Essential Chichewa Vocabulary

Why Learn Chichewa?

Chichewa (also known as Chewa or Nyanja) is spoken by over 12million people in Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique and Tanzania. It is the national language of Malawi and a vital means of communication in many regions of southern Africa. Learning a handful of everyday words helps travelers, students, and businesspeople connect with locals, show respect, and navigate daily life more easily.

Basic Greetings

English	Chichewa	Pronunciation
Hello / Good morning	Moni	MO-nee
Good afternoon	Mawa	MAH-wah
Good evening	Usiku wabwino	OO-see-koo wah-BEE-no
Good night	Usiku wabwino	same as above
How are you? (to one person)	Muli bwanji?	MOO-lee bwahn-JEE
How are you? (to several)	Muli bwanji?	same
Im fine, thank you	Ndiri bwino, zikomo	NDI-ree BEE-no ZEE-ko-mo
Goodbye	Tsopano / Tsalani bwino	tsa-POH-no / tsa-LAH-nee BEE-no
Thank you	Zikomo	ZEE-ko-mo
Sorry / Excuse me	Pepani	PEH-pah-nee

Numbers (020)

English	Chichewa	Pronunciation
Zero	Zero	ZEH-ro
One	Imodzi	ee-MO-dzee
Two	Awiri	a-WEE-ree
Three	Atatu	a-TAH-too
Four	Anayi	a-NAH-yee
Five	Asanu	a- SAH-noo
Six	Khumi	KHOOM-ee
Seven	Khumi ndi mpira (lit. six and one)	KHOOM-ee nDEE MPEEra
Eight	Khumi ndi awiri	KHOOM-ee nDEE aWEEree
Nine	Khumi ndi atatu	KHOOM-ee nDEE aTAHtoo
Ten	Khumi	KHOOM-ee
Eleven	Kumi ndi imodzi	KOOmee nDEE eeMOdzee
Twelve	Kumi ndi awiri	KOOmee nDEE aWEEree
Thirteen	Kumi ndi atatu	KOOmee nDEE aTAHtoo
Fourteen	Kumi ndi anayi	KOOmee nDEE aNAHyee
Fifteen	Kumi ndi asanu	KOOmee nDEE aSAHnoo
Sixteen	Kumi ndi khumi	KOOmee nDEE KHOOMee
Seventeen	Kumi ndi khumi ndi imodzi	KOOmee nDEE KHOOMee nDEE eeMOdzee
Eighteen	Kumi ndi khumi ndi awiri	KOOmee nDEE KHOOMee nDEE aWEEree
Nineteen	Kumi ndi khumi ndi atatu	KOOmee nDEE KHOOMee nDEE aTAHtoo
Twenty	Makumi awiri	maKOOmee aWEEree

Common Phrases for Travelers

Where is? Kuthupi? (e.g., Kuthupi banki?)
How much is this? Chiiri ndi mtengo wotani?
I dont understand. Simukudzia.
Can you help me? Mukhoza kundithandiza?
Water Madzi
Food Chakudya
Bathroom Kunyumba kwa chiwindi
Police station Polisi
Hospital Chipatala

Days of the Week

English	Chichewa	Pronunciation
Monday	Lolemba	loLEHMba
Tuesday	Lawuyo	laWUyo
Wednesday	Litatu	leeTAHtoo
Thursday	Linthano	linTHAHno
Friday	Lima	LEEma
Saturday	Lisabati	leesaBAHtee
Sunday	Liyapoyeka	leeyaPOyeka

Colors

Red Wofiira
Blue Kutimvetse
Green Msuzi
Yellow Chieni
Black Wanthata
White Woyera

Tips for Pronunciation

Chichewa is a tonal language, but beginners can be understood by focusing on clear vowel sounds.

Vowels are always pronounced: a (as in father), e (as in bed), i (as in machine), o (as in go), u (as in rule).
The letter k is often aspirated (a soft kh sound) when followed by h as in khumi.
Consonant clusters are rare; most words are CV (consonantvowel) or CVC.
Stress usually falls on the penultimate syllable (secondlast).

Further Learning Resources

While this list gives a solid start, expanding your knowledge will deepen cultural connections. Consider the following resources:

Online courses on platforms such as Duolingo or Memrise that include Chichewa modules.
Local radio stations like MBC Radio (Malawi Broadcasting Corporation) for listening practice.
Languageexchange apps where you can chat with native speakers.
Printed phrasebooks: Chichewa for Travelers by the Peace Corps.

Reference Files For Chichewa Vocabulary List

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