Temne is spoken by the Temne, who make up about 30% of the population of Sierra Leone. The mainly hail from the country’s Northern Province and have a rich culture and history. A famous Temne Chief Bai Bureh launched a rebellion against the British in 1898, this was as a result of overtaxation of his people. Some basic Temne words and their translations follow.

NOTE: The writing system used here is the recommended orthography used in schools and colleges in Sierra Leone. The orthography uses phonetic symbols for some vowel sounds in Temne.

An important thing to note is that each symbol represents ONE and only ONE sound, and each sound is represented by only ONE symbol. The vowel sounds are usually the problem. Below is a guide to the pronunciation of the vowels of Temne.

1. ɛ as in English ‘bed.’

2. e as in English ‘day’

3. ɔ as in English ‘cot’

4. ʌ as in English ‘cut’

5. ə as in English ‘among’

6. o as in English ‘bowl’ or ‘boat’

7. u as in English ‘fool’

8. I as in English ‘seat’

Also, the velar nasal sound, ŋ , as in English ‘King,’ is used in Krio ‘fulɔp piŋ’ (full to the brim), and in Temne ‘kʌ lɛŋ’ ( to grow grey hair).

EnglishTemne
Afternoonrəyaŋ
Alcoholmʌber
Bar/Pubʌŋ ba
Bargainfɔf mɔlɔ
Beardʌ kek
Be carefulyɔ kəthɛgbɛ
Bedkʌ fənt
Biscuit/Cookieskʌ biskit
Blindfith
Bobby / Copɔ polis
Bonnet / Hoodʌŋ bɔnɛt
Boywath runi/wanth uruni
Rubbishyathri
Braidsmʌ ru
Breadkʌ bo
Busʌŋ bɔs/podapoda
Candy/Sweetkʌ swit
Carʌŋ lɔri
Childɔ wath
Diarohea/Dysentryʌŋ runt
Roundaboutʌŋ tɔntebul
Coconutkʌ gbara
Cross Roads/ Junctionʌŋ yɔnksɔn
Doorkʌ dare
Drunkkʌ tis
Dust bin / Trash canʌŋ muru
Earʌŋ ləns
Enoughbeki
Excuse mekʌbʌri mi
Finishkʌ poŋ
Flip Flops/Slippersɛ afbak
Foodda rədi
Friendɔ yathki
Gas / Petrolʌŋ pɛntrol
Out in the opengberkethe
Determinedgbakanda
Girlwath bɛra
Good Byeɔwa
Grillʌŋ kolpɔt
Happyɔ bɔnɛ (mi)
Head tie/Head bandʌŋ gbasa
Hellosɛkɛ
Help memar mi/der nu
Houseʌŋ seth
How are you?To pɛ mu-a?
How do I?to mɛ ?
How much does it cost?mɔlɔ-a ?
How old are you?mɔlc təren əŋ ba-a ?
Hurry Upbʌsər
I am finemin yenki
I am fullmin nʌmrʌ
I am going homeI kɔnɛ ro seth
I am going to XYZI ti/tə kɔ ro XYZ
I am on my wayI yi rə roŋ
I am sorryI nɛmthɛnɛ
I am XYZ / My name is XYZminɛ yi XYZ
I don’t haveI bayɛ
I knowI tʌrʌ
I’d like to go to XYZI yema kɔ ro XYZ
I’ll be backI tə kʌl der
Leave me alonetey mi/gbɛpɛ mi
Manwanduni
Marketro yɔpɔwa
Maybeʌ lɔkɔ lɔm
Medicationʌŋ tɔl
Moneyʌŋ kala
Mosquitoʌŋ mis
Mouthkʌ səŋ
Neighbourɔwe sə fʌtʌnɛ-e
Nightrʌ fɔy
Onionskʌ yaba
Orange Fruitʌŋ lemre
Outsidero kaŋ
Peanutmʌ kʌntər
Pleasemari
Plentygbʌthi
Poormɔnɛ
Power outageʌŋ sum
Provincesro gbaŋ
Richyola/rʌ yola
Sandkʌ sənt
Shoeʌŋ kɔftha
Shop/Storero shɔp/ro səthor
Shout/Yellsɔnkɔ
Sit downyirʌ
Snacksʌ kɔnyɛ
Sneakers / Trainersɛ krep
Soda/Pop/Soft drinkʌŋ sɔf dərink
Stand uptəmʌ/yokanɛ
Stoptey
Streetʌŋ trit
Tailorɔ thela
Take me gokerʌ mi
Tapʌŋ pɔmp
Taxi / Cabʌŋ taksi
Thank Youmʌmo
Thiefɔ key
Todaythonɔŋ
Tommorowninʌŋ
Traderɔ tread
Treeʌ kənt
Trouserɛ yankra
Trunk / Bootʌŋ but
Uniform for a special functionɛ ashɔbi
Upsetbansʌ
Walkkɔth
Waterʌ mʌnt
What are you doing?ko mʌŋ yɔ-a ?
What?ko-a ?/ko rəka-a ?
What’s your name?ŋes ʌmu-a ?
Whenʌ lɔkɔ-a ?
Windowʌŋ winda/kʌ fenk
Womanwunibom