Mooré (also spelled Moré or Mòoré) is the most widely spoken language of Burkina Faso, with approximately 8 million native speakers and several million more as a second language. It's the language of the Mossi people — the majority ethnic group in Burkina — and the lingua franca of most of the country.
According to Ethnologue, Mooré (listed as "Moore" under ISO code mos) is spoken by roughly 8 million people as a first language, making it the dominant indigenous language of Burkina Faso. It belongs to the Gur (Voltaic) branch of the Niger-Congo family.
The Mossi people founded one of the most stable empires in West African history, the Mossi Kingdom of Ouagadougou, which resisted the expansion of the Mali Empire, the Songhai Empire, and Islamic penetration for centuries.
Browse our Mooré vocabulary or start learning on Targumi.
- Why learn Mooré?
- The alphabet and writing system
- The tonal system
- Greetings in Mooré
- Basic grammar
- Essential vocabulary: 50 words
- Numbers
- Useful everyday phrases
- Mossi culture
- Learn Mooré with Targumi
Why learn Mooré?
The language of a country at the heart of Africa
Burkina Faso ("Land of Upright People") is a key West African nation. Mooré is the language of its capital, Ouagadougou, and the majority of its population. It's also spoken by many Burkinabè in neighboring countries (Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo).
A significant diaspora
The Burkinabè diaspora in France numbers over 100,000 people, concentrated in the Paris region, Lyon, and Marseille. In Côte d'Ivoire, over 4 million Burkinabè (many of whom are Mossi) form the largest diaspora community. In Italy, Portugal, and Spain, Burkinabè communities grow every year.
Virtually no online resources
Mooré is invisible on the Internet for language learning. No major platform offers it. Targumi fills this gap with a structured learning path.
A people known for their values
The Mossi are renowned for their hospitality, their sophisticated social organization, and their founding proverb: "Dignity is more precious than gold." Burkina Faso has borne this name since 1984 precisely to reflect integrity as a national value.
The alphabet and writing system
The Mooré alphabet
Mooré uses the extended Latin alphabet:
| Letter | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a | as in "father" | baga (dog) |
| e | closed "ay" | belem (knowledge) |
| ɛ | open "e" as in "bed" | nɛb (person) |
| i | as in "see" | biiga (child) |
| o | closed "o" as in "go" | poko (woman) |
| ɔ | open "o" as in "bought" | mɔr (man) |
| u | as in "food" | bugum (fire) |
| ĩ | nasal "i" | zĩndi (sit) |
| ũ | nasal "oo" | kũuni (chicken) |
Specific consonants
Mooré has a few particular consonants:
- r: rolled as in Spanish, never the French "r"
- g: always hard as in "go"
- y: as in "yes"
- w: as in "water"
The tonal system
Mooré is a tonal language
Mooré has two main tones:
- High tone: sá (rain)
- Low tone: sà (millet beer)
And a contour tone (rising or falling) on certain long syllables.
The importance of tones
As in all West African tonal languages, tone distinguishes otherwise identical words:
| Word | High tone | Low tone |
|---|---|---|
| pu | blow | ferment |
| ko | cultivate | cry |
| wa | come | kill |
Practical tip
Burkinabè are among the most welcoming people in the world. They will encourage every effort you make to speak Mooré, even imperfectly. Tone is best learned through immersion and repetition.
Greetings in Mooré
Basic greetings
Greetings are the cement of Mossi social life. They can last several minutes.
| Mooré | English | Reply |
|---|---|---|
| Ne y yibeogo | Good morning | Yibeogo |
| Ne y windga | Good afternoon | Windga |
| Ne y zaabri | Good evening | Zaabri |
| Laafi bala? | Is the peace there? (How are you?) | Laafi |
| Y kibare? | How are things? | Laafi |
| Barka | Thank you | — |
| N saan taare | Goodbye (to one leaving) | — |
| N pa taare | Goodbye (to one staying) | — |
The long greeting (ritual)
In traditional contexts, the Mossi greeting is a full ritual:
- Ask about the person's health
- Then their family
- Then their children
- Then their work
- Then their animals
- At each stage, the answer is "Laafi" (peace)
Never rush greetings. It's a profound mark of respect.
Basic grammar
Sentence structure
Mooré follows Subject - Verb - Object order (like English):
- Mam kẽnga zaka — I build (a) house
- Biiga rɩtame — The child eats
- Pagba koosd koom — The woman draws water
Noun classes
Mooré has a noun class system with suffixes that change between singular and plural:
| Singular | Plural | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| raogo | raodo | man → men |
| paga | pagba | woman → women |
| biiga | kamba | child → children |
| bʋʋga | bʋʋse | goat → goats |
| tɩɩga | tɩɩse | tree → trees |
This system is similar to Bantu noun classes but specific to Gur (Voltaic) languages.
