The Luo Language of Kenya: Basic Vocabulary and Conversation

Emmanuel is from Nairobi, Kenya and loves researching its history. He is also an artist and likes to share what he knows with others.

Basic Luo Dictionary

Luo is classified as a Nilotic language. My first language is Kikuyu, which is a Bantu language, and it is as different from Luo as English is from Russian. However, there are some subtle similarities. I do not claim to be an expert in this beautiful language, but I have sufficient working knowledge that I can share with you. As we explore this language together, we will increase our vocabulary and understand the grammar in finer detail. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to express yourself in Luo, also known as Dholuo.

Who Speaks Luo?

The Luo of Kenya and Tanzania are a Nilotic-speaking people whose main occupations are fishing, farming, and animal husbandry. They are settled around Lake Victoria where fish are plentiful along the shores and many islands. Having come down the Nile, the Luo of Kenya have Luo or Lwo-speaking cousins in Sudan, from where they most recently migrated. Other Luo dialects are spoken in Uganda, such as Alur and Acholi.

First, let us learn the basics.

A. The Luo Language Structure

Luo has a CVC or VC structure—consonant/vowel/consonant or vowel/consonant. This means that Luo words can end in a consonant, like gin, they are. This is unlike Bantu languages, where words must end in a vowel. Luo language is, therefore, more similar to English articulation, while Bantu languages are more like Italian.

B. Luo Pronunciation

Luo vowels are similar to English – a, e, i, o, and u.

However, some words can end in the syllables ng and ny. In IPA, the palatal nasal consonant [ɲ], which sounds like ny. For example:

• Chieng, piny, many

Words can also end in the velar nasal [ŋ], written as ng’. For example:

• Anyang’ — (a boy’s name)

Another interesting word ending is w. For example:

• Chiew — (to get up)

These endings are impossible in Bantu languages, which would add a vowel at the end of each word—such as in the Kikuyu words nyanya and Ng’ang’a.

In Luo, unlike Bantu, it is also possible to start a word with a 'y', such as in the words below. For example:

• Ywech, yweyo

Mother tongue interference is noticeable when Luo speakers speak in English, especially with words ending with ‘sh’, such as fish. For a Luo speaker, this sound is pronounced ‘s.’ A common example would be the phrase "fresh fried fish"—it is pronounced as "fres' fried fis," in a typical Luo accent.

The Verb “To Be” in Luo

Memorize Luo Vocabulary Words

Below, you will find many sets of vocabulary on several helpful topics. It's important to memorize them so that you can hold a conversation and understand your peers!

Numbers

Family

Days of the Week

Around the Home

Professions

Body Parts

The Senses

Animals

The Sun and Sky

Common Verbs

Adjectives

Conjunctions

Conversation Lesson 1: Me and My Family

• Nyinga Odongo – My name is Odongo.
• Wuonwa iluongoni Opiyo – My father’s name is Opiyo.
• Odak Kisumu – He lives in Kisumu.
• En japur – He is a farmer.
• Minwa iluongoni Anyango – My mother’s name is Angayo.
• Odak Kisumu bende gi Wuonwa – She also lives in Kisumu with my father.
• An gi nyithinda ariyo – I have three children.
• Yowuoi ariyo – They are two boys.
• Ka adhi neno wuonwa gi Minwa, adhi gi nyithinda – When I go to see my father and mother, I go with my children.
• Kwara iluongoni Otoyo – My grandfather is called Otoyo.
• N’ose tho – He is dead.
• Ka pok n’otho, ne en japur bende – Before he died, he was also a farmer.
• Dana iluongoni Nyar-alego – My grandmother is called Nyar-alego.
• N’ose tho bende – She is also dead.
• Sani, aonge gi Kwara Kata dana – Now I don’t have a grandfather nor a grandmother.
• Nikech, wuon wuonwa gi min minwa n’ose tho te – Because my father’s father and mother’s mother are all dead.
• Adak Huruma – I live in Huruma.
• An gi Jobatha mangeny – I have many neighbours.

Lesson 1 Vocabulary and Grammar Explanation

• Nyathi – child
• Nyithindo – children
• Nyithinda – my children
• An gi pesa – I have money
• Aonge gi pesa – I don’t have money
• An go – I have it.
• Aonge go – I don’t have it.

