Luo–English Dictionary

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

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Browse common Luo vocabulary

Word	Part of speech	Translation	Example
an	pronoun	I	An ka kanyo sani. I am here now.
in	pronoun	you	In en osiepna. You are my friend.
en	pronoun	he	En gi teko ahinya. He is very strong.
wa	pronoun	we	Wa dhi dala. We are going home.
gi	pronoun	they	Gi e skul. They are in school.
angʼo	pronoun	what	Idwaro angʼo? What do you want?
kanye	adverb	where	Odni nitie kanye? Where is your house?
karangʼo	adverb	when	Ibiro karangʼo? When will you come?
ngʼa	pronoun	who	Ngʼa ma oluongana? Who is calling me?
marangʼo	adverb	why	Marangʼo ma in smut? Why are you sad?
nade	adverb	how	In nadi kawuono? How are you today?
bedo	verb	to be	Gi dwaro bedo ayikayika. They want to be ready.
bedo gi	verb	to have	An abedo gi buk. I have a book.
timo	verb	to do	Watimo ticwa. We do our work.
dhi	verb	to go	Adhibiro kiny. I will go tomorrow.
biro	verb	to come	Gibiro machiegni. They will come soon.
nen	verb	to see	A nen od. I see the house.
ngʼeyo	verb	to know	Angʼeyo siganono. I know that story.
paro	verb	to think	Waparo kuom ngima. We think about life.
dwaro	verb	to want	Adwaro pi. I want some water.
dwaro	verb	to need	Wadwaro kinde mangʼeny. We need more time.
loso	verb	to make	Giloso kom ber. They make good chairs.
kawo	verb	to take	Kaw buk idhi go dala. Take the book home.
miyo	verb	to give	Kiyie imiya pi. Please give me water.
wuo	verb	to say	Kik iwuo kamano. Do not say that.
nyiso	verb	to tell	Nyisa adiera. Tell me the truth.
penjo	verb	to ask	Adwaro penjo. I want to ask.
nongo	verb	to find	Wanongo lagoro. We found the key.
ngʼiyo	verb	to look	Ngʼi malo e polo. Look at the sky.
tiyo gi	verb	to use	Atiyo gi pala ni. I use this knife.
tiyo	verb	to work	Gitiyo pile pile. They work every day.
chiemo	verb	to eat	Nyithindo chiemo nyaluo kanyo. Children eat rice here.
madho	verb	to drink	Mad pi kiek duto. Drink water every morning.
nindo	verb	to sleep	Nyathi nindo oyawore. The child sleeps early.
wuok	verb	to walk	Wawuok nyaka skul. We walk to school.
ringo	verb	to run	Wuowi nyalo ringo piyo. The boy can run fast.
somo	verb	to read	Asomo bukni. I read this book.
ndiko	verb	to write
wuoyo	verb	to speak	Giwuoyo Dholuo maber. They speak Luo well.
winjo	verb	to listen	Winj japuonj. Listen to the teacher.
winjo	verb	to hear	Awinjo wer oko. I hear music outside.
golo	verb	to buy	Wagolo chiemo kanyo. We buy food there.
chwalo	verb	to sell	Gichwalo rech kanyo. They sell fish here.
culo	verb	to pay	Aculo kawuono. I will pay today.
konyo	verb	to help	Kiyie konya nyathinocha. Please help that child.
hero	verb	to love	Ahero jooda. I love my family.
bedo	verb	to live	Wabedo e taun. We live in town.
tho	verb	to die	Yath machon nyalo tho. Old trees can die.
puonjo	verb	to learn	Nyithindo puonjo e skul. Children learn at school.
puonjo	verb	to teach	Gipuonjo wa Dholuo. They teach us Luo.
yawo	verb	to open	Yaw dhoot mos. Open the door slowly.
loro	verb	to close
ngʼato	noun	person	Ngʼatno en ngʼama ber. That person is kind.
