Special words in Lango
1.Wek
Wek in Lango is used at the beginning, middle or end of a sentence.
Wek is translated as let/ leave in English and treated as present tense.
a) Wek at the beginning of a sentence.
| Lango | English |
| Wek bedi. | Leave it. |
| Wek en woti. | Let him/her go. |
| Wek gin nyer. | Let them laugh. |
b) Wek in the middle of a sentence.
| Lango | English |
| An akobo ni wek timere. | I said that let it be done. |
| Pingo pe i wek en. | Why don't you leave him/her. |
c) Wek at the end of a sentence. Wek at the end of a sentence becomes past tense and leave is used.
| Lango | English |
| An akobo ni i wek. | I said that you leave. |
| Wek en pwod pe wek. | Let him/her don't yet leave. |
2. Pe
Pe is translated as not in English. It can be used with;- Cannot (pe twere), Should not (pe timere), Have not (pe kede), Has not (pwod pe) etc.
a) Pe is used at the end of a sentence.
| Lango | English |
| Gin pe. | They are not there. |
| Wan o pe. | We are not there. |
| En pe. | He/she is not there. |
| Okello pe. | Okello is not there |
| Rec pe. | Fish is not there. |
| Kado pe. | Salt is not there. |
b) Pe at the beginning of a sentence.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| Pe twero. | He/she cannot. |
| Pe i kobi ngatoro. | Don't tell anyone. |
| Pe i wek kano. | Don't leave it there. |
| Pe gin woti i kulu. | Let them not go to the wellspring. |
| Pe o twero bino. | We shall not manage to come. |
c) Pe in the middle of a sentence.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| Wan o pe kano. | We are not there. |
| Gin o pe kano. | They are not there. |
| Yin/wun i pe kano. | You are not there. |
| Okello pe tye. | Okello is not there. |
| Jo pe tye. | People are not there. |
3). En
En in Lango language is translated as the/he/she/it in English.
| Lango | English |
| En mujee. | The old man. |
| En book anyen. | The new book. |
| En balu oyubo. | The renewed passport. |
| En akwiri. | The Clever. |
| En okwok. | The rotten. |
| En ber. | He is good. |
| En welo. | The visitor. |
| En otyeko. | She finished. |
| En agiki me icina. | The end of story. |
| En abeco mere tye kan. | The good ones are here. |
| En a rac. | The bad. |
4). A in Lango language is translated to as a/an in English.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| a kwo. | a thief. |
| a ryeko. | a smart/clever. |
| a laya. | a harlot. |
| a catwil. | a businessman. |
| a mingo. | a fool. |
| a mingo. | an idiot. |
| a lako. | a replacer. |
| a yini. | an Indian |
| a lwoko | an accompaniment. |
5). Me in Lango language is translated to as of/for in English.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| Me kwero. | for coronation. |
| Me kato. | for passing. |
| Me kelo. | for bringing. |
| Me akwana. | for studying. |
| Me otyeno. | for evening. |
| Me mene? | for which one? |
| Me en leb. | of the language. |
| Me ngo? | for what? |
| Me acama. | for eating. |
6). Kede in Lango language is however translated to quantifiers or predetermines if used with numbers, that is, kede.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| Me/kede icel | once |
| Me/kede aryo | twice |
| Me/kede adek | third |
| Me/kede angwen | forth |
| Me/kede abic | fifth |
| Me/kede abicel | sixth |
| Me/kede abiro | seventh |
| Me/kede aboro | eighth |
| Me/kede abongwen | ninth |
| Me/kede apar | tenth |
7). Keken in Lango language is translated in English as only.
| English | Lango |
|---|---|
| Only you | Yin keken. |
| Only us | Wan keken. |
| Only them | Gin keken. |
| Only that | Mano keken. |
Keken use for counting.