As you can see, the indicator gi is used when the object is stated, and go is used when the object is not stated.

‘A’ is added to the beginning or end of words to refer to the first person.

• An – me
• Nyinga – My name is...
• Athi – I am going...

‘I’ is added the same way at the beginning or end to refer to the second person.

• In – you
• Nyingi – Your name is...
• Ithi – You are going...

‘O’ is used at the beginning or end to mean third person. However, in some cases it changes place with ‘E’.

• En – Him/her
• Nyinge – His/her name is...
• Othi – He/she is going...

When I was learning, I was tempted to say Wuonwa oluongoni Opiyo – My father is called opiyo, by placing an ‘o’ prefix in Luongo – call. Placing ‘I’ instead, as has been done above, means that it is the second person and not the third person who calls my father Opiyo.

• Wuonwa iluongoni Opiyo – My father you call Opiyo.

Much as it may sound ungrammatical, I was taught to say it that way. Notice that ‘O’ is properly put in the word Odak (He lives...)

Conversation Lesson 2: My House

• Ka ibiro oda – If you come to my house...
• Aabiro mii kom ibedie – I will give you a chair to sit on.
• Ntie kom, stul, kabat gi mesa e oda - There is a chair, stool, cupboard and table in my house.
• Saa chiemo aketo chiemo e mesa - When it is time to eat, I put food on the table.
• Abede kom ka achiemo – I sit on the chair when I am eating.
• Seche moko, ok adwar bet e kom – Sometimes, I do not want to sit on the chair.
• Adwaro stul nikech adwaro madho kongo – I want a stool because I want to drink beer.
• Ka imadho kongo, to stul ber – When drinking beer, a stool is best.
• Iparoga ni in en bar – You will think you are in a bar.
• An gi kabede ariyo – I have two cupboards.
• Achiel ntie e jikon – One is in the kitchen.
• Kabat no en mar keto san okombe gi moko mangeny – this cupboard is for the plates, cups, and many other things
• Kabat moro ni e ot ma nindo – The other cupboard is in the bedroom.
• Kanyo ntie uriri bende – There is also a bed there.
• Ka awinjo ka adwaro nindo to adhi e uriri – When I feel like sleeping, I go to bed.
• Ka oka adhi tich arwako pat kira – When I am not going to work, I put on sandals.
• Ka adhi tich, arwako wuoch maber ma rotenge – When I am going to work, I wear good black shoes.
• Ka pok adhi tich ayweyo ot gi ywech – Before I go to work, I sweep the house with a broom.

Lesson 2 Vocabulary

• Ot – house, Oda – my house
• Dala – home
• Mia – give me, Mie – give him/her, Amii – I give you
• Ntie – there is, Antie – I am here (I am in), Entie – he/she is here (is in)
• Saa – time (singular), Seche – time (plural), sani - now
• Seche moko – sometimes, Seche duto – all the time
• Ka – here, Kanyo – there, Kucha – over there
• Aparo – I think, aparoga – I was thinking, ka aparo – when I think
• Tich (wira) – work

Conversation Lesson 3: The Past Tense

• Chon gi lala ne ntie mbura – A long time a go there was a cat.
• Mbura ni ne ongegi iwe - The cat did not have a tail.
• Onge mor nikech oongegi iwe – He/she was not happy because he/she did not have a tail.
• Ne oparo ni obiro bet gi mor chieng moro – He/she thought he/she would be happy one day.
• Ka mbura oongegi iwgi bende - If all the other cats also didn't have tails.

• Mbura chamoga oyieyo - Cats eat mice.
• Oyieyo chamoga chiemb ngato – Mice eat people’s food.
• Ka ngato oneno oyieyo, onege – When a person sees a rat, they kill it.
• Apuoyo nigi it mabor – A rabbit has long ears.
• Oringo matek ahinya – It runs very fast.
• Ka ichamo apuoyo, ringe mit - If you eat a rabbit, its meat is sweet.
• To ring nyuok mit moingo mar apuoyo – But a he-goat’s meat is sweeter than a rabbit's.
• Ka in gi diel achiel, in ngato matin – If you have one goat, you are a small person.
• Ka in gi diek ariyo, in ngato maduong Nikech mano miyo imadho gi jokwath – If you have two goats, you are a big man because you can share drinks with the shepherds.
• Ondiek nyiero ka ngato – A hyena laughs like a human.
• Ka inyiera nyiera seche duto waluongoni ondiek – If you laugh all the time, we shall call you a hyena.
• Kwach en mbura maduong – The leopard is a big cat.
• Ohero chamo nyuok gi guok – It likes eating he-goat and dog.
• Sibuor en ruoth mar le – The lion is the king of animals.
• Ka sibuor ni gi sibuor-madhako mangeny ok odhi menyo – When a Lion has many lionesses, he does not go hunting
• Orito dala – He waits at home.
• Sibuor-madhako dhi menyo ne jo-ot duto – The lioness hunts for the whole family.
• Ng’ut mar tiga bor ahinya – A giraffe’s neck is very long.
• Onge le maduong ka liech – No animal is bigger than the elephant.

