Ay Baatu Waxtaan

More time & directions…

Phrases To Practice / Phrases à la pratique

Ban waxtu moo jot? - What time is it?

Minwi jotna. - It is midnight.

Fukki waxtu ak ñaar jotna. - It is noon.

Naka laa fay demee? - How do I get there?

Ci wetu jumaa ji. - Next to the mosque.

Toppal yoon wi. - Follow this road.

Xam nga fan la? - Do you know where it is?

Kan ngay ñew? - When are we arriving?

A Words

Gambian Wolof…

aifaare - pagan
aik - climb
aikerty - lift/elevate
ailake - tomorrow
aina - mold
ainay - wish
alcarly - village leader
alfun - million
alheames - thursday
almet - match
almorre - cupboard
altineh - monday
am - have
amna - there is/is there
anndah - incense burner
antal - able
arba - lend
arbalanteh - share
arca - confront
arch - hang

Time & Directions

Midi Jotna. - It is noon.

Netti waxtu ci ngoon jotna. - It is three in the afternoon.

Jubelal ci biir dekk ba. - Keep going straight through the town.

Ci ñaari waxtu la nuy egg. - We are arriving at two o’clock.

Da ngay tallal ci kanam. - Straight ahead.

Naari waxtu ci suba jotna. - It is two in the morning.

Kan ngay dem? - When are we going?

Ci kanamu jumaa ji. - Across from the mosque.

Fukki waxtu teg na ñeent fukki i simili ak juroóm. - It is ten forty five.

Wolof Lim Ak Xaalis

Wolof Numbers & Money

In Senegal they use the franc CFA (Communauté financière d’Afrique). But the traditional unit of currency is the dërëm which is counted by fives. Usually when dealing with money most people will deal strictly with the French terms for simplicity. If Wolof is used the dërëm is implied if not specifically said. So in the example below junni is 5000, not 1000, even though dërëm has been left off.

teemeeri dërëm = 500 CFA
(100 x 5 = 500)

ñaari teemeeri dërëm = 1000 CFA
(2 x 100 x 5 = 1000)

ñetti teemeeri dërëm = 1500 CFA
(3 x 100 x 5 = 1500)

juróom benni teemeeri dërëm = 3000 CFA
(5 + 1 x 100 x 5 = 3000)

juróom ñetti teemeeri dërëm = 4000 CFA
(5 + 3 x 100 x 5 = 4000)

junni = 5000 CFA
(1000 x 5 = 5000)

I do not know if this is common or just happened to be the people I was around but instead of, for example, saying ‘fifteen hundred‘ as we might say in the USA for 1500, they would say ‘one thousand five hundred‘. Also CFA is pronounced like ‘see-uff-uh‘ almost like ‘safer‘ with an odd accent.