| English | Lango |
|---|---|
| Only one tribe | Kaka acel keken. |
| Only one cup of water | Pii kopi acel keken. |
| I need only two pupils. | Amito otino kwan aryo keken. |
8). Onyo in Lango language is translated as or in English. Some Lango use nyo instead of onyo to mean the word or.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| Otim onyo Anyango | Otim or Anyango |
| Gin onyo wan | Them or us |
| Gwoko gwok nyo ciko | Keeping dog or trapping |
9). Kede is translated as and in English.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| gin kede wan | them and us |
| wun kede gin | you and them |
| Toto anyira kede awobe | mother of boys and girls |
10). Kede in Lango language translated in English as with.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| Apio kede Ocen | Opio with Ocen |
| Orio kede Pii | Thirst with water |
| Atum kede atero | Bow with arrow |
| Konya kede cukal | Help me with sugar |
11). Kit/cacal/acal kede in Lango language is translated as like/characters in English.
| English | Lango |
|---|---|
| Like that | Kit maca |
| Like this | Kit man |
| Like these | Kit magi |
Singular
Kit as a singular changed to kite which both mean like/behaviours/characters and the pronoun.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| Kite ber | He/she is good |
| Kite rac | He/she is ba |
| Kit a rac | A bad character |
Plural
Kit used with the word gi,that is,kit gi to mean the word their in English.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| Kit gi ber | Their behaviours are good |
| Kit gi rac | Their characters are bad |
12). Gin/en/wan pe otwero in Lango language is translated as they/he/she cannot in English.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| Gin pe twero bino. | they cannot come. |
| Gin pe twero timo. | They cannot do it. |
| Gin pe twero tyeko pyen Obanga tye kede gi. | They cannot finish because God is with them. |
| Wan pe otwero wot. | We cannot go. |
13. Kob/Kobi in Lango language means tell/say.
Kob at the beginning of a sentence.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| Kob a. | Tell me. |
| Kobi gi. | Tell them. |
| Kobi wa . | Tell us. |
| Kobe en. | Tell him, her or it. |
| Kobi Okello. | Tell Okello. |
Kob is used with gi. If gi is used, it becomes kobi gi which means tell them in English.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| Kobi gi ni wan ocako wot/capwal. | Tell them that we have started journey. |
| Kobi gi ni gin pe otwero timo. | Tell them that they cannot do it. |
| Kobi gi ni wan obedo opur. | Tell them that we are farmers. |
| Kobi gi tem. | Tell them to try. |
| Kobi gi megi pe obedo tuko. | Tell them theirs is no joke. |
Kob can also be used with bot which means to.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| Kob bot an. | Tell it to me. |
| Kob bot gi. | Tell it to them. |
| Kob bot Olum. | Tell it to Olum. |
| Kob bot orieko. | Tell it to the smart ones. |
| Kob bot otet ni wilobo pe bino tum. | Tell the scientist that the world will never finish. |
Kob can also be used as Kobe which means she, him, it.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| Kobe. | Tell him. |
| Kobe ni otum. | Tell him or her that its finished. |
| Kobe ni wan obino. | Tell him/her that we are coming. |
| Kobe ni kwir cok. | Tell him or her that election is near. |
| Kobe ni myero coo waraga/balu. | Tell him or her that to write a letter. |
14. Kadi ka in Lango language is translated as even if in English.
| English | Lango |
|---|---|
| I will go even if late. | An awot kadi ka agale/arii. |
| I will remove his coat even if it is wet. | An akwanyo koti mere kadi ka dyaka. |
| I will go to the garden to dig even if there is no rain. | An awot i poto me pur kadi ka kot pe. |
| I will hire employees even if there is no money. | An a pango otic Kadi ka cente pe. |
| Language school is a good school even if here is no audiences yet. | Cukul a pwonyo leb ber kadi ka joo pwod pe. |
Use of kadi (even) with kede (and).
| English | Lango |
|---|---|
| We need seven teachers even if we leave South Sudan and Ethiopia for later. | Wan omito opwonye abiro kadi kono wan owek South Sudan kede Ethiopia i anyim. |
| We are going to play soccer even with Ocen and Opio. | Wan owot tuku adilo kadi okede Ocen kede Opio. |
| Our sweet potatoes yields even when there is no rain and water. | Icok wa nywal kadi ka ko kede pii pe. |
| We were hunters even if we didn't learn from our father and uncles. | Wan nwongo obedo odwar kadi kono wan nwongo baba kede nero wa pe opwonyo wa. |
| We were weak even if we have soul and spirit. | Wan nwongo ogoro kadi kono nwongo otye kede cuny kede tipu. |
Use of kadi (even) and kede (with).
