Learnt how to say "Let's go" in 23 African languages

In line with saying "More vim" all the time, I found it prudent to learn how to say "Let's go" in many languages. #Leggo is a rallying cry for let's get things done and this is a statement that is important for groups of people everywhere. With some help from my African friends, we have a list of 23 to work with. Choose your pick! On y va!
  1. Akan: Yɛnkɔ! What you thought I wouldn't add my mother tongue? Some folks can't say what "thank you" is in their lingua francas. Such a fracas. Don't belittle this at all at all.
  2. Ga: Wote! Many of you who know me well know I like to use the word "Chale". In local Ghanaian parlance, it's a pet name for friends. Or simply "Dude". Chalewote in Ghana also refers to slippers. So yeah, slip the slippers and say, "Chale, let's go"
  3. Ewe: Midzo! Dzolali is also a nice thing to say. The Ketasco inspired word has a response too - "Now or Never!"
  4. Dagbani: Ti chema! Yeap, Jemila Abdulai taught me this one. Thrice.
  5. Hausa: Mu je! As much as I wish "Yaayi" meant "let's go!". Thanks to my Naija sister Aisha who taught me this one.
  6. Swahili: Twende! There's a popular song called "Twende Twende" by Eirc Wainaina (Kenya) and Oliver Mtukudzi(Zimbabwe). Lovely song!
  7. Zulu: Masihambe! Let's go and shaka zulu on em! 
  8. Xhosa: Ma'sambe! Quite similar to the Zulu one. I could imagine the kids in the Soweto Uprising shouting it in 1976.
  9. Yoruba: E je ka lo! I learnt this from a couple of real Naija Googlers. Spelling correction made via Oliver on Google+
  10. Igbo: Ka anyi ga! Just learnt this from my friend Chioma. She followed it up with an example - Let's go to the mall. Hehe.
  11. Luganda: Tugende! Sounds similar to the Kiswahili version right. Yup, these languages are neighbours in some sense. But the one after, is even closer.
  12. Kinyarwanda: Tuyende! Paul Kagame must have loved saying this one too. Merci to Matilda for teaching me this one. Richard Nshuti Mayanja is half-Rwandan. :-).
  13. Moore: Ti d log! Could you imagine Thomas Sankara saying this over and over again?I bet he said it more than 226 times in his lifetime. Thanks to my friend Tatiana for teaching me this one.
  14. San: Won taan! San is a Burkinabe language. Won taan Burkina Faso to get some of that secret stamina sauce that carries the Stallions to the final of the African Cup of Nations this year. Another lesson from Tatiana.
  15. Sissala: Laamu. I learnt this on Valentine's Day in 2013. Try making me forget that. Ronke taught us that and more. See tweet.
  16. Shona: Handei. My Zimbabwean friend from MIT, Tawanda, taught me this one! I can see myself shouting Handei!
  17. Amharic: Enguaz! I learnt this after I first went to Ethiopia and heard my name mentioned all over. Let's go again so we hear it anew.
  18. Wolof: Niew dem! Niew dem to Senegal. I hear it is such a lovely country. And I have to go see a wrestling match seated next to Viviane Ndour and my Senegalese friends.
  19. Diula/Jula: An ga ta. I learnt this from my kpakpatoya champion, Cyriac Gbogou. Can't believe I still haven't met him
  20. Miene: Okani. I learnt this recently from a Gabonese chic I befriended just this year. It was cool to tell her "Okani" after we had had dinner. Hehe.
  21. Bemba : Tuleya. Thanks to Sam Mbale for teaching me this via Google+.
  22. Nyanja : Tuyende. Thanks to Sam Mbale for teaching me this via Google+.  
  23. Lingala: Melesi. I learnt this Congolese word after having a steady dose of Makoma's gospel music in my playlist.
This follows the "Thank You" And "I Love You" posts in this series. Also learn how to say How are You and I'm Fine. Share how to say "Let's go " in other African languages via the comments. I could have said a few more in other languages, but we had to stop at 23. I don't need to tell you why. And if you think it's because Michael Jordan wore the jersey number 23, you lose your way for the wholewideworld inside. But welcome to the MIghTy African blog anyway. :-)

Comments

Ato said…
My buddy Bwalya taught me some more.
Tonga - Atwende.
Kaonde - Twayayi.
Ato said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ato said…
Let's go in Bambara is "An ka ta"
BamBam said…
Hi, great work, the Yoruba version is actually ... "E Je ka lo ", You might want to correct the spelling
Ato said…
Thanks BamBam. Will make the change. E se!
MIghTy African said…
Learnt how to say it in Venda (South African language) via a taxi driver in Johannesburg - "kharituwe"

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