Note that in the two examples, the word –sil– and –silis– are both used, two new words for our vocabulary, meaning to finish and to cause to finish.

In Lingala the word –silis– is not normally used with something that is inanimate. This is because an inanimate object doesn’t finish something, it itself is finished. Whereas a person could cause something to finish.

The word ata simply means even or even though. It is used very similarly to how we use it in English:

ata ntango akotala buku oyo, akotanga yango te

Here we use it to mean even at the time he/she sees this book, they won’t read it. We can also combine the word ata with eloko and moko to create some useful expressions:

These expressions are used regularly in Lingala and add a little more naturalness to the sound of our Lingala when we use them correctly.

The second word, nde, is also very useful to Lingala speakers. It basically means then, but is used in a number of interesting ways. Notice some:

Look out for how nde is used and you will see the interesting ways that it emphasizes the content of the sentence.

As we can see in those examples, the word –lek– used in the infinitive (koleka) simply means to pass (by), but we can use it for other English words like exceed, surpass, and go beyond.

We can also use it as we would a normal verb in this way:

Here we see that we use the verb with the object immediately after the verb, and then use na followed by the thing the person is better at.

Now notice what happens if we just use the object and subject without the thing they are better at:

We simply are saying that the subject or object is better than the other.

What if we want to reverse the meaning and make something smaller or less important?

Alternatively we can just use the word te on the end of the sentence to mean the person is not better.

mama aleki tata te

Here mother is not better than father.

We can also use the –lek– verb with numbers:

As we can see, –lek– is a very useful word and has a great many uses.

Lingala does have another way of adding emphasis to an idea in the form of doubling the verb root or the word. Notice some examples:

We see that in all these cases the idea is emphasized. So in solosolo, we get the idea of it really being true. In libosoliboso, we see that it must be first, before anything else. in –lobaloba we see that the verb is now the action of a lot of talking, which in English is chattering.

When verb roots are doubled, the doubled root acts as any normal verb for example:

balukalukaki mpe bamonaki bango

Here the sense of the sentence is they searched and the saw (found) them.

alobi ete ayebi bango

This would translate as he said that he knew them.

Often we want to introduce a clause into sentence in which we indicate that this contrasts with the previous statement. We do this using the word but in English. In Lingala the equivalent word is kasi. Notice how we can use it:

ezali monene, kasi ezali makasi te

This translates as it is big, but it is not strong. The word kasi is used very often and is used almost identically to how it would be in English.

We also have the word elongo in the vocabulary list. This word means together. It is used very similarly to how we would in English:

nazali elongo na bino

That sentence translates as I am together with you (plural). Notice na is inserted after elongo. This gives us the sense of being together with. Often they are used together in this way. But it can be used on it’s own:

tozali elongo

Here the phrase means we are together.

It should be noted that although this word is used the same as in English, Lingala speakers often use the word na to mean with in place of elongo. As such it is less frequently used than together is in English.

Other than it’s basic meaning, it can be used along with other verbs (and words) to emphasize what the verb does is missing, or that it is the opposite. Notice some examples using some of our new words for this lesson:

So in these cases, compounding the verb –zang– with other verbs helps us to form great ideas. This is something that is often done in Lingala where it lacks specific words to express an idea in just one word.

In the first example above we have kozanga kokoka. The root –kok– has a meaning of being able. This means it can also be used to describe something as perfect, or at least give the sense of that idea. So the phrase kozanga kokoka appropriate means to lack perfection, or be imperfect.

azali mobali kitoko te

In this example the sentence literally reads as he is man beautiful not, or as we translate it into English he is not a handsome man.

This word is special in that it is also used to convey the idea of self. When used with a personal pronoun:

Mpo na ngai moko

This means for myself (literally: for me self). This works with any and all personal pronouns:

Connected to the word moko is the word liboso. This word means before. However when used with the word ya notice:

moto ya liboso

This means the first person (literally: person of before/first). It conveys the idea of the first, that is it is the one before anything else.