Creole is a language that mixes several languages, usually one with a European base and one with an Asian or African base. There are several types of Creole, but in the case of Cape Verde (as well as S. Tomé and Guinea) Creole is lexically Portuguese.
Because of this, there are many words that are shared between the two languages.
Although most people know how to speak Portuguese, knowing some of the words / expressions can be interesting even to understand what is being said. The purpose of this article is not to make an in-depth analysis of the language at a grammatical level, as in this article, but to explain basic things that can have an impact on the way you see and understand situations on your trip.
So what are some of the main expressions in Creole?
The difficulty, for example, in learning Cape Verdean Creole is that there are no rules for writing Creole, and some words and expressions vary from island to island.
Thus, the Creole addressed here will be the Creole used on the island of Santiago, also known as Badiu Creole, an expression that also characterizes the inhabitants of the island.
Comparing with Portuguese, we can say that there are frequently used variations of certain words:
| Me – Mi You- Bó He -Él We – Nôs You – Nhôs They – És | A lot – Tcheu Love – Cretcheu No – Nau My – Nha To – Pa By – Pa that – kel | Count – Conta Leave – Dexa Love – Ama Want- Cre Be – Sta Go – Bai Good – Sabi Well – Dreto |
Frequently used expressions
How much does it cost – Kanto ta custa?
How are you? – Modi ki bu sta?
All good? – Tudo dreto?
Where are you going? – Undi nhós sta bai?
What time do you leave? – Ki hora ki bu ta sai?
What is your name? – Modi ki bu txoma?
This food is nice – És komida sta sabi
I want to eat cachupa – N´kré kumi cachupa
I don’t want more, thank you – N´ka kré más, obrigado(a)
Dica: One way to learn phonetics and understand logic is to have contact with the language. S o you can try, for example, listening to Cape Verdean music. This way you discover the culture and the language simultaneously.
If you are going to travel, enjoy your trip to Cape Verde. Country sabi, country of morabeza ki for sure but loves it, ideal place to rest and enjoy.
If you have additional questions about some words or something interesting about the topic to share, leave them in the comments.
Want to know more about this wonderful country? See our suggestions for visiting Cape Verde.
