Kimaasai or Maa phrases

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Maasai phrases (and a few nouns and verbs) Are you going to Kenya or Tanzania? If so, it is worth learning a few Maasai phrases. This is just a taster of the Maasai language, known as Kimaasai or Maa. We are trying to aquire the basics of everyday conversation: to greet people civilly, to be able to get on the right matatu bus and buy food at the market. We wanted to include some sort of grammatical structure but this is proving difficult. Our Maasai friends have been endlessly patient and helpful but none have both fluent English and a nerdy love of grammar. Spellings vary depending on who you ask and we can't seem to find user-friendly written language guides. So far we have managed to bag a few verbs, with a few example phrases. We hope to add more with each visit to Kenya, so watch this space. Please help: if there are any Kimaasai speakers out there who can help improve this, add to it or suggest a good phrase or grammar book, we would love to hear from you. Finally, on your return back home, how about supporting the work we are doing with the Maasai people. Making conversation and other social niceties English Kimaasai pronounced hello sopa sop ah hello all enda sopa pooki endah sopah pookey thank you very muc ashe oleng ashay ohleng very nice/tasty si dai oleng see die ohleng Are you tired? etanaure? etahnah oray yes ayeh iee no ah ah a a are you happy? ishipa? eesheepah I'm happy kashipa kahsheepah are you ill? imuy? imooee I'm ill kamuyoi kahmooee repeat inkila inkeelah please kaomon kah oh mon where are you going kagi eiloito? kahgee isle oh ee toh where are we going kahgee kipoito? kahgee keep oh ee toh see you again tutaonana tootah oh nahnah goodbye ole sere olay sehray see you all again tutawanana tena tootah wa nanna taynah sorry (my sympathies) pole polay I like kanyorr canyour Let's go mmape mm mar pay I don't know ma yolo mar yolo come! wou! woo oo give me inchoki inchokee what did you do today? kainyo duo itaasa? Ki in yo doo oh ee ta a sa Numbers stress the first syllable for all the following English kimaasai pronounced one nabo nahboh two hare ahray three uni oonee four onguan ongwan five imiet imee et six ele ehlay seven nabishana nahbeeshana eight isiet ees ee et nine nando nando ( o as in 'hot') ten tomon tohmon eleven tomon obo (o as in 'hot') twelve tomon hare tohmon ahray twenty tikitam tik ee tam See here for a video of Maasai counting, including the finger signals used to indicate numbers Telling the time Maasai style The clock starts ticking at sunrise, which is always 6am. Therefore, at one hour after sunrise (7am) it is one after dawn: saa nabo 7.00am saa nabo 8.00 saa hare 9.00 saa uni and so on until 6.00pm saa tomon hare endepa (endepa = evening) 7:00pm saa nabo endepa 8:00 pm saa hare endepa etc A dictionary of sorts Nouns People children - enkerai father - papai grandfather - nkoko grandmother - kakukira -grandmother – teacher f mother - mama sponsors - eretoto teacher - olmalimui (m) teacher - emalimui (f) Places kcanisa - church hill/mountain - oldonyio house - enkaji huts (in a group) - manyatta home - nyumbani river -oreyiet shop - olduka well (for water) - kashanga Food/eating cup - enkikompe capattis - imukateni doughnuts - ormandazi mango - ormaembei meat - inkiri potatoes - ingwashen rice - ormushele saucepan - emoti water - enkare Odds and sods car - engari money - kumok saa - time work - esiyai yesterday - ngole Animals cat - epuus Enderoni – rat cow - enkiteng camel - entamis Enker – sheep dog - oldia donkey - osikiria gazelle - enkoili giraffe - ormeut goat - entari leopard - olowuaru lion - olgatuny zebra - oloitiko Verbs Verb to eat Simple present ainosa – I eat eg ainosa emukate – I eat bread inosa – you eat inosa inkiri? – do you eat meat? einosa – he/she eats inosa oleng endaa – He eats a lot of food kinosa – we eat