Personal pronouns
| English | Mooré |
|---|---|
| I | Mam |
| You | Fo |
| He/She | A / Yẽ |
| We | Tõnd |
| You (pl.) | Yãmb |
| They | Bãmb |
The verbal system
Mooré uses suffixes and auxiliaries to mark tense:
- Present: Mam kẽnda (I walk)
- Past: Mam kẽngame (I walked)
- Future: Mam na n kẽng (I will walk)
- Negative: Mam ka kẽnd ye (I don't walk)
Essential vocabulary: 50 words
| English | Mooré | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | N-n / Ãnha | ahn-ha |
| No | Ayo | ah-yo |
| Thank you | Barka | bar-ka |
| Please | Mam bõosa | mahm-boh-sa |
| Sorry | Sugri | soo-gree |
| Water | Koom | kohm |
| Food | Rɩɩbo | ree-bo |
| House | Zaka | zah-ka |
| Person | Neda / Ninsaal | nay-da |
| Child | Biiga | bee-ga |
| Mother | Ma / Maama | ma / mah-ma |
| Father | Ba / Baaba | ba / bah-ba |
| Friend | Zoa | zoh-a |
| Money | Ligdi | lig-dee |
| Work | Tʋʋmde | toom-day |
| Market | Raaga | rah-ga |
| Road | Soore | soh-ray |
| Day | Daare | dah-ray |
| Night | Yʋʋngo | yoong-oh |
| Sun | Wĩndga | weend-ga |
| Rain | Saaga | sah-ga |
| Big | Bedr | baydr |
| Small | Bilfu | bil-foo |
| Good | Sõngo | song-oh |
| Bad | Wẽngo | weng-oh |
| Beautiful | Neere | nay-ray |
| Hot | Wʋsgo | woos-go |
| Cold | Waoto | wah-oh-toh |
| Eat | Rɩ | ree |
| Drink | Yũ | yoo |
| Sleep | Gũus | goose |
| Go | Kẽng | keng |
| Come | Wa | wa |
| Speak | Gomd | gohmd |
| See | Ges | gays |
| Hear | Wʋm | woom |
| Know | Bãng | bahng |
| Want | Dat | daht |
| Can | Tõe | toh-ay |
| Love | Nong | nohng |
| God | Wẽnde | wen-day |
| King / Chief | Naaba | nah-ba |
| Earth | Tẽnga | teng-a |
| River | Bãongo | bahng-oh |
| Tree | Tɩɩga | tee-ga |
| Animal | Bũmbu | boom-boo |
| Fish | Zĩm | zeem |
| Bird | Liuuli | lyoo-lee |
| Woman | Paga | pa-ga |
| Man | Raogo | ra-go |
| Peace | Laafi | lah-fee |
Numbers
| Number | Mooré |
|---|---|
| 1 | A yembr |
| 2 | A yiib |
| 3 | A tãab |
| 4 | A naas |
| 5 | A nu |
| 6 | A yoob |
| 7 | A yopoe |
| 8 | A niini |
| 9 | A wɛɛ |
| 10 | Piiga |
| 20 | Pisi |
| 100 | Koabga |
| 1000 | Tus |
The system is decimal:
- 11 = piig la a yembr (10 and 1)
- 25 = pis la a nu (20 and 5)
- 200 = koabs a yiib (100 × 2)
Useful everyday phrases
| English | Mooré |
|---|---|
| What is your name? | Fo yʋʋr la boe? |
| My name is... | Mam yʋʋre yaa... |
| Where are you from? | Fo yita yɛ? |
| I'm from England | Mam yita England |
| I don't understand | Mam ka wʋmd ye |
| Speak slowly | Gom wʋsg-wʋsga |
| How much does it cost? | A ligdi yaa wãna? |
| It's too expensive | A yaa toogo wʋsgo |
| I'm learning Mooré | Mam zãmsda mooré |
| You speak Mooré well! | Fo gomda mooré neere! |
| I'm hungry | Kom tar maam |
| I'm thirsty | Ko-yũud tar maam |
| I love you | Mam nonga foom |
| Help me please | Sõng-y maam |
| Peace be with you | Laafi be ne yãmba |
Mossi culture
The Mogho Naaba
The Mogho Naaba is the supreme king of the Mossi, based in Ouagadougou. Every Friday morning, he performs a public ceremony (the Nabasga) at the royal palace — an unbroken ritual spanning centuries. The Mogho Naaba remains a major moral and cultural authority in Burkina Faso.
The Nabasga ceremony
Every Friday at dawn, the Mogho Naaba exits his palace in war regalia, mounts his horse as if going to battle, then his courtiers persuade him to stay. This ceremony symbolizes the king's permanent vigilance in defending his people. It's a spectacle unique in the world, open to the public.
Masks and FESPACO
Burkina hosts FESPACO (Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou), Africa's largest film festival. Mossi masks, carved from wood and painted in black, white, and red, are globally recognized art objects.
Oral tradition
Griots (dima in Mooré) are the keepers of Mossi memory. They transmit history, genealogies, and proverbs through song and speech. Mossi proverbs are remarkably profound:
- "Sẽn pa neb sẽn dat n yeel bũmb n pʋʋs ne Wẽnde" — He who wants to speak to God needs no intermediary
- "Bũmb ka be tɩ sẽn tar-a n pa tɩ" — Nothing is impossible for one who perseveres
- "Ned ka mi a rogem daare ye" — No one knows the day of their birth (humility before destiny)
Burkinabè cuisine
Mossi cuisine is simple and nourishing: tô (millet or sorghum paste with sauce), zoom-koom (sweetened millet drink), peanut stew, poulet bicyclette (grilled chicken, national specialty). Burkina is also a beer country: Brakina and Flag are the national brands.
Learn Mooré with Targumi
Targumi offers a structured path to learn Mooré:
- Progressive courses from beginner to advanced
- Thematic vocabulary with native audio
- Interactive exercises adapted to your level
- Cultural context: Mossi history, traditions, proverbs
- Community of learners and native speakers
Mooré is the key to understanding Burkina Faso — a country whose very name means "Land of Upright People." Every word you learn brings you closer to this extraordinary people and their values of integrity, hospitality, and dignity.
Laafi! (Peace!)
Article written by Ibrahim Ouédraogo, certified Mooré tutor and Targumi collaborator. At Targumi, we make learning Mooré accessible to everyone.
Sources and References
- Targumi — Learn Mooré: courses with certified native teachers.
- Wikipedia — Mooré: encyclopedic information on the language.
Further Reading
- All languages on Targumi — 106 languages taught