Lesson 3 Vocabulary

• Chon gi lala – once upon a time (a long time ago)
• ni ne ongegi – he/she did not have
• Iw – tail, iwe – its tail
• Mor – happiness (happy), amor – I am happy
• Aparo – I think, Iparo – you think, oparo – he/she thinks, ne oparo – he/she thought
• Abiro – I am coming, abiro bet – I will be, obiro bet – he/she will be
• Mbura achiel – one cat, mbura te – all the cats
• Diel – goat, Nyuok – he-goat, Diek - goats
• Nduong – big, tin – small
• Mit – sweet
• Jamni – domesticated animals
• Nyier – laugh
• seche duto – all the time, Chieng machielo, the other day/another day,
• Chieng moro – one day
• Sibuor – lion, Sibuor-madhako - lioness
• Liech – elephant
• Kwach – leopard
• Ondiek – hyena
• Guok – dog
• Ruoth – king, leader
• Many – search/hunt

Conversation Lesson 4: Pests

• Kich tedo gimoro ma mit – The bee makes something sweet.
• Suna rach ahinya niketch okelo malaria – A mosquito is bad because it brings malaria.
• Ok ang’eo ka pino rach koso ber – I do not know if a wasp is good or bad.
• Olwenda ok nindi otieno – Cockroaches do not sleep at night.
• Ohero mudho – They like the darkness.
• Odichieng ok inyal neno olwenda, kata achiel – In the daytime, you cannot see cockroaches, not even one.
• Ineno mano ma osetho kende – You will only see the dead ones.
• Jo wuoi chamoga winy – The boys eat birds.
• Gi chamoga aluru – They eat the Aluru (a bird found in bushes with limited flight).
• Onge ng’ato machamo otien’g – No one eats spiders.
• Winyo nyalo chamo otien’g – A bird can eat a spider.
• Omieri en thuol – A python is a snake.
• Kamnie wuotho mos ahinya – The snail moves very slowly.
• Kamnie wutho mos moingo ng’ongruok – The snail moves slower than a chameleon.

Conversation Lesson 5: The Weather

• Ka ng’ato okwalo gimoro, onyalo chikore mabor ahinya – If a person steals something, he can jump very far.
• Ka iloso gi Nyasaye, i go chongi piny – When you talk with God, you kneel down.
• Wuod minwa ringo seche duto – My brother runs all the time.
• Ka chieng osetuch, ok inind, Ichiew – When the sun rises, you don’t sleep—you wake up.
• Okine dwe ndalo duto. Inene ndalo moko kende – You do not see the moon every night. You only see it on some nights.
• Bocho polo ma rateng’ kelo koth – Dark clouds bring rain.
• Ka idhi oko otieno, inyalo neno sulwe mang’eny ahinya – If you go out at night, you can see many stars.
• Apenji, yamo ber koso rach? – I ask you, is the wind good or bad?
• Saa moro, yamo nyal dhi go lawi ka ni kete oko – Sometimes the wind can blow your clothes away if you leave them outside.
• Saa moro, onge koth – Sometimes there is no rain.
• Ka ntie Ong’weng’o ok ineno maber – When there is fog, you will not see properly.

Lesson 5 Vocabulary

• Kwalo – steal
• Chikore – to jump
• Mabor – far, long
• Wuod minywa – my brother
• Nyaminwa – my sister
• Ochieng – sun, day
• Ndalo duto – all nights
• Ndalo moko kende – some nights
• Rateng – dark, black
• Lawi - clothes

Questions & Answers

Question: how do Luos' greet each other?