kinosa kinya tenakata endaa – einosa – they eat einosa imenya e taata endaa – they don’t eat food today Simple past - we don't yet have a table for this. It can be expressed by using the present tense plus and a word such as 'yesterday' ainosa ngole endaa – I ate food yesterday inosa irmatinda tadekenya? (translation to follow) einosa ngole oleng endaa – he ate a lot of food yesterday kinosa endaa kewarie tenebo – we ate food last night together Eitu eanya endaa oleng tenkata olsme - they didn’t eat much food during the drought (Eitu is the negative of einosa) Simple future Nanya – I will eat Inya – you will eat Izenya – he/she will eat Eikinya – we will eat Ekenya – they will eat Examples Tenaitoki alotu enkai kata nanya endaa e Kenya When I come again next time I will eat food of Kenya inya aitobiraki tenilo England – you will eat well when you go to England eikinya aitobiraki tenekewarie – we will eat well this evening ekenya imukateni tenkewane – they will eat chapattis tonight Present continuous kainosita – I am eating inosita – you are eating keinosita – he/she is eating eikinosita – we are eating (imeinosita – they are not eating) einosita – they are eating Eg imatumoki amu kainosita endaa – I am unable to because I am eating food kainyoo inosita – what are you eating keinosita ormaembei – she is eating a mango eikinosia ingwashen – we are eating potatoes Imeinosita tenebo oyiook endaa They are not eating (together) with us (food) Imperative inosa! - eat! Infinitive kayieu nenya – I want to eat kainyoo nenya – you want to eat ekeiyieu nenya – he/she wants to eat ekiiyieu nikinya – we want to eat ekeiyieu nenya – they want to eat Examples kayieu nenya ormushele – I want to eat rice kayieu naaku olmalimui –I want to be a teacher kainyoo iyieu ninya? – what do you want to eat? ekeiyieu nenya ormandazi – he wants to eat doughnuts ekiiyieu iyiook nikinya irmosor – they want to eat eggs together ekeiyieu nenya tanakata – they want to eat now Verb to be Simple present aaku/kara – I am iva- you are kera he/she is aikira – we are kera – they are Examples kera olmalimui – he is a teacher kera olekenya – he is a Kenyan kera emalimui – she is a teacher kera enekenya – she is a Kenyan kera inkera sidain – they are good children Simple past Katii – I was eg katii ngole ine - I was there yesterday Itii – you were Ketii - he/she was Eikitii – we were Ketii – they were Simple future Kaaku – I will be Iyaku – you will be Keaku – he/she will be Eikiaku – we will be Keaku – they will be Examples Kaaku tikitam ookuni taisere – I will be twenty three Iyaku olanyani le England - (translation to follow) Verb to buy Simple Present kainyangu – I buy inyangu – you buy keinyangu – he/she buys aikinyangu – we buy keinyangu – they buy Present continuous Kagira ainyangu – I am buying Infinitive Kayieu nainyangu – I want to buy Verb to want Simple present kayieu – I want (translation to follow) - you want keyieu – he/she wants ekiiyieu – we want (translation to follow) - they want Example kayieu naaku olmalimui – I want to be a teacher Verb to do Simple present kaasita – I do iyaasita – you do keyasita – he/she does kiasita – we do keyasita - they do Examples kaasita esiyai – I am doing my work iyaasita esiyai olchamba – I do the gardening keyasita esiyai kashanga – we work on the well kiyasita tenebo olmbaa kumok – we do many things together keyasita tenebo esiyai agi – they do housework together Simple past ataasa – I did itaasa – you did ainyo – he/she did kitaasa – we did etaasa – they did Examples ataasa ngole esiyiai – I did something yesterday kainyo duo itaasa – what did you do today? ainyo petoasa? – why did he do it? kitaasa ngole esiyai – we did work yesterday etaasa esiyai endama pooki – we did work the whole day Simple future - same as present tense. Examples kaasita embaye etipat tiaatua enkishue ai – I will do something important in my life. embaye – something