dichuo	noun	man	Dichuo tye ka tiyo. The man is working.
dhako	noun	woman	Dhako tye ka tedo. The woman is cooking.
nyathi	noun	child	Nyathi tye ka nindo. The child is sleeping.
wuowi	noun	boy	Wuowi tye ka somo. The boy is reading.
nyako	noun	girl	Nyako tye ka wer. The girl is singing.
joodu	noun	family	Joodu en maduongʼ. My family is large.
min	noun	mother	Mina ni ka kanyo. My mother is here.
wuon	noun	father	Wuon gi teko. His father is strong.
osiep	noun	friend
ot	noun	house	Ot en manyien. The house is new.
dala	noun	home	Wa dhi dala. We are going home.
skul	noun	school	Skul nitie machiegni. The school is nearby.
taun	noun	city	Taun ni en maduongʼ. This city is big.
piny	noun	country	Pinywa olingʼ. Our country is peaceful.
piny	noun	world	Piny tye ka loko. The world is changing.
yo	noun	street	Yo opongʼ gi ji. The street is busy.
ot	noun	room	Otni ler. This room is clean.
kinde	noun	time	Kinde dhi piyo ahinya. Time moves very quickly.
odiechiengʼ	noun	day	Kawuono en odiechiengʼ maliet. Today is a hot day.
otieno	noun	night	Otieno olingʼ. The night is quiet.
okinyi	noun	morning	Okinyi ni en liet. This morning is cold.
odhier	noun	evening	Wabiro romo odhier ni. We will meet this evening.
juma	noun	week	Juma ni opongʼ gi tich. This week is busy.
dwe	noun	month	Dwe mabiro biro bed motegno. Next month will be long.
higa	noun	year	Higa ni ber. This year is good.
kawuono	adverb	today	Atiye gi tich kawuono. I am busy today.
kiny	adverb	tomorrow	Wabiro wuok kiny. We will travel tomorrow.
nyoro	adverb	yesterday	Anena nyoro. I saw him yesterday.
sani	adverb	now	Bi kanyu sani. Come here now.
chiengʼ	noun	sun	Chiengʼ liet. The sun is hot.
dwe	noun	moon	Dwe lier tinende. The moon is bright tonight.
sulwe	noun	star	Sulweno lier. That star is bright.
polo	noun	sky	Polo en rachar. The sky is blue.
piny	noun	earth
mach	noun	fire	Mach liet. The fire is hot.
pi	noun	water	Pi liet. The water is cold.
koth	noun	rain	Koth dhi matek. The rain is heavy.
yamo	noun	wind	Yamo tek. The wind is strong.
yat	noun	tree	Yatno bor. That tree is tall.
got	noun	mountain	Gotno bor malo. That mountain is high.
aora	noun	river	Aora oyangʼ. The river is wide.
nam	noun	sea	Nam ni ni mabor. The sea is far.
chiemo	noun	food	Chiemo otyeko. The food is ready.
muka	noun	bread	Agolo muka manyien. I bought fresh bread.
nyaluo	noun	rice	Nyaluo en chiemo maber. Rice is good food.
ringʼo	noun	meat	Ringʼo tye ka tedore. The meat is cooking.
rech	noun	fish	Rech nitie manyien. The fish is fresh.
tongʼ	noun	egg	Tongʼ ochak. The egg is broken.
chak	noun	milk	Chak liet matin. The milk is warm.
chai	noun	tea	Amadho chai pile. I drink tea daily.
kahawa	noun	coffee	En madho kahawa kiek duto. He drinks coffee every morning.
wich	noun	head	Wicha lit kawuono. My head hurts today.
wangʼ	noun	eye
it	noun	ear	Ita lit ahinya. My ear hurts badly.
dhok	noun	mouth	Yaw dhoki maber. Open your mouth wide.
um	noun	nose	Uma otingʼ. My nose is blocked.
lwet	noun	hand	Luok lweti maber. Wash your hand well.
