Learning Krio
By David Krueger
It made sense to me that if I was going to live somewhere for three months I should speak the language. If I was in a foreign land where I couldn’t talk to anybody for 84 days, I could see myself getting lonely very fast.
I read up on Sierra Leone, and learned that English was the official language. This made me really excited. I speak English! This was going to be a breeze.
Then I heard about Krio, which people and books described as “pigeon English” or “broken English.” Again, I felt confident in my ability to communicate with those speaking Krio and turned my attention to other items on my pre-departure checklist, like vaccinations, which were not fun.
Turns out I should have done a bit more brushing up on the Krio language. It is based on English, and I can understand some of it, but it’s not nearly as easy to pick up as I had hoped. After actually studying Krio for the better part of last week I know about five phrases.
Fortunately, I can get pretty far with those five phrases.
Phrase No. 1: “How di bodi?” See this is easy to understand in English. Literally, “how is the body,” this is the most common greeting I’ve found in Sierra Leone, along with Phrases Nos. 2 and 3: “How di wok” (“How is work?”) and “How di morning/day/evening” (“How is the morning/day/evening”)?
These make up the bulk of the Krio that I actually speak on a daily basis, which sadly isn’t very much yet. However, once in a while I like to throw a new phrase at my coworkers and impress them. That’s where phrases Nos. 4 and 5 come in. Sometimes it’s an “I dae go na hose” (“I’m going to go to my house”) or a “hosei you dae go” (“where are you going”)?
I’m not going to say that’s all a person needs to get by in Sierra Leone, but it’ll get someone a long way. I wanted to learn more though so I borrowed a Krio Manuel from a friend and began taking notes. There I learned numerous gems like “tehnki” (“thanks”), “ohmohs” (“how much”) and “reni” (“rainy”).
Then things got really fun.
I came across my favorite Krio phrase by far: “aw de go de go.” I just love how this sounds. If you’re reading this column out loud, you just had a lot of fun. Admit it. It means “how are things?” and is a useful phrase that can be used every day with everyone.
I can also introduce myself, and provide the utmost basic information to a stranger. Although it’s rare for me to try to throw down this much Krio at once, I have tried, rather unsuccessfully, to get through it a couple times. I messed it up, but the people I was talking to still seemed to understand what I was trying to say and smiled as I gave it my best.
I started with a “kushe” (“hello”) to get the conversation started. After a greeting I was asked my name. I answered that it was David and “a kohmohn na America” (“I am from America”). My chatting companion seemed pleased and then asked me a question I didn’t understand.
But I didn’t panic. I thought I heard “wok” in the question so I shot right into the reason I was here. “A kam wok na Awoko Newspaper,” I said proudly.
Turns out, I hadn’t been asked why I was here. I wasn’t even asked about work. The gentleman I was talking to asked me how long I was here.
At least he seemed to be impressed by my pride in my employer.
Will there be a column completely in Krio before I go? It’s highly unlikely. But it’s good to know what people are trying to say to me, as well as what’s going on in the world around me. I can understand some Krio if I listen very carefully.
I also know when my coworkers are talking about me. Although, the fact that they’re looking at me and smiling while they talk also kind of helps to give it away.
Lately, I have a tendency to blend Krio and English into what I like to call “Kri-lish.” A common Kri-lish phrase is “hello, how di body?” Another good one is “Aw di wok go yesterday?” I like this because everybody can understand Kri-lish. There’s usually sufficient Krio for Sierra Leoneans to understand, and just enough English for me to get by.
Over the next two months I hope to continue to learn more and more Krio. While I doubt I’ll find a phrase cooler than “aw de go de go,” I would like to one day be able to carry whole conversations in Krio, even if it’s just a 30-second chat. I think I’m off to a good start.
A nem David ehn a de lan lili bit na Krio (“my name is David and I am learning a little bit of Krio”).
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