Answer: nade - how is it

Ber - good

Ithi nade - how are you doing

Athi maber - am well (good)

© 2012 Emmanuel Kariuki

Comments

Emmanuel Kariuki (author) from Nairobi, Kenya on July 06, 2020:

Hi Lingua Franca,

Thanks for passing by. Your conjecture makes sense if we agree that it has a Bantu origin. Even in Kikuyu, though some may argue that Kikuyu borrowed from Swahili, the word is Kiraka.

Ligua Franca on July 03, 2020:

This is such a refreshing site. Emmanuel Kariuki, on the question about the place called Wairaka, could that be related to "pieces", probably of metal or cloth, the way "viraka" means "patches" in Kiswahili and in other Bantu languages? Remember letters in the bible are also called "waraka", probably referring to the pieces of parchment or prepared hide or papyrus? What would you say?

Emmanuel Kariuki (author) from Nairobi, Kenya on April 04, 2020:

Hi Dennis.

Sorry for responding late.

I do not claim to be an expert in Luo, however I will try to make a wild guess and maybe, just maybe it might help.

I suspect the WA prefix at the beginning of the word Wairaka is from Bantu, so it could have been affixed to a word like "Rako" by the Ugandan Bantus that may have been the majority.

Rako - the sound made by pieces of metal knocking at each other. Perhaps your ancestor was a blacksmith.

Rako also means - to set on each other in an attack. Perhaps your ancestor settled there after wining a battle, or found peace in a place that had just come from a war situation.

With this two conjectures, interrogate your elders and see if you can get leads.

Dennis Muza on October 05, 2019:

Hi Emmanuel,

I'm from Uganda in a place called Wairaka. We are trying to trace the meaning of the word Wairaka, and they told us the first settler came from Kenya around lake Victoria. He's perceived to be a luo.

If so, what does this word mean or any thing close to word Wairaka?

Thanks.

Emmanuel Kariuki (author) from Nairobi, Kenya on June 13, 2019:

Thanks a lot. It is quite enlightening. There must be a good reason for omiting K in Otanda and Okombe in borrowed words. We can investigate from other native Luo speakers for an answer. I appreciate your comments very much.

Emmanuel Kariuki (author) from Nairobi, Kenya on June 13, 2019:

Thanks a great deal. It definitely helps.

Christine Zachary on June 06, 2019:

In addition to that there are some letters that do not independently exist in the luo alphabets,thats why they cannot pronounce or articulate them well. Like h only exists as ch, thats why sh for a luo is just s, and words with h as independent they just forego the "h" like "uhuru" will be "ouru or "huduma" is said as "oduma".

And Z as in my name they say Sakary instead.I have thought about it and realized i haven't come across words with z,i think it doesn't exist in the alphabets;I stand to be corrected anyway.

With the letter k i cannot really tell why more often than not they omit it from words which aren't originally luo,like the k in kitanda(otanda) Kisumu(osumo) though i know for sure there's a k as in "kiki"(do not)

And then some words would differ slightly depending on which part of the community you hail from,for cooking stick some say "oluthkuon" some say "oliho"

I have not really interacted with those from central but I am told if i tell them some words,they either won't understand or it'll mean something else,though those are just a few things

I hope this makes some sense.

Christine Zachary on June 06, 2019:

Tiegruok isn't just education,it's more of higher education.When a person starts education its" ochako puonjruokne"or "ochako sombe" but when they get to higher levels like university(mbalariany)you say "tiegruok or medruok"

I hope this helps

Emmanuel Kariuki (author) from Nairobi, Kenya on May 25, 2018:

Hi Dennis-VW. Thanks for encouragement. I hadn't thought of an app but that's a good idea. I will take it up at some

point.

Emmanuel Kariuki (author) from Nairobi, Kenya on May 25, 2018:

Hi Luisss749. Sorry for this late reply. You are most welcome.

Dennis-VW on May 17, 2018:

I enjoyed your article. I am an American with a Luo wife, in the process of learning Swahili & Luo. Have you thought about making an android app for learning Luo? There is one & a couple translater/dictionaries, but they aren't very good.

luisss749 on August 19, 2017:

Hello Emmanuel thanks a lot...