tiend	noun	foot	Tienda lit sani. My foot hurts now.
chuny	noun	heart	Chunye tek. His heart is strong.
nyingʼ	noun	name	Nyingʼa en Akinyi. My name is Akinyi.
buk	noun	book	Bukni en manyien. This book is new.
wach	noun	word	Wachno tek. That word is difficult.
dhok	noun	language	Dholuo en dhok. Luo is a language.
pesa	noun	money	Adwaro pesa mangʼeny. I need more money.
tich	noun	work	Tich tek. The work is hard.
hera	noun	love	Hera gi teko ahinya. Love is very powerful.
wer	noun	music	Wer ber ahinya. The music is beautiful.
sigana	noun	story	Siganano en adier. That story is true.
yo	noun	way	Yo ni yot. This way is easy.
gima	noun	thing	Gimano en gimamoko. That thing is important.
ngima	noun	life	Ngima ber ahinya. Life is very precious.
dhoot	noun	door	Dhoot oyawore. The door is open.
mesa	noun	table	Mesa ler. The table is clean.
kom	noun	chair	Kom oremo. The chair is broken.
motoka	noun	car	Motoka dhi piyo. The car is fast.
ber	adjective	good	Chiemo ni ber. This food is good.
rach	adjective	bad	Yono rach. That road is bad.
maduongʼ	adjective	big	Odg i maduongʼ. Their house is big.
matin	adjective	small	Nyathi matin. The child is small.
manyien	adjective	new	Agolo buk manyien. I bought a new book.
machon	adjective	old	Otno machon. That house is old.
bor	adjective	long	Yo bor. The road is long.
machiegni	adjective	short
malo	adjective	high	Winy yudo malo. The bird flies high.
piny	adjective	low
liet	adjective	hot	Chai liet. The tea is hot.
ngʼich	adjective	cold	Pi ngʼich. The water is cold.
mor	adjective	happy	Amito ahinya. I am very happy.
smut	adjective	sad
ber	adjective	beautiful
yot	adjective	easy	Tichni yot. This work is easy.
tek	adjective	hard	Peny ni tek. This question is hard.
piyo	adjective	fast	Motokano dhi piyo. That car is fast.
mos	adjective	slow	Dichuo machon wuok mos. The old man walks slow.
adier	adjective	right	Duani en adier. Your answer is right.
ok adier	adjective	wrong	Duono ok adier. That answer is wrong.
ginyalo	adjective	important
adier	adjective	true	Siganano en adier. That story is true.
opongʼ	adjective	full
nono	adjective	empty	Ot nono. The room is empty.
matin	adjective	young	Wuowi en matin. The boy is young.
tek	adjective	strong	Dichuono tek. That man is strong.
yie	adjective	weak
makwar	adjective	red
marachar	adjective	blue	Polo en marachar. The sky is blue.
maquel	adjective	green
ratengʼ	adjective	black	Dhiangʼ ratengʼ. The cow is black.
rachar	adjective	white
ee	interjection	yes	Ee, angʼeye. Yes, I know him.
da	interjection	no	Da, ok anyal biro. No, I cannot come.
ok	adverb	not	Ok ayik. I am not ready.
kod	conjunction	and	Chai kod muka oyik. Tea and bread are ready.
kata	conjunction	or	Chai kata kahawa ber. Tea or coffee is fine.
to	conjunction	but	Abiro, to en odhi. I came, but he left.
ka	conjunction	if	Ka ibiro, luonga. If you come, call me.
nikech	conjunction	because	Abedo nikech koth noloyo. I stayed because it rained.
kod	preposition	with	Abiro kod osiepna. I came with my friend.
mak mana	preposition	without	En odhi mak mana pesa. He left without money.
ne	preposition	for	Michni en ne in. This gift is for you.
koa	preposition	from	Abiro koa dala. I came from home.
nyaka	preposition	to	Wawuok nyaka skul. We walked to school.