Luganda–English Dictionary

Look up Luganda words and get English translations, with parts of speech and example sentences. Browse the common-word table below or type a Luganda word into the lookup tool.

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Browse common Luganda vocabulary

Word	Part of speech	Translation	Example
nze	pronoun	I	Nze ndi wano kati. I am here now.
ggwe	pronoun	you	Ggwe oli mukwano gwange. You are my friend.
ye	pronoun	he	Ye ali waka. He is at home.
ye	pronoun	she	Ye ali ku ssomero. She is at school.
ffe	pronoun	we	Ffe twetegefu kati. We are ready now.
bo	pronoun	they	Bo bali mu nnyumba. They are in the house.
ki	pronoun	what	Oyagala ki? What do you want?
wa	adverb	where	Babeera wa? Where do they live?
ddi	adverb	when	Ojja ddi? When will you come?
ani	pronoun	who	Ani ali ku luggi? Who is at the door?
lwaki	adverb	why	Lwaki onyiize? Why are you sad?
tya	adverb	how	Oli otya leero? How are you today?
okuba	verb	to be	Njagala okuba ow'amaanyi. I want to be strong.
okuba ne	verb	to have	Balina mmotoka empya. They have a new car.
okukola	verb	to do	Tukola omulimu gwaffe bulungi. We do our work well.
okugenda	verb	to go	Ngenda ku ssomero buli lunaku. I go to school daily.
okujja	verb	to come	Jjangu wano kati. Please come here now.
okulaba	verb	to see	Ndaba omwezi ekiro kino. I see the moon tonight.
okumanya	verb	to know	Mmanyi erinnya lye. I know his name.
okulowooza	verb	to think	Tulowooza ku biseera eby'omu maaso. We think about the future.
okwagala	verb	to want	Baagala emmere endala. They want more food.
okwetaaga	verb	to need	Neetaaga amazzi amalongoofu. I need clean water.
okukola	verb	to make	Akola caayi nnungi. She makes good tea.
okutwala	verb	to take	Twala ekitabo eka. Take the book home.
okuwa	verb	to give	Mpa amazzi. Give me some water.
okwogera	verb	to say	Toyogera ekyo. Do not say that.
okugamba	verb	to tell	Gamba amazima. Tell me the truth.
okubuuza	verb	to ask	Buuza omusomesa leero. Ask the teacher today.
okuzuula	verb	to find	Nzuula ekitabo kyange. I found my book.
okutunuulira	verb	to look	Tunuulira eggulu. Look at the sky.
okukozesa	verb	to use	Tukozesa emmeeza eno buli lunaku. We use this table daily.
okukola	verb	to work	Bakola buli nkya. They work every morning.
okulya	verb	to eat	Abaana balya omuceere waka. Children eat rice at home.
okunywa	verb	to drink	Nnywa caayi buli lunaku. I drink tea daily.
okwebaka	verb	to sleep	Omwana yeebaka mangu. The child sleeps early.
okutambula	verb	to walk	Tutambula okugenda ku ssomero. We walk to school.
okudduka	verb	to run	Omulenzi adduka mangu. The boy runs fast.
okusoma	verb	to read	Asoma ekitabo. She reads a book.
okuwandiika	verb	to write	Wandiika erinnya lyo wano. Write your name here.
okwogera	verb	to speak	Boogera Oluganda bulungi. They speak Luganda well.
okuwulira	verb	to listen	Wulira emiziki. Listen to the music.
okuwulira	verb	to hear	Mpulira empewo. I hear the wind.
okugula	verb	to buy	Tugula omugaati leero. We buy bread today.
okutunda	verb	to sell	Batunda ebyennyanja wano. They sell fish here.
okusasula	verb	to pay	Nsasula ssente kati. I pay the money now.
okuyamba	verb	to help	Yamba nnyoko leero. Help your mother today.
okwagala	verb	to love	Njagala famire yange. I love my family.
okubeera	verb	to live	Babeera mu kibuga. They live in the city.
okufa	verb	to die	Abantu bonna balifa. All people will die.
okuyiga	verb	to learn	Abaana bayiga ku ssomero. Children learn at school.
okusomesa	verb	to teach	Basomesa Lungereza wano. They teach English here.
okuggulawo	verb	to open	Ggulawo oluggi mpola. Open the door slowly.
okuggalawo	verb	to close	Ggalawo eddirisa kati. Close the window now.
omuntu	noun	person	Buli muntu yeetaaga amazzi. Every person needs water.
omusajja	noun	man	Omusajja wa maanyi. The man is strong.
omukazi	noun	woman	Omukazi musanyufu. The woman is happy.
