Asking Sentences in Kirundi
Asking sentences give a child the language to express what they want. This asking sentences in Kirundi lesson covers 11 phrases — from asking for water to asking to go outside — nearly all built around the same word: nshaka, I would like.
The structure is simple enough to use after one session: nshaka amazi — I would like water. Nshaka kuryama — I would like to sleep. Nshaka gukina — I would like to play. A child who knows nshaka can make a request in Kirundi before they know anything else about the language.
Lionel Kubwimana, a native Kirundi speaker from Bujumbura, recorded every phrase in this Kirundi vocabulary lesson. The phrases that use gusoma igitabu (to read a book) and unsomere igitabu (to read me a book) are worth comparing — the second asks someone else to do it, and the sound changes.
Read more
Use one phrase when the situation calls for it. Before a meal: nshaka gufungura. At bedtime: nshaka kuryama. When a child wants to go out: nshaka kuja hanze. The phrase works because the situation makes the meaning clear.
The lesson includes nshaka kunviriza umuziki (I would like to listen to music) and nshaka gucapa (I would like to draw) — two phrases that come up at quieter moments. Once a child knows the nshaka pattern, adding a new verb is just a matter of learning that one word.
The premium course adds a practice game so a child can work through all 11 asking sentences independently, with score tracking across sessions.
Audio recorded by Lionel Kubwimana, native Kirundi speaker from Bujumbura.
These are the phrases a Kirundi-speaking family uses when a child wants something — not a politeness drill, but practical language for daily moments. A parent who is not yet fluent can still use this lesson: when your child makes a request, say it back in Kirundi and play Lionel Kubwimana's recording. This lesson is for any parent raising a child with Kirundi at home, wherever that home is.