Emmanuel Kariuki (author) from Nairobi, Kenya on August 19, 2017:

Hello, Luis Salazar. Though I am not a native Luo speaker, I can confirm that the word means life, good health. It is used in the greeting "Ingima ? are you healthy/ full of life. and the response is "Angima - I am fine/healthy. In one of my hubs, I have shown how it is related to the Ankh of ancient Egypt which also symbolized Life and good health.

Pronounciation Ng - like the Ng in English. Granted English words cannot start with that sound. Ma - like Ma in Mama in English and most languages to mean mother.

I hope that helps.

luisss749 on August 17, 2017:

Hello Emmanuel i'm working in a project (a contest in the website Freelancer.com) and i like to use the world "life" for the name of my project but in Luo language, after a light research i found this websites:

http://economics.ozier.com/language/dholuo.html

https://www.names.org/n/ngima/about

i like to know your opinion on this translation, is correct the use of this world (ngima) for the world "life"?, is ok the pronunciation?, i also foud that this world (ngima) is used as a name, thoes this world have other meanings?

I hope you can help me, thanks in advance

Luis Salazar

Torreon Coah. Mexico.

Emmanuel Kariuki (author) from Nairobi, Kenya on December 18, 2016:

rollinson , I have just been given another term for Education in Dholuo: Tiegruok

Hope other Luo speakers can confirm it because it is not common. Many native Luos do not know it.

Emmanuel Kariuki (author) from Nairobi, Kenya on December 13, 2016:

rollinson - Sorry for responding late.

Puonj, Somo - Education

Puonj also means to teach. The latter is in more current use, perhaps due to the foreignness of formal education to Luo Culture.

dunkie13 - Thanks so much for your contribution. I will soon be correcting the main text. I am happy for your encouragement and interactivity, which was the main objective of this hub.

dunkie13 on December 10, 2016:

Awesome work Emmanuel! For someone who is not a natural born speaker of Dholuo you have done great.

There are however a few corrections that that I've noted.

These are the ones that I've spotted:

1. First person singular

An – I am or me

Ne an – I was or "was me"

Abiro bet – I will be also "I will sit"

2. First person Plural

Wan - "us"

Wabiro bet – we will be also "we will sit"

3. Second person singular

In – "you"

Ibiro bet – You will be also "you will sit"

4. Second person Plural

Ubiro bet – You will be (plural) also "you will sit"

5. Third person singular

En – He/she or "him/her"

Obiro bet – He/she will be also "he/she will sit"

6. Third person plural

Gin – "them"

Ne gin – "they were"

gibiro bet – He/she will be

7. The senses

Listen – "winj"

8. Parts of the body

"Wich" – head,

"yier" wich - hair

10. Animals

"Twiga" – Giraffe

11. Insects and other small living things

"Ong'ogo" – locust

"Otieng'" - spider

12. Some Verbs

"Puonj" - Teach, Puonjri – Learn = 'literaly "teach yourself" '

"Many'" – search

13. The universe

"Boche" – Cloud (context negates need for adding "polo")

14. Some Adjectives

tegno – "strength",

tek = "strong"

"dhero" – Thin

"fuwo" – foolish

17. Days of the week

"Tich ang'wen" – Thursday (work day four)

Tich a bich – Friday (work day five)

"Sabato" - Saturday

"Jumapil" – Sunday

"dwe" – Month (moon),

"Higa" – year

18. The family

Wuon – Father, Wuonwa – my father (technically "our" father)

Min – Mother, Minwa – my mother (technically "our" mother)

19. Some Professions

"Laktar" – doctor, "Fundi bao" – Carpenter

20. Furniture

Ywech – broom, yweyo – to sweep also "to rest".

21. Counting

"Piero ang'wen" (40)

Lesson 1

Wuonwa "iluongo ni" Opiyo – my father is called Opiyo (My father’s name is … "wuon wa nyinge...")

Minwa "iluongo ni" Anyango – My mother is called Anyango (My mother’s name is … "min wa nyinge...")