omwana	noun	child	Omwana yeebase. The child is sleeping.
omulenzi	noun	boy	Omulenzi asoma bulungi. The boy reads well.
omuwala	noun	girl	Omuwala ayimba. The girl is singing.
famire	noun	family	Famire yange nini. My family is big.
maama	noun	mother	Maama wange wa kisa. My mother is kind.
taata	noun	father	Taata wange akola nnyo. My father works hard.
mukwano	noun	friend	Ye mukwano gwange. She is my friend.
ennyumba	noun	house	Ennyumba mpya. The house is new.
eka	noun	home	Tugenda eka. We are going home.
essomero	noun	school	Essomero liri kumpi. The school is near.
ekibuga	noun	city	Ekibuga kibeera kizibu nnyo. The city is very busy.
eggwanga	noun	country	Eggwanga lyaffe lirungi. Our country is beautiful.
ensi	noun	world	Ensi ekyuka. The world is changing.
ekkubo	noun	street	Ekkubo ddene. The street is long.
ekisenge	noun	room	Ekisenge kiyonjo. The room is clean.
obudde	noun	time	Obudde bugenda mangu nnyo. Time goes very quickly.
olunaku	noun	day	Leero lunaku lulungi. Today is a good day.
ekiro	noun	night	Ekiro kinyogovu. The night is cold.
enkya	noun	morning	Enkya eno nteefu. This morning is quiet.
akawungeezi	noun	evening	Akawungeezi kateefu. The evening is calm.
wiiki	noun	week	Wiiki eno erimu emirimu mingi. This week is busy.
omwezi	noun	month	Omwezi guno muwanvu. This month is long.
omwaka	noun	year	Omwaka guno mulungi. This year is good.
leero	adverb	today	Nkola leero. I am working today.
enkya	adverb	tomorrow	Tujja nkya. We will come tomorrow.
jjo	adverb	yesterday	Yajja jjo akawungeezi. He came yesterday evening.
kati	adverb	now	Jjangu wano kati. Come here now.
enjuba	noun	sun	Enjuba yookya. The sun is hot.
omwezi	noun	moon	Omwezi gutangaala. The moon is bright.
emmunyeenye	noun	star	Emmunyeenye eyo etangaala. That star is bright.
eggulu	noun	sky	Eggulu bbulu. The sky is blue.
ensi	noun	earth	Ensi yeetooloovu. The earth is round.
omuliro	noun	fire	Omuliro gwokya. The fire is hot.
amazzi	noun	water	Amazzi manyogovu. The water is cold.
enkuba	noun	rain	Enkuba etonnya. The rain is falling.
empewo	noun	wind	Empewo ya maanyi. The wind is strong.
omuti	noun	tree	Omuti muwanvu. The tree is tall.
ekimuli	noun	flower	Ekimuli kirungi. The flower is beautiful.
olusozi	noun	mountain	Olusozi luli luwanvu. That mountain is high.
omugga	noun	river	Omugga muwanvu. The river is long.
ennyanja	noun	sea	Ennyanja ngazi. The sea is wide.
emmere	noun	food	Emmere etegekedwa. The food is ready.
omugaati	noun	bread	Nagula omugaati omuggya. I bought fresh bread.
omuceere	noun	rice	Omuceere mubisi. The rice is hot.
ennyama	noun	meat	Tufumba ennyama. We are cooking meat.
ebyennyanja	noun	fish	Batunda ebyennyanja ebiggya. They sell fresh fish.
egi	noun	egg	Egi evudde. The egg is broken.
amata	noun	milk	Amata ga bbugumu. The milk is warm.
ekibala	noun	fruit	Ekibala kino kiwooma. This fruit is sweet.
caayi	noun	tea	Nnywa caayi buli lunaku. I drink tea daily.
kaawa	noun	coffee	Anywa kaawa buli nkya. He drinks coffee every morning.
omutwe	noun	head	Omutwe gwange gunnuma leero. My head hurts today.
eriiso	noun	eye	Eriiso lye limmyuufu. Her eye is red.
okutu	noun	ear	Okutu kwange kunnuma nnyo. My ear hurts badly.
akamwa	noun	mouth	Yasamya akamwa ko. Open your mouth wide.
ennyindo	noun	nose	Ennyindo ye evaamu omusaayi. His nose is bleeding.
omukono	noun	hand	Naaba omukono gwo kati. Wash your hand now.
ekigere	noun	foot	Ekigere kyange kiruma. My foot is painful.
erinnya	noun	name	Erinnya lyo gwe ani? What is your name?
ekitabo	noun	book	Ekitabo kino kipya. This book is new.
ekigambo	noun	word	Ekigambo kino kizibu. This word is difficult.
