At a glance
- Best for
- Everyday courtesy
- Learn first
- Muraho, Murakoze
- Also useful
- English, French, Swahili
- Effort
- One afternoon
01 — Greetings
Greetings
Greeting properly matters in Rwanda; skipping it reads as abrupt.
- Muraho — hello
- Mwaramutse / Mwiriwe — good morning / good afternoon
- Amakuru? — how are you? (answer: Ni meza — I'm fine)
- Murakoze — thank you
- Yego / Oya — yes / no
02 — Getting around and buying
Getting around and buying
A few phrases go a long way at markets and on motos.
- Ni angahe? — how much is it?
- Birahenze — that's expensive
- Nshaka... — I want...
- Mfasha — help me
- Ndagenda i Kigali — I'm going to Kigali
Before you go
- Greet before you ask for anything — skipping it reads as abrupt.
- Learn the numbers one to ten for markets and moto fares.
- Pronounce slowly; being understood matters more than sounding fluent.
Sources
- Menya Rwanda language desk — Compiled from standard Kinyarwanda usage
Rules, fees and prices change. Confirm details with the responsible institution before acting.