"en bende odak Kisumu gi Wuonwa" – She also lives in Kisumu with my father

An gi "nyithindo" ariyo – I have "two" children

"Yawuoi ariyo" – "two boys"

Ka adhi "neno" wuonwa gi Minwa, adhi gi nyithinda – when I go to see my father and mother, I go with my children

Kwara "iluongo ni" Otoyo – my grandfather is called Otoyo

N’ose tho – he died "(very long ago)"

Dana "iluongo ni" Nyar-alego – My grandmother is called Nyar-alego (lady from Alego)

"en bende n’ose tho" – she is also dead

Sani, "aonge gi" Kwara Kata dana – now I don’t have a grandfather nor a grandmother

Nikech, "kwara" gi "dana" n’ose tho "te" – (Dholuo wouldn't say "father's father... it is always "grandfather")

An gi "jirende" "mangeny'" – I have many neighbours (Jabatha or jobatha are not used in the context of neighbors... these are inner-circle friends)

Vocabulary and explanations

"Adhi" – I am going.

"Idhi" – you are going.

"Odhi" – he/she is going.

Wuonwa "iluongo ni" Opiyo – My father "is called" Opiyo.

Lesson 2

"Abiro" mii kom ibedie – "I will give you" a chair to sit on

Ntie kom, stul, kabat gi mesa e oda - there is a chair, stool, cupboard and table in my house

Saa chiemo - "meal time"

Aketo chiemo e mesa – I put food on the table (Be careful with intonation of "aketo"... both have an aspect of time and can mean "I have put" or "I'm putting")

Adwaro stul nikech adwaro madho "kong'o" – I want a stoo because I want to drink beer "metho is the more common word in place of "madho kong'o"

Ka imadho "kong'o", to stul ber – when drinking beer, a stool is best (good)

"Iparo ga" ni in en bar – you will be thinking you are in a bar - should actually be "ibo paro ni in e ba" (the "r" is not pronounced)

Kabat no en mar keto "s(a)ende" – this cupboard is for (placing) plates

okombe gi "gik" moko mangeny – cups and many (other) thing

Kabat moro ni e "kor nindo" – the other cupboard is in the bedroom

Kanyo ntie uriri bende – there is also a bed there ("modern" Luo uses "otanda")

Vocabulary

Tich – work

Lesson 3a – a short story in past tense

Mbura ni ne "onge gi" iwe - The cat did not have a tail

Onge mor nikech "oonge gi" iwe – he/she was not happy because he/she did not have a tail

Ne oparo ni "chieng' moro nobed gi mor" – he/she thought he/she would be happy one day

Ka mbura "te" "oonge gi" iwgi bende - if all the cats did not have (their) tails also

Vocabulary

Mbura achiel – one cat, mbura "te" – all the cats

Lesson 3b – Cat and mouse

Mbura "chamo ga" oyieyo - cats eat mice/rats

Oyieyo "chamo ga" chiemb ngato – mice/rats eat people’s food

Ka "ng'ato" oneno oyieyo, onege – when a person sees a rat, they kill it

Lesson 3c – the "hare"/rabbit and goats and cows

Apuoyo "ni gi" it mabor – rabbit has long ears

To ring nyuok mit "mohingo" mar apuoyo – but a he-goat’s meat is sweeter than a rabbits

Niketch mano miyo "imetho" gi jokwath – because that will make you share drinks with pastoralists

Vocabulary

"duong'" – big, tin – small

Lesson 3d – the Hyena

Ondiek nyiero ka "ng'ato" – a hyena laughs like a human

"Waluongo ni" Ondiek – we shall call you a hyena

Vocabulary

seche duto – all the time, "Chieng' machielo", the other day/another day, "Chieng' moro" – one day

Lesson 3e – the leopard, lion, elephant and other animals

Sibuor en "ruodh le" – Lion is king of the animals

Ka sibuor ni gi "mon" "mangeny'" – when Lion has many lionesses ... strictly speaking we can't use the phrase here as "sibuor madhako"... context qualifies the gender so we use "mon" which means "wives/women"... singular is "dhako"

Ng’ut "twiga" bor ahinya – a giraffe’s neck is very long

Lesson 4

Kich tedo gimoro ma mit – the bee "is making" something sweet

Olwenda ok "nind ga saa" otieno – coackroaches do not sleep at night

Ohero mudho – "she/he" likes darkness unless you mean to say "gi hero" (they like)

Ineno "mana" ma osetho kende – you will only see the dead ones

Jo wuoi chamoga "winy'" – boys eat birds

Gi "chamo ga" aluru – they eat the Aluru (quail)

Onge "ng’at" machamo "otieng'" – no one eats a spider

Winyo nyalo chamo "otieng'" – a bird can eat a spider

Kamnie wutho mos "mohingo" ng’ongruok – the snail moves slower than a chameleon

Lesson 5

"owadwa" ringo seche duto – my brother runs all the time

Ka "chieng'" osetuch, ok inind, Ichiew – when the sun rises, you don’t sleep, you wake up.

