To remember

Montrer (To show) - Lingala

“To humiliate someone” (make them see themselves). Usage: Azalaki ko monela ye pub talk na devant batu – She really humi...

To smoke weed (literally “to do ‘nua’”). Usage: Bango bazali kolela te, bazali konua lé todo (They’re not stressing, the...

Sécher (To dry) - Lingala

Prier pour (To pray for) - Lingala

Bénir (To bless) - Lingala

Gagner de l'argent (To earn money) - Lingala

Donner son cœur (To give one's heart) - Lingala

Naming tradition

Cup measure

Se battre (To fight) - Lingala

Euphemisms for “to die” (literally “to pedal,” “to be done,” “to eat ground”). Usage: Grand-père a kolia pawu mbula oyo ...

“To make someone pregnant” (to put someone in a round state). Usage: Masta na ngai akorondoné mwana ya voisin – My buddy...

Faire le Kinois (To act like a Kinshasa person) - slang

Créer l'ambiance (To create atmosphere) - slang

Faire attention (To pay attention) - mixed

Faire très bien (To do very well) - mixed

Faire bizarre (To act strange) - mixed

Faire l'amour (To make love) - Lingala

Être calme (To be calm) - mixed

Être certain (To be certain) - mixed

Être clair (To be clear) - mixed

Avoir de la classe (To have class) - mixed

Faire comme ça (To do like that) - mixed

Compliquer (To complicate) - mixed

Faire confiance (To trust) - mixed

Être content (To be happy) - mixed

Faire cool (To be cool) - slang

Faire correctement (To do correctly) - mixed

Être difficile (To be difficult) - mixed

Faire différemment (To do differently) - mixed

Faire doucement (To do gently) - mixed

Être dur (To be hard) - mixed

Être déçu (To be disappointed) - mixed

Faire un effort (To make an effort) - mixed

Faire ensemble (To do together) - mixed

Faire une erreur (To make an error) - mixed

Faire exprès (To do on purpose) - mixed