Kala Phrases

Basics

yata – greet/farewell – Hello. / Goodbye.
 
iyomani – PROX-day-nice – Good day/morning.
ipuamani – PROX-evening-nice – Good night/evening.
(the proximal prefix i- can be dropped from these)
 
to tayo ka – manner 2SG.POSS Q – How are you?
niha, nyasa – fine thank – Fine, thank you.
 
ke ata tayo ka – O name 2SG.POSS Q – What is your name?
____ ke ata nayo – ____ O name 1SG.POSS – ____ is my name.
 
ya pesoni – VOC meet-nice – Nice to meet you.
 
tsepa – please – Please.
nyasa – thank – Thank you.
nyasampa – thank-much – Thank you very much.
hako – welcome – You’re welcome.
munyek – be.problem-NEG – No problem. (less formal)
 
yali – pardon – Excuse me.
(This is used when getting attention, begging pardon, or coming through in a crowd. It is made more polite by the addition of the precative ending -te.)
na koya – 1SG apologize – I’m sorry
tama – be.good – It’s okay. (polite response to “I’m sorry”)

Communicating

na unyak – 1SG understand-NEG – I don’t understand.
na ke kala unyak – 1SG NOM language know-NEG – I don’t know Kala.
 
ta ke enkala unya ka – 2SG O English know Q – Do you know English?
hina kola ke enkala unya ka – here someone O English know Q – Does someone here know English?
 
ke ____ yani ka – O ____ meaning Q – What does ____ mean?
to ____ kala ka – method ____ say Q – How do you say?

Emergencies

itla mutsi! – this emergency – It’s an emergency!
 
yote! – help – Help!
na yotehe – 1SG help-NEC – I need help.
na ke yote tayo heya – 1SG O help 2SG.POSS need – I need your help.
 
tlatsa! – fire – Fire!
tsonyoko! – police-AG – Police!
ya nusuko, hika! – VOC steal-AG stop – Stop! Thief!
 
na tekatlo heya – 1SG heal-AG need – I need a doctor.