Okine dwe ndalo duto. Inene ndalo moko kende – You do not see the moon all nights. You only seet it some nights.

"Boche ma rotenge" kelo koth – Dark clouds bring rain - (Clouds are known as boche with no need to qualify them as the sky (polo) ones... this is because "bor" as fat from meat does not have plural so if a piece of meat is fatty we simply say "ring'o no ni gi bor mang'eny" as opposed to "ring'o no ni gi 'boche mang'eny'... ")

Ka ntie Ong’weng’o ok "di ne" maber – when there is fog, you will not see properly

Vocabulary

"omin" – my mother’s son (my brother) but we use it when calling out someone dear and not necessarily a brother ... brother is almost strictly "owadwa"

Nyaminwa – My mother’s daughter (my sister)

"Ochieng'" – sun, day

Ndalo duto – "all the days"

Otieno duto - all nights

Ndalo moko kende – "some days"

Lawi - "your item of clothing" ....

lewni - clothes

law or lau - item of clothing

rollinson on November 03, 2016:

hi all assist me translate the word "education" in Dholuo.

Mildred Matara from Nairobi, Kenya on September 17, 2013:

Thanks Emmanuel, will check it out.

Emmanuel Kariuki (author) from Nairobi, Kenya on September 16, 2013:

Thanks for visiting this page Mildred Matara. Unfortunately I do not offer classes. There doesn't seem to be a college that teaches indigenous language in Nairobi. However I have seen an advert on OLX of someone who gives private lessons at Ksh. 800/= for a 30 minutes tutoria - sounds stiff but you could bargain.

Mildred Matara from Nairobi, Kenya on September 13, 2013:

Hi,

I am happy I came across this. I have been trying to learn Luo.

Thanks so much for this, but was wondering if you offer practical classes or lessons or know someone who does. I would really appreciate coz am really interested in learning the language.

Regards,

Emmanuel Kariuki (author) from Nairobi, Kenya on January 22, 2013:

When you are through with Croatia, try this one - just kidding, and thanks for your comment. Very encouraging.

Devika Primić from Dubrovnik, Croatia on January 21, 2013:

Interesting language but I am not keen on learning any languages right now still focusing on the Croatia language however you have explained to the point.

Emmanuel Kariuki (author) from Nairobi, Kenya on October 08, 2012:

Thanks Bosko. I will build on it slowly and eventually it will be a page to reckon with. Thanks for your continued support.

fjbosko from Brazil on October 08, 2012:

Superb Emmanuel!

I hope you can improve this Luo language part as you do with the Kikuyu one. You are doing an excellent job

Emmanuel Kariuki (author) from Nairobi, Kenya on September 20, 2012:

Thanks Barrack Ogutu and Chris Zach. Your comment will go along way in correcting during the revision. I am also getting more enlightened and leaving 'mudho' so to speak.

Chris Zach on September 20, 2012:

Ohero mudho – they like darkness O" is singular so Gi becomes plural

Ohero mudho-Gihero mudho hence they like darkness

Barrack Ogutu on September 20, 2012:

This is a good initiative.

I stand to be corrected because am not an expert in the language, but I have suggestions for corrections from my experience as a first language speaker:

Insects: otien'g - Scorpion

Mbui/mbuwi - Spider

Animals: Omuga - buffalo

Sibuor- madhako - a lioness

Sibuoche-mamon - many lionesses

Ng'ielno/ng'ielo - Python ( Omieri was a specific python which was extraordinarily huge)

Leader - Jatelo

Ruoth - King/Chief

Ring - Run

Ringo - Running

Ring'o -Meat

Laktar - Doctor

Ajuoga - traditional doctor/medicineman

Hunt - Dwar

Search - Many; Searching - Manyo

Yip/yiw - tail; yiwe - its tail; yiwgi -their tails

San -plate

Sende - plates

Counting: Piero ariyo, piero adek.... Not ''pier'' ariyo! ( pier means something else unprintable!)

Yweyo - sweep/ to rest

Ywecho - to sweep

Ywech -broom