dictionary / translation Lingala

nkómbó, pl. bankombo (class 9/2 : - / ba-)sonorous consonant
kómbó, pl. bakombo (class 9/2 : - / ba-)
nkómbó, pl. bankombo (class 9/10 (2) : - / - (ba-) : plural invariable from context (or informal/modern ba-))sonorous consonant

name, designation

context : grammar
substantive
noun
common name,

kombo na elonga
© pvh

tags :

grammar

18 examples (bandakisa zómi na mwámbe) ...

pesa ngai bakombo na bango: give me their names
Kombo na yo nani ? - Kombo na ngai Niclette.: What's your name? My name is Niclette.
ye alingaki kobala mwasi moko na kombo ya Racele.: He, he wanted to marry a certain Rachel.
mama na bino, kombo na ye nani ?: Your mama, what's her name ?
kombo ya mboka to kombo ya ndaku ?: The name (family, tribe, village) or the forename (how they call you at home) ?
koma kombo na yo: write your name
Tata na Ida, kombo na ye Théo.: Ida's father, his name is Theo.
kombo na yesu eleki kisi: The name of Jesus is better than medicine
kombo ya mokristo: The forename (christian name, modern forename as opposed to tribal forename).
oza na nkombo moko kitoko makasi: You have a very beautiful name.
nkombo na yo ya mboka ezali nini ?: What is your family name ?
okobika na kombo ya yesu !: You will be healed in the name of Jesus !
Lopango oyo ezali na kombo na ngai: This plot is on my name.
akomi kombo ya mwana na ye na buku ya lopango.: He wrote the name of his child in the plot book (property deed).
mobali na yo ya sika, kombo na ye nani ?: Your new husband, what's his name ?
Ayebi ata kokoma kombo na ye te.: She can't even write her name.
makango ya mama kombo na ye papa: mama's lover, his name is papa
naponi kombo moko ya kitoko: I've chosen "one of these" beautiful names.

kómbò, pl. bakombo (class 1a/2 : - / ba-)
likómbo, pl. makombo (class 5/6 : li- / ma- (parts of body, fauna, flora,...))
nkómbo, pl. bankombo (class 9/10 (2) : - / - (ba-) : plural invariable from context (or informal/modern ba-))sonorous consonant

broom

likombo
src : google images

kokomba
src : google images

kombo
© pvh

derived from : kokomba

1 example (ndakisa mókó) ...

Lofundu ya nzinzi, esukaka se na kombo: the pride of the fly ends just with the broom

Article : consonants

In Lingala, sometimes you hear "nsoso" and sometimes you hear "soso". You might get the impression that
it would be free to choose wether to use the first letter m or n when the word starts with two consonants,
but in reality there is a precise rule for it :

In lingala, the first letter m or n may be ommitted for words that start with mp, nt, ns or nk.
(The voiced consonants - FR: Les consonnes sonores)

NK
nkama / kama	cent
nkingo / kingo	cou
nkisi / kisi	médicament
nkulutu / kulutu	aîné
nkoba / koba	tortue

MP
mpinzoli / pinzoli	larme
mpo / po	pour
mpamba / pamba	nul
mpuku / puku	souris
mpongi / pongi	sommeil

NS
nse / se	dessous
nsoso / soso	poulet
nsambo / sambo	sept
nsango / sango	information
nsinga / singa	fil

NT
ntina / tina	importance
ntolo / tolo	torse
ntalo / talo	valeur
ntango / tango	temps
ntaba / taba	chèvre

In all other cases, the first letter is mandatory.
(The unvoiced consonants - FR: Les consonnes sourdes)

NG
nguya	pouvoir
ngai	moi
nganda	bar
nguba	arachide
ngulu	cochon

MB
mboka	village
mbeli	couteau
mbetu	lit
mbila	palmier
mbisi	poisson

ND
ndako	maison
ndeko	cousin
ndakisa	exemple
ndumba	prostituée
ndunda	légume

NZ
nzoto	corps
nzete	arbre, baton
nzela	chemin
nzungu	marmite
nzala	faim

NY
nyei	excrément
nyoso	rien
nyoka	serpent
nyama	animal
nyongo	dette

Article : dates

times/dates

The days of the week
1	monday	mokolo ya liboso / mokolo ya yambo
2	tuesday	mokolo ya mibale
3	wednesday	mokolo ya misato
4	thursday	mokolo ya minei
5	friday	mokolo ya mitano
6	saturday	mokolo ya póso / mokolo ya saba / mokolo wa kombo
7	sunday	mokolo ya eyenga / mokolo ya lomingo

The months
1	januari	sanza ya liboso / yambo
2	februari	sanza ya mibale
3	march	sanza ya misato
4	april	sanza ya minei
5	mai	sanza ya mitano
6	june	sanza ya motoba	yuni
7	july	sanza ya sambo	yuli
8	august	sanza ya moambe
9	september	sanza ya libwa
10	october	sanza ya zomi
11	november	sanza ya zomi na mókó
12	december	sanza ya zomi na mibalé

jaar
year 2013	mobu mwa nkóto míbalé na zómi na mísáto mobu ya 2013

Misc
day	mokolo
week	mpóso
month	sanza
year	mobu/mbula/mpela
evening	mpokwa
night	butu
noon	nzanga
morning	ntongo
today	lelo
yesterday	lobi (eleki)
tomorrow	lobi (ekoya)

In Congo, close to the equator, there are not 4, but 2 seasons.

The seasons
dry season	tángo ya elanga
rain season	tángo ya mbúla

translation / dictionary Lingala - English