JIFUNZE KIMAASAI

KIMAASAI to ENGLISH                  pronounced

hello=supai
hello all = enda supai pooki

thank you very much=ashe oleng'

very nice/tasty=sidai oleng'

Are you tired?=itanaure?

yes=Eeeh

no=Aa

are you happy?=ishipa?

I’m happy=kashipa

are you ill?=imwei?

I’m ill=amwei

repeat=ingila

please=kaomon

where are you going=kai iloito?

where are we going=kai kipoito?

see you again=tutaonana tena

goodbye=ole sere

see you all again=tutaonana tena wote

sorry=pole

I like=kanyorr

Let’s go=maape

I don’t know=maiyolo

come!=wou!

give me=inchooki

what did you do today?=         kainyo duo itaasa?

Numbers
stress the first syllable for all the following

English to   kimaasai                     pronounced

one=nabo

two=are                                  

three=uni

four=Ong'wan

five=imiet

six=ile                                      

seven=naapishana                  

eight=isiet                                

nine=naaudo                                    
ten=tomon

eleven=tomon oobo  

twelven=tomon oare                        

twenty=tikitam
                     

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 saan nabo
8.00 saan are
9.00 saan uni

and so on until
6.00pm  saa tomon aare endepa  (endepa = evening)
7:00pm  saa nabo endepa
8:00 pm saa are endepa
etc

A dictionary of sorts

Nouns 

People
children – enkerai
father – papaai
grandfather – Arkakui
grandmother – enkoko -grandmother – teacher f
mother – mama
sponsors – eretoto
teacher – olmalimui (m)
teacher – emalimui (f)

Places
kanisa – church
hill/mountain – oldonyio
house – enkaji
huts (in a group) – manyatta
home – nyumbani
river -oreyiet
shop – olduka
well (for water) – kashanga

Food/eating
cup – enkobo
capattis – imukateni
doughnuts – ormandazi
mango – ormaembei
meat – inkiri
potatoes – ingwashen
rice – ormushele
saucepan – emoti
water – enkare

Odds and sods
car – engarrim
money – imbesai
saa – time
work – esiyai
yesterday – ngole

Animals
cat – epuus
cow – enkiteng
camel – engamia
Enker – sheep
dog – oldia
donkey – osikiria
gazelle – enkoilii
giraffe – ormeut
goat – entari
leopard – olowuaru keri
lion – olng'atuny
zebra – oloitiko

Verbs

Verb to eat
Simple present

ainosa – I eat

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  

einosa – they eat  

einosa imenya 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 irmatunda tadekenya?

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 olemei – 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      Tanzania
When I come     again    next    time    I will eat   food      of     Tanzania

inya aitobiraki tenilo England – you will eat well when you go to England

eikinya aitobiraki tenakewarie – we will eat well this evening

Akanya imukateni tenakewarie – they will eat chapattis tonight

Present continuous
kainosita – I am eating
inosita – you are eating
keinosita – he/she is eating
eikinosita – we are eating
(eminosita – they are not eating)
Ainosita – they are eating

matumoki amuu kainosita endaa – I am unable to because I am eating food

kainyoo inosita – what are you eating

kainosita ormaembei – she is eating a mango

Ekinosita ingwashen – we are eating potatoes

meinosita  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
Aikiiyieu 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 tenebo– 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

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 tomorrow

Iyaku olanyani le England – (translation to follow)

Verb to buy
Simple Present
kainyang'u – I buy
inyang'u – you buy
keinyang'u – he/she buys
aikinyang'u – we buy
keinyang'u – they buy

Present continuous
Kagira ainyangu – I am buying

Infinitive
Kayieu nainyangu – I want to buy

Verb to want
Simple present
kayieu – I want

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