etipat – important tiaatua – in enkishue – life ai – my kanyo iyasita toata kewarie? – what will you do this evening? kiyasita taisere imbaa kumok – tomorrow we will do many things keyaisho edia nkai weki esiyai kashanga - they will work on the well next week edia nkai weki – next week kanyo iyasita tata? – what are you going to do today? Imperative taasa! – do it! Verb to go (this verb is used to indicate movement and future action) Simple present kalo – I go ilo – you go kelo – he/she goes eikipuo – we go kepuo – they go Examples kalo sukuul enaake – I go to school every day ilo kanisa enaake – you go to church every day kelo olduka kila jumatatu – she goes to the shop every Monday eikipuo kanisa kila jumapili – we go to church every sunday kepuo enkare katitin a ate wiki – they go for water twice a week kagi eiloito? – where are you going? kagi kipoito? – where are we going? Simple past ashomo – I went ishomo – you went eshomo – he/she went kishomo – we went eshomoita – they went Examples ishomo kanisa enkai jumapili - I went to church every Sunday eshomo olduka enka jumatatu - I went to the shop every Monday kishomo oldonyo – we went to the hill/mountain eshomoita oveyret – they went to the river/lake Simple future – same as present Examples kalo ang – I will go home ilo kanisa jumapili? – will you go to church on Sunday? kelo olduka? – will you go to the shop? eikipuo kiserian taisere – we will go to Kiserian ……. kepuo ang tenda wiki – they will go home next week eikipuo ang England tenda wiki – we will go to England next week kalo aisuja – I will go to wash kalo anya endaa – I will eat food Present continuous kagira alo/kaloito – I am going igira alo/iloito – you are going kegira alo/keloito – he/she is going ekigira aapuo/ekipuito – we are going ekigira aapuo/kepuito – they are going Imperative shomo! – go! Enchom! – go (pl) Infinitive kayieu nalo - I want to go iyieu nilo – you want to go keyieu nelo – he/she wants to go ekiiyieu nikipuo – we want to go (translation to follow) – they want to go Examples kayieu nalo anya endaa – I want to go to eat food mayieu nelo ninye – I don’t want her to go Verb to have Simple present kaata – I have iata – you have keeta – he/she has ekiata – we have (translation to follow) - they have meeta – they don’t have Examples kaata inkera are – I have two children iata inkera? – do you have children? keeta enkaji sidai – he/she has a nice house ekiata endaa sapuk – we have a lot of food Examples of the negative - verb to have meeta endaa sapuk – they don’t have a lot of food maata inkera – I don’t have children kainyoo pee miata inkera? – why don’t you have children? metai eretoto, pole – we don’t have sponsors, sorry Imperfect (used to). Use present tense Examples kaata apa engari or kaata oshi engari - I used to have a car iata apa impisai kumok? – did you used to have a lot of money? keeta apa papai lino – he used to have a father ekiata apa esaa sapuk – we used to have a lot of time imeeta apa impisai kumok – they didn’t used to have a lot of money Odds and sods kanyorr - I like oisum – I teach kagol nanu – I am strong kashal nanu – I am weak kegol ninye – he is strong keshal ninye – he is weak kara nanu olmalimui oshal – I’m a weak teacher (m) kara nanu emalimui nashal – I’m a weak teacher (f) kara nanu olmalimui ngen – I’m an intelligent teacher ngeno – intelligent kara nanu ngen – I’m intelligent ira ngen – you are intelligent ira iyie ngen – he is intelligent irara ngeni – they are intelligent kamoda nanu – I am foolish imoda iyie – you are foolish kemoda ninye – he/she is foolish imodada intai – we are foolish aikimoda iyiook – they are foolish irurayu! – sleep! atasekuo duo sukuul – I came to school early aata duo entumo oo ntoio – today I had a meeting with parents Have you found this guide helpful? 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Maasai phrases

(and a few nouns and verbs)