Mooré survival kit

About this kit

Mooré is the language of the Mossi people, the largest ethnic group in Burkina Faso, spoken by around 7 million people. It is one of the country's national languages, omnipresent in Ouagadougou and across the central Mossi plateau. With this kit, you have what you need to greet, ask directions and order food during a trip to the land of upright people.

Mooré (sometimes spelled Moré, Mossi or Mòoré) is a Gur-Oti language spoken mainly in Burkina Faso by around 7 million people. It is the language of the Mossi people, the country's majority ethnic group whose traditional chiefdoms still structure much of social life around Ouagadougou, Koudougou and Tenkodogo. Mooré is one of Burkina Faso's recognised national languages.

For travellers, a few words of Mooré change everything. In Ouagadougou, in markets, in bush taxis, across the Mossi plateau, the effort of a smiling "Ne y yibeogo" is noticed and appreciated immediately. Greetings are a central ritual, repeated at every encounter, and even a traveller who only masters these formulas will find doors opening faster.

The language stands out for its tonal system and an extended Latin alphabet with letters such as "ʋ" and "ɩ" for specific vowels. Grammar remains accessible: subject-verb-object order, few complex conjugations, clear aspect particles. The word "Barka" (thank you), borrowed from Arabic, reflects the historical ties between the Mossi Empire and the Saharan trade routes.

This kit gathers the bare essentials to handle an arrival in Ouagadougou, a bush taxi ride, a market order, a small medical concern and a smooth departure. You will find indispensable greetings, survival words for orientation, key vocabulary for daily life and cultural tips to avoid faux pas. Memorise these expressions before leaving and you will feel at home from the first hours on the ground.