| English | Lango |
|---|---|
| Even if with what I will go. | Kadi kono kede ngo an awot. |
| Even if the sun will not be there, the moon will help us with light. | Kadi kono ceng pe ryeny,dwe bino konyo wa kede lero. |
| Even if it is cold, it is midday. | Kadi kono ngico tye, obedo dye ceng. |
15. Dang is used to end the words in Lango and it is translated as also in English.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| Yin dang | you also |
| Wan dang | We also |
| Gin dang | Them also |
| En dang? | Also her? |
| An a wiro moo wir i wanga dang | I smear lotion on my face also |
| Ket kado dang | Put in salt also |
| Wek en kwa kica dang | Let him/her apologise also |
Dang in the middle of a sentence
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| En dang owoto | He/she also went |
| Gin dang otyeko? | Did they also finish? |
| An dang ater? | Should I take also? |
16. Tung/tu in Lango language is translated to English as side.
a) Tung at the beginning of sentence.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| Tung anyim | Forward side |
| Tung ngec | Backward side |
| Tung cam | Left side |
| Tung cem | Right side |
| Tung gul/kona | Angle side |
| Tung odiko | Morning side |
| Tung poto ceng | Evening side |
| Tung idye wor | Night side |
| Tung idye ceng | Midday side |
Tung/tu also means on in English.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| Tung dogi | on your mouth |
| Tung tyeni | On your leg |
| Tung ngeyi | On your back |
| Tung lweti | on your nail |
| Tung wii | on your head |
| Tung cingi | on your hand |
b) Tung in the middle of sentence.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| Wek an adok tung pur. | Let me return to digging side |
| Wek wan olokere tung lwok. | Let us turn to bathing side |
| Wek gin bin tung kwang. | Let them come to swimming side |
| Wun mak rec tung kulu | You catch fish on the river side |
17. Mingo in Lango language is translated to English as Nuisance. It is caused by people by doing weird things to others or themselves.
a) Mingo at the beginning of a sentence.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| Mingo ni | your nuisance |
| Mingo gi | Their nuisance |
| Mingo wa | our nuisance |
| Mingo a joo. | people's nuisance |
b) Mingo at the end of a sentence.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| Wek mingo | Leave nuisance |
| Timo mingo | Doing nuisance |
| Loko mingo | Talking nuisance |
| Kelo mingo | Bringing nuisance |
Mingo in Lango language is translated to English as nonsense.
a) Mingo at the beginning of a sentence.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| Mingo ni | your nonsense |
| Mingo gi | their nonsense |
| Mingo wa | our nonsense |
| Mingo ateni | truly nonsense |
b) Mingo at the end of a sentence.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| Wek mingo | leave nonsense |
| Loko mingo | talking nonsense |
| Timo mingo | doing nonsense |
| En tye a timo mingo | he/she is doing nonsense |
18. Amed in Lango language is translated to English as accumulative.
a) Amed at the beginning of a sentence.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| Amed ni | your accumulative |
| Amed gi | their accumulative |
| Amed wa | our accumulative |
| Amed ateteni | truly accumulative |
b) Amed at the end of a sentence.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| Wek amed | leave accumulative |
| Loko amed | talking accumulative |
| Timo amed | doing accumulative |
| En tye a timo amed | he/she is doing accumulative |
19. Atura in Lango language is translated in English as suddenly.
a) Atura at the end of sentence.
| English | Lango |
|---|---|
| he/she comes suddenly | En bino atura |
| he/she arrives suddenly | En tuno atura |
| he/she walks suddenly | En woto atura |
| he/she laughs suddenly | En nyero atura |
b) Atura with Ngo.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| Ngo okeli atura? | what brings you suddenly? |
| Ngo omio yin ibino atura? | what makes you come suddenly? |
| Ngo omio yin i wot atura? | what makes you go suddenly? |
| Ngo a yin i bino kede atura? | what did you come with suddenly? |
c) Atura with Nga.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| Nga omio i bino atura? | Who makes you comes suddenly? |
| Nga okobi i bin Atura? | Who told you to come suddenly? |
| Nga okobi yin i bin atura? | Who told you to come suddenly? |
| Nga a yin i bino kede atura? | Who did you come with suddenly? |
d) Atura with pingo.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| Pingo omio i bino atura? | Why did you come suddenly? |
