Fula (Pulaar, Pular, Fulfulde) is spoken by around 37 million people in Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon and across the Sahel. With this kit, you have the bare minimum to get by in Saint-Louis, Conakry, Mopti or Maroua.
Fula, also called Fulani, Pulaar (Senegal/Mauritania), Pular (Guinea) or Fulfulde (Mali, Burkina, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon), is one of the most widespread languages of West and Central Africa. With around 37 million native speakers across about 20 Sahel and Sahara countries, it is a Niger-Congo language of the Atlantic-Senegambian branch. It is distinguished by a complex noun class system (24 to 26 classes), consonant mutation between singular and plural, and the absence of tones (rare in Niger-Congo languages). Fula is now written mainly in the Latin alphabet with special characters (ɓ, ɗ, ŋ, ɲ), but also in the Adlam alphabet (created in 1989 by the Barry brothers from Guinea) and in Ajami (Arabic script). For French-speaking travelers, Fula opens the door to Saint-Louis and Futa Toro in Senegal, Futa Jallon in Guinea, Dogon country and Mopti in Mali, the Sahelian markets of Burkina and Niger, all the way to the Adamawa plateaus in Cameroon. Fula culture is defined by pulaaku, a code of honor based on modesty, patience and self-control. The Fulbe are historically a pastoral people, still today the largest nomadic people in the world. Greeting is sacred, long and ritualized: "Jam tan" (peace only) is its universal answer. This kit gathers the bare essentials to handle an arrival in a Sahelian city, a taxi ride, a shared meal, a medical emergency and a departure.
Here is how these phrases play out in real life. Each scene sets the stage and gathers the useful expressions.
You arrive in Saint-Louis, Senegal after a long journey. You greet the agent at the counter with "On jaaraama" and the courtesy questions, then ask for directions to the taxis.
The driver loads your bag and asks for your destination. You tell him your accommodation, you want to confirm the price before leaving, then you ask him to stop right in front of the entrance.
You are invited around a large platter of thieboudienne. You greet the family, ask what they recommend, mention your dietary restrictions, then thank them warmly.
You feel sick after a meal. You ask where the nearest hospital is, you mention that you are allergic to certain foods and you ask for help.
On departure morning, you thank your hosts for their hospitality, take a taxi to the bus station and warmly greet them before getting on the bus.
What you need to know before travelling to a fula-speaking country.
Greeting is sacred among the Fulbe. An encounter always begins with a series of questions: health, family, work, journey. The standard answer is "Jam tan" (peace only), even when things are difficult. Cutting the greeting short is very poorly received.
"On jaaraama" is a respectful plural greeting: used to greet a group or a person of authority (village chief, elder). To greet a single individual without particular deference, "No ngoolu daa" is enough.
Most Fulbe are Muslim. The greeting "Asalaamu alaikum" (peace be upon you) is very common, alongside or replacing Fula greetings. The reply is "Wa alaikum salaam".
Pulaaku is the Fula code of honor, based on modesty (semteende), patience (munyal) and self-control (hakkilo). Avoiding loud public displays of emotion, speaking softly and keeping your composure are appreciated.
Fula is written in the Latin alphabet with special letters: ɓ (implosive b), ɗ (implosive d), ŋ (velar n), ɲ (gn). There is also the Adlam alphabet, created in 1989, and Ajami (Fula written in Arabic script), still used in some regions.
Dialects vary by region: Pulaar in Senegal and Mauritania, Pular in Guinea (Futa Jallon), Maasina Fulfulde in Mali, Fulfulde of Nigeria and Cameroon. Mutual understanding remains possible, but greetings and some words change.
The Fulbe are historically a pastoral people, and cattle (zebu, cows) remain central to the culture. Asking a Fula herder about his herd is an excellent ice-breaker, but never photograph animals or people without prior agreement.
Meals are traditionally taken on the ground around a large shared plate, eaten with the right hand only. Wash your hands before and after the meal. Refusing to share a meal, even a little, can be seen as rejecting hospitality.
Preview. The full glossary (30 words) and all the phrases are in the PDF.
Eey
ehy
Yes
Alaa
a-LAA
No
A jaaraama
a jaa-RAA-ma
Thank you
Enen ndendidum
EH-nen n-DEN-di-dum
You're welcome
Yaafo
YAA-fo
Sorry
Ndiyam
n-DI-yam
Water
Nyaamdu
NYAAM-du
Food
Otel
o-TEL
Hotel
Aeropoor
ae-ro-POOR
Airport
Opitaal
o-pi-TAAL
Hospital
A hundred words, thirty key phrases, as a printable PDF. Instant download, also sent by e-mail.
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Every translation is cross-checked against at least two concordant sources among the references below.
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