olulimi	noun	language	Oluganda lulimi. Luganda is a language.
ssente	noun	money	Neetaaga ssente endala. I need more money.
omulimu	noun	work	Omulimu guno muzibu. This work is hard.
okwagala	noun	love	Okwagala kwa mugaso nnyo. Love is very important.
emiziki	noun	music	Emiziki gya waggulu. The music is loud.
olugero	noun	story	Olugero olwo lunyuvu. That story is interesting.
ekkubo	noun	way	Ekkubo lino lyangu. This way is easy.
ekintu	noun	thing	Ekintu kino kitono. This thing is small.
obulamu	noun	life	Obulamu bwa muwendo nnyo. Life is very precious.
oluggi	noun	door	Oluggi luggule. The door is open.
emmeeza	noun	table	Emmeeza nyonjo. The table is clean.
entebe	noun	chair	Entebe emenyese. The chair is broken.
mmotoka	noun	car	Mmotoka mpya. The car is new.
lungi	adjective	good	Emmere eno nnungi. This food is good.
bbi	adjective	bad	Amazzi gano mabbi. This water is bad.
nene	adjective	big	Ennyumba eri nnene. That house is big.
tono	adjective	small	Ekisenge kitono. The room is small.
pya	adjective	new	Nagula ekitabo ekipya. I bought a new book.
kadde	adjective	old	Ennyumba eri nkadde. That house is old.
wanvu	adjective	long	Ekkubo luwanvu. The road is long.
mpi	adjective	short	Omuguwa mumpi. The rope is short.
wanvu	adjective	high	Olusozi luwanvu. The mountain is high.
wansi	adjective	low	Emmeeza eri wansi. The table is low.
bugumu	adjective	hot	Caayi ya bbugumu. The tea is hot.
nyogovu	adjective	cold	Amazzi manyogovu. The water is cold.
musanyufu	adjective	happy	Omwana musanyufu. The child is happy.
nnyiize	adjective	sad	Alabika ng'anyize nnyo. She looks very sad.
lungi	adjective	beautiful	Ekimuli kirungi. The flower is beautiful.
nyangu	adjective	easy	Omulimu guno mwangu. This work is easy.
zibu	adjective	hard	Ekibuuzo kino kizibu. This question is hard.
angu	adjective	fast	Mmotoka eyo ya mangu. That car is fast.
mpola	adjective	slow	Omusajja omukadde atambula mpola. The old man walks slow.
tuufu	adjective	right	Okuddamu kwo kutuufu. Your answer is right.
bikyamu	adjective	wrong	Okuddamu okwo kukyamu. That answer is wrong.
wa mugaso	adjective	important	Okusoma kwa mugaso eri abaana. Education is important for children.
mazima	adjective	true	Olugero luno lwa mazima. This story is true.
jjudde	adjective	full	Eccupa ejjudde. The bottle is full.
jjereere	adjective	empty	Ekisenge kijereere. The room is empty.
to	adjective	young	Omwana muto. The child is young.
wa maanyi	adjective	strong	Omusajja oyo wa maanyi. That man is strong.
nafu	adjective	weak	Omulenzi awulira nga munafu. The boy feels weak.
myuufu	adjective	red	Ekimuli kimmyuufu. The flower is red.
bbulu	adjective	blue	Eggulu bbulu. The sky is blue.
kiragala	adjective	green	Essubi kiragala. The grass is green.
kyenvu	adjective	yellow	Ekibala kyenvu. The fruit is yellow.
nzirugavu	adjective	black	Ensawo nzirugavu. The bag is black.
eru	adjective	white	Embuzi eru. The goat is white.
ye	interjection	yes	Ye, ntegedde kati. Yes, I understand now.
nedda	interjection	no	Nedda, simanyi. No, I do not know.
si	adverb	not	Siri mukoowu. I am not tired.
ne	conjunction	and	Maama ne taata bali waka. Mother and father are home.
oba	conjunction	or	Caayi oba kaawa kirungi. Tea or coffee is fine.
naye	conjunction	but	Najja, naye ye yagenda. I came, but he left.
bwe	conjunction	if	Bw'ojja, nkuba essimu. If you come, call me.
kubanga	conjunction	because	Nasigala eka kubanga enkuba yatonnya. I stayed home because rain fell.
ne	preposition	with	Yajja ne mukwano gwe. She came with her friend.
awatali	preposition	without	Yagenda awatali ssente. He left without money.
olwa	preposition	for	Ekirabo kino kya ggwe. This gift is for you.
okuva	preposition	from	Nva mu Yuganda. I am from Uganda.
eri	preposition	to	Twatambula eri essomero. We walked to school.