| Pingo omio i yaa atura? | Why did you get out suddenly? |
| Pingo omio pe i winyo en atura? | Why didn't you listen to him/her suddenly? |
20. Ikweda is translated as research in English.
a) Ikweda at the end of a sentence.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| Tic ikweda | Research work |
| Wel ikweda | Research price |
| Kwano ikweda | Research education |
| Lok ikweda | Research talk |
| Tuko ikweda | Research playing(music) |
| Pwonyo ikweda | Research preaching |
| Rabo ikweda | Research popularity |
b) Ikweda and Interrogatives.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| Ngo obedo ikweda? | what is a researcher? |
| Nga obedo ikweda? | who is a researcher? |
| Ikweda mene? | which researcher? |
| Pingo en obedo ikweda? | Why is he/she a researcher? |
21. Ngec is translated as popularity/know in English.
a) Ngec at the beginning of sentence.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| Ngec a rok | Tribe's popularity |
| Ngec wa | Our popularity |
| Ngec na | My popularity |
| Ngec otic | Employees popularity |
b) Ngec with interrogatives.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| Ngec obedo ngo? | What is popular? |
| Nga angeye? | Who is popular? |
| Gin ngeye pingo? | Why are they popular? |
| Mene ame ngeye? | Which one is popular? |
22. Lewic/lane means shame in English.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| Wek en bed olane | Let him/her be ashamed |
| Yele kede lewic. | Struggling with shame |
| Agoba,wek en bed olane. | Liar, let him/her be shameful |
| Akwo,wek en bed olane. | A thief, let him/her be shameful |
23. Atela/Aloc means a leader.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| Atela a joo | leader of people |
| Atela me otedo | leader of cooks |
| Atela wa | our leader |
| Atela me a coo | leader of men |
a) Atela and interrogatives.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| Ngo obedo atela? | What is a leader? |
| Nga obedo atela? | who is leader? |
| Pingo a tela? | why a leader? |
| Atela mene? | which leader? |
24. Atura is translated as accidentally in English.
a) Atura at the beginning of a sentence.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| En odeno atura | He/she borrowed accidently |
| En otero atura | he/she took accidently |
| En okobo atura | he/she said accidently |
| En oneno atura | he/she saw accidently |
b) Atura with interrogatives.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| Nga obedo atura? | Who is accidental? |
| Ngo obedo atura? | What is accidental? |
| Mene ame obedo atura? | Which one is accidental? |
| Pingo obedo atura? | Why it is accidental? |
25. Nwongo is translated as found in English.
a) Onwongo as present tense.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| En onwongo an | he/she found me |
| En onwongo wa | he/she found us |
| En onwongo gin | he/she found them |
| En onwongo wu | he/she found you(pl) |
b) Nwongere as present continuous tense.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| An anwongere. | I can be found |
| Gin nwongere | They can be found |
| Wan onwongere | We can be found |
| Nwongere kwene? | Where can it be found? |
c) Nwongere and interrogatives.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| Nga a nwongere? | Who can be found? |
| Ngo a nwongere? | What can be found? |
| Pingo nwongere? | Why can it be found? |
| Mene ame nwongere? | Which one can be found? |
26. Icina/ododo is translated as story/myth in English.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| Ceko icina | telling story |
| Kobo icina | saying story |
| Kwano icina | studying story |
| Pwonyo icina | teaching story |
27. Nyamo in Lango is translated as thinking/chewing in English.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| Tam ikom peko | Thinking about problem |
| Mwodo pot dek | Chewing vegetables |
| Mwodo ringo | Chewing meat |
28. Omo/kelo in Lango is translated as fetching/bringing in English.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| Om lum | Fetch grass |
| Om jang yat atino | Fetch small branch of trees |
| En tye a omo i kwene | Where is she bringing from |
29. Ciko/yuto in Lango is translated as trapping in English.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| Ciko rec | Trapping fish |
| Ciko lee | Trapping animals |
| Ciko winyo | Trapping birds |
30. Pol is translated as many in English.
| Lango | English |
|---|---|
| Lok apol | Many conversations |
| Tam apol | Many thinkings |
| Kwo apol | Many lives |
| Dul tic | Many works |