Kriolu 101 — the language of the islands
Portuguese is Cabo Verde's official language, but the language of homes and streets is Kriolu — a creole born from Portuguese and West African languages, and the heartbeat of island life.
Three words that capture Cabo Verde
The uniquely Cape Verdean spirit of warm, open-hearted hospitality. Many visitors fall in love with the country because of this one word.
A bittersweet longing for faraway people and places — Kriolu's take on the Portuguese saudade, made world-famous by Cesária Évora's song "Sodade."
An all-purpose word for "delicious," "pleasant," and "fun." Good food, good music, a good evening by the sea — it's all sabi.
Greetings & essential phrases
Learn these and you're ready to go — a few words of Kriolu open doors (and hearts) everywhere in the islands.
| Kriolu | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Oi! | oy | Hi! (casual) |
| Bon dia | bon DEE-ah | Good morning |
| Bon tardi | bon TAR-di | Good afternoon |
| Bon noti | bon NO-chi | Good evening / good night |
| Modi bu sta? | MO-ji boo stah | How are you? |
| Tudu dretu? | TOO-doo DRE-too | All good? (casual) |
| N sta bon | n stah bon | I'm fine |
| Obrigadu / Obrigada | oh-bree-GAH-doo / -dah | Thank you (male / female speaker) |
| Pur favor | poor fah-VOR | Please |
| Diskulpa | jees-KOOL-pah | Sorry / excuse me |
| Sin / Nau | seen / now | Yes / no |
| Kal é bu nómi? | kal eh boo NO-mee | What's your name? |
| Nha nómi é ... | nyah NO-mee eh ... | My name is ... |
| Bu ta papia inglês? | boo tah pah-PEE-ah een-GLES | Do you speak English? |
| N ka intendi | n kah een-TEN-jee | I don't understand |
| Kantu ki é? | KAN-too kee eh | How much is it? |
| Undi ki é ...? | OON-jee kee eh ... | Where is ...? |
| Té lógu | teh LOH-goo | See you later |
| Txau | chow | Bye |
| N gosta di Kabu Verdi txeu! | n GOS-tah jee KAH-boo VER-jee chay-oo | I love Cabo Verde! |
Fun fact: "N" — a single nasal sound — means "I." And "tx" is pronounced like "ch" in "church."
Basic vocabulary
Numbers (1–10)
| Kriolu | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| un | oon | 1 |
| dós | dos | 2 |
| três | tres | 3 |
| kuatu | KWA-too | 4 |
| sinku | SEEN-koo | 5 |
| seis | says | 6 |
| séti | SEH-chee | 7 |
| oitu | OY-too | 8 |
| nóvi | NOH-vee | 9 |
| dés | des | 10 |
Nature & the islands
| Kriolu | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| mar | mar | sea |
| praia | PRY-ah | beach (same as the capital's name!) |
| ilha | EEL-yah | island |
| sol | sol | sun |
| bentu | BEN-too | wind |
| txuba | CHOO-bah | rain (a word of blessing on dry islands) |
| agu | AH-goo | water |
Life & people
| Kriolu | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| kasa | KAH-zah | house |
| kumida | koo-MEE-dah | food |
| múzika | MOO-zee-kah | music |
| amigu / amiga | ah-MEE-goo / -gah | friend (m / f) |
| ómi | OH-mee | man |
| mudjer | moo-JER | woman |
| fidju | FEE-joo | child |
| amor | ah-MOR | love |
Time & adjectives
| Kriolu | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| oji | OH-jee | today |
| manhan | mah-NYAN | tomorrow |
| onti | ON-chee | yesterday |
| bon | bon | good |
| bunitu / bunita | boo-NEE-too / -tah | beautiful (m / f) |
| grandi | GRAN-jee | big |
| pikinóti | pee-kee-NOH-chee | small |