Valentine’s day is upon us and this is the day designated for us to go all out and show our loved ones how special they are to us. Why not surprise your mate or significant other by saying “I love you” in another language? Here are some ways to do that in various African languages as documented by Above Whisper.
Ko Kicinio
In the Afar language, Ko Kicinio is the term used to express love. It is spoken in Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Djibouti.
Ek’s lief vir jou / Ek het jou life
Afrikaans is spoken in South Africa and Namibia.
Mi dowapaa
Twi is one of several languages spoken in Ghana.
Afekirishalehu (feminine), afekirhalehu (masculine)
Amharic is also spoken in Ethiopia.
Ana uħibbuk – said to a male, ana baħibbik – said to a female
Arabic is spoken in Algeria, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Sudan, and Western Sahara.
M’bi fe
Bambara is spoken in Mali.
Nalikutemwa
The Bemba language is spoken in Zambia, Tanzania, Botswana, and the Democratic People’s Republic of Congo.
Lakh tirikh
Berba is used in Algeria.
Ndimakukonda
The Chichewa/Chewa language, also referred to as Nyanja, is spoken Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
Me lonwo
The Ewe language is spoken in Ghana, Togo, and Benin.
Ma dzing wa / ma gnôre wa
The Ewondo or Kolo language is spoken in Cameroon and Gabon. Ewondo has several dialects to include Badjia (Bakjo), Bafeuk, Bamvele (Mvele, Yezum, Yesoum), Bane, Beti, Enoah, Evouzok, and Fong. The Beti-Pahuin are a tribe located in the rainforests of Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and São Tomé and Príncipe; there are distinct clans within the tribe. However, they share the same language; they also speak Yaunde Fang; which is a dialect of Kolo.
Je t’aime
Some profess French to be the official language of romance. Apart from France and other regions, it is a language spoken in the following African countries: Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Cote D’Ivore, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Niger, Senegal, Seychelles, Togo, and Tunisia.
Mi yidi ma
The Fula or Fulani language is used widely in Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Cameroon, and Mauritania due to the Fula’s nomadic trait.
Nkwagala Nyo
The Ganda or Luganda dialect is spoken in Uganda.
Neguedete
In Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda the Gikuyu/Kikuyu language is used.
Ina Sonki
Hausa originates from Nigeria, nevertheless, it is spoken in Niger, Ghana, Benin, Togo, Ivory Coast, and Cameroon as well.
A hurum gi nanya
Igbo is used in Nigeria.
Ningwemdete
The Kamba language is spoken in Kenya.
Nya Raakna
The Kanuri language is used amongst the inhabitants of Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon.
Ndagukunda
Kirundi/Kinyarwanda is spoken in Rwanda and Burundi.
Mono ke zola nge
The Kikongo/Kongo language is spoken in Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, and the Republic of the Congo.
Nalingi yo
The Lingala dialect is used Democratic Republic of Congo and Republic of the Congo.
Aheri
Luo is spoken in Tanzania and Kenya.
Ndi mukusua
The people of Democratic Republic of the Congo use Luba-Kasai/Tshiluba to express their affection.
Tiako ianao
Malagasky is spoken in Madagascar.
Ni bi fe
The Gambians also speak Malinke.
Nye kanu laye
The Mandingo/Mandinka language is spoken in Mali, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea-Bissau, and Chad.
Cale sa duie ca upeif
The Mende language is used in Sierra Leone.
Mi ndigui
The Moore/Dagbani language is spoken in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, and Mali.
Niyakutanda
The Ndebele dialect is used in Zimbabwe.
Ndikufuna
The Nyanja language is spoken in Zambia.
Ani sin Jaaladha
The Oromo language is used in Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya.
Ondi ku hole
The Oshiwambo language is spoken in Angola and Namibia.
Amo te
Portuguese can be heard in Angola, Cape Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, and Sao Tome and Principe.
Mbe de yid ma
Pular is spoken in Guinea.
Ni u rondi
Puni is spoken in Gabon as well.
Mbi yé mô
Some inhabitants of Central African Republic speak Sango.
Ke a go rata
Setswana/Tswana is spoken in Botswana.
Ndinokuda!
Shona is used in Zimbabwe and Zambia.
Ngiyakutsandza
The people of Swaziland speak SiSwati.
Wa ku jeelahay
The Somali language is spoken in Somalia.
Ke a o rata
In Lesotho, Sesotho is spoken.
Iran fan ma
Sossou is used in Guinea.
Te Quiero
Spanish is spoken throughout Equatorial Guinea, Morocco, and Western Sahara.
Itogwa benekele ne benekele
In Tanzania the Sakuma/Nyamwezi language is used.
Ninakupenda/Begg naa la (widely used)
Swahili is spoken in Burundi, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Ana enti efete
Tigre is spoken in Eritrea.
Y’fetwekum e’ye
The Tigrinya language is used in Eritrea and Ethiopia.
Na ku rhandza
The Tsonga language is used South Africa, Mozambique, Swaziland, and Zimbabwe.
Na lia
In Liberia and Sierra Leone the language spoken is Vai.
Nopp naa la
Wolof is spoken widely throughout Senegal, Gambia, and Mauritania.
Ndiya kuthanda
The Xhosa language is used in South Africa and Lesotho.
Mo nifẹẹ rẹ
The Yoruba tribe is spoken in Benin and Nigeria.
Ngiyakuthanda
And finally, the Zulu language can be heard in South Africa and Lesotho.
