Krio words and phrases
NOTE: The writing system used here is the recommended orthography used in schools and colleges in Sierra Leone. The orthography uses phonetic symbols for some vowel sounds in krio.
An important thing to note is that each symbol represents ONE and only ONE sound, and each sound is represented by only ONE symbol. The vowel sounds are usually the problem. Below is a guide to the pronunciation of the vowels of Krio.
1. ɛ as in English ‘bed.’
2. e as in English ‘day’
3. ɔ as in English ‘cot’
4. ʌ as in English ‘cut’ (not found in Krio)
5. ə as in English ‘ among’ (not found in Krio)
6. o as in English ‘bowl’ or ‘boat’
7. u as in English ‘fool’
8. I as in English ‘seat’
Also, the velar nasal sound, ŋ , as in English ‘King,’ is used in Krio ‘fulɔp piŋ’ (full to the brim), and in Temne ‘kʌ lɛŋ’ ( to grow grey hair).
| English |
Krio |
| Afternoon |
santɛm |
| Alcohol |
rɔm/ɔmɔle |
| Bar/Pub |
ba |
| Bargain |
bagin |
| Beard |
biabia |
| Be careful |
tek tɛm |
| Bed |
bed |
| Biscuit/Cookies |
biskit |
| Blind |
blɛn |
| Bobby / Cop |
polis |
| Bonnet / Hood |
bɔnɛt |
| Boy |
bɔy |
Rubbish
|
botobata |
| Braids |
plant |
| Bread |
bred |
| Bus |
bɔs/podapoda |
| Candy/Sweet |
swit |
| Car |
mɔtoka |
| Child |
pikin |
| Diarohea/Dysentry |
rɔnbɛlɛ |
| Roundabout |
tɔntebul |
| Coconut |
koknat |
| Cross Roads/ Junction |
jɔnkshɔn |
| Door |
domɔt |
| Drunk |
chak |
| Dust bin / Trash can |
dɔti bɔks |
| Ear |
yes |
| Enough |
I du so |
| Excuse me |
kɔmɔt na rod |
| Finish |
dɔn |
| Flip Flops/Slippers |
afbak |
| Food |
it |
| Friend |
padi |
| Gas / Petrol |
pɛtrol |
Out in the open
|
gbamgbaode |
Determined
|
gbakanda |
| Girl |
titi |
| Good Bye |
a de go |
| Grill |
kolpɔt |
| Happy |
gladi |
| Head tie/Head band |
ɛnkincha |
| Hello |
kushɛ/kabɔ |
| Help me |
ɛp mi/una kam o |
| House |
os |
| How are you? |
Aw yu du? |
| How do I? |
Aw fɔ ? |
| How much does it cost? |
ɔmɔs fɔ am ? |
| How old are you? |
ɔmɔs yu ol ? |
| Hurry Up |
mekes |
| I am fine |
a wɛl |
| I am full |
a bɛlful |
| I am going home |
a de go na os |
| I am going to XYZ |
a de go XYZ |
| I am on my way |
a de kam |
| I am sorry |
a beg pardon |
| I am XYZ / My name is XYZ |
a nem XYZ |
| I don't have |
a nɔ gɛt |
| I know |
a sabi |
| I'd like to go to XYZ |
a wan fɔ go XYZ |
| I'll be back |
a de kam |
| Leave me alone |
lɛf mi |
| Man |
man |
| Market |
makit |
| Maybe |
sɔntɛm |
| Medication |
mɛrɛsin |
| Money |
kɔpɔ |
| Mosquito |
maskita |
| Mouth |
mɔt |
| Neighbour |
neba |
| Night |
nɛt |
| Onions |
yabas |
| Orange Fruit |
ɔrinch |
| Outside |
na do |
| Peanut |
granat |
| Please |
duya |
| Plenty |
bɔku |
| Poor |
po |
| Power outage |
blakawt |
| Provinces |
ɔplayn |
| Rich |
gɛntri |
| Sand |
sansan |
| Shoe |
sus |
| Shop/Store |
shap |
| Shout/Yell |
ala |
| Sit down |
sidɔm |
| Snacks |
mumunyɛrɛ |
| Sneakers / Trainers |
krep |
| Soda/Pop/Soft drink |
sɔft drink |
| Stand up |
timap |
| Stop |
lɛf |
| Street |
trit |
| Tailor |
telaman |
| Take me go |
kɛr mi go |
| Tap |
pɔmp |
| Taxi / Cab |
taksi |
| Thank You |
tɛnki |
| Thief |
tifman/ayampi |
| Today |
tide |
| Tommorow |
tumara |
| Female Trader |
makit uman |
| Tree |
tik |
| Trouser |
trɔsis |
| Trunk / Boot |
bakbut |
| Uniform for a special function |
ashɔbi |
| Upset |
vɛks |
| Walk |
waka |
| Water |
wata |
| What are you doing? |
wetin yu de du? |
| What? |
wetin? |
| What's your name? |
wetin yu nem? |
| When |
ustɛm? |
| Window |
winda |
| Woman |
uman |
Download Basic Krio and Temne Vocabulary as compiled by Sheikh Umar Kamarah. |
