Merry Christmas in Lingala
Mbotama malamu
Say it like this: m-boh-TAH-mah mah-LAH-moo
Big letters show the part to say louder.
Quick answer
- In Lingala, Merry Christmas is Mbotama malamu, said like m-boh-TAH-mah mah-LAH-moo.
- Happy New Year is Mbula ya sika elamu.
- People say it in DR Congo, Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Angola.
What Mbotama malamu means
'Mbotama' means birth, and 'malamu' means good, so it wishes a good Birth (of Jesus).
Other ways to say it in Lingala
Happy New Year
Mbula ya sika elamu
Say it like this: m-BOO-lah yah SEE-kah eh-LAH-moo
A good new year: 'mbula' means year and 'sika' means new.
Where people speak Lingala
DR CongoRepublic of the CongoCentral African RepublicAngola
Lingala (Lingála) belongs to the Niger-Congo (Bantu) language family.
Hear it from Rally on Christmas Eve
On Christmas Eve, Rally the corgi rides the Christmas Train around the world. He reaches Kinshasa at about 12:50 AM local time, and kids learn to say Mbotama malamu as he lands.
Watch Rally arrive in Kinshasa →Christmas traditions where people speak Lingala
- Church musical evenings: In many DR Congo churches, Christmas Eve is a big musical evening, often with five or six choirs. The choirs take turns singing, and the evening includes a nativity play.[2]
- The long nativity play: The play can begin with Creation and the Garden of Eden and end with King Herod. The actors exaggerate to make the audience laugh, and Jesus is 'born' as close to midnight as possible.[2]
- Christmas Day meal: On Christmas Day a church service starts at about 9 a.m. with more singing. Families try to eat better than usual, often chicken or pork if they can afford it, and the rest of the day is quiet.[2]
🎄 Quick game: Merry Christmas in Lingala
Three quick questions for kids. Tap an answer to play.
Say Merry Christmas in more languages
- KinyarwandaNoheli nziza
- SwahiliKrismasi njema
- XhosaKrismesi emnandi
- ZuluUkhisimusi omuhle
- Twi (Akan)Afehyia pa
- Tigrinyaርሑስ በዓል ልደት
- HausaBarka da Kirsimati
- IgboEkeresimesi ọma
Questions parents ask
How do you say Merry Christmas in Lingala?
Say 'Mbotama malamu'. It is the Lingala Christmas greeting, used in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo and nearby countries. It is simple and friendly, and it can be said to anyone at Christmas time, whether at church, at home or in the street.[1][2]
How do you pronounce Mbotama malamu?
Say 'm-boh-TAH-mah mah-LAH-moo'. Lingala begins words with a nasal 'mb', so start with a hum, then 'boh'. The vowels are pure: a as in father, o as in more, u as in moon. The stress falls on 'TAH' and 'LAH'. Say it with a steady rhythm.[1]
What does Mbotama malamu mean?
'Mbotama' means birth or being born, and 'malamu' means good. The phrase wishes someone a good birth day, meaning the birth of Jesus, which is the reason for Christmas. Lingala speakers also say 'Noel' for Christmas in other contexts, borrowed from French.[1][2]
How do you write and spell it in Lingala?
Lingala uses the Latin alphabet, with a few marks in careful writing such as 'ɛ' and 'ɔ', and tone marks in dictionaries. In everyday writing, 'Mbotama malamu' is fine. Capitalize the first word. On a card, it is common to add the French 'Joyeux Noël', because French is the official language in the Congo.[1]
How do you say Happy New Year in Lingala?
One way to say it is 'Mbula ya sika elamu', meaning a good new year. 'Mbula' is year and 'sika' is new. Speakers also wish people health and joy for the new year in longer phrases, and French 'Bonne année' is widely used in Congo. This phrase is from a language guide, so check with a local speaker for a card.[3]
Is there a formal and a casual way to say it?
'Mbotama malamu' is used by everyone. You can make it warmer by adding the person's name or a greeting like 'Mbote' (hello) first. In church, people may use fuller blessings, and in cities many speakers also use French 'Joyeux Noël' or English 'Merry Christmas'.[1]
When do people say it in DR Congo?
On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, December 24 and 25. Christmas in the Congo is described as more of a religious festival than a commercial one, and most families do not exchange many presents. The greeting is heard at church services, nativity plays and family meals.[2]
Is the main celebration Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?
Christmas Eve is the big evening: many churches hold musical evenings with several choirs and a long nativity play, with the birth staged close to midnight. Christmas Day begins with a service at about 9 a.m., then comes a better-than-usual family meal and a quiet afternoon.[2]
What are some Christmas customs in DR Congo?
The Christmas Eve nativity play starts with Creation and the Garden of Eden and ends with Herod. The actors act it out in an exaggerated and funny way. Choirs sing for hours, and some places keep singing until dawn. Families try to eat chicken or pork on Christmas Day.[2]
A bedtime story after seeing SantaRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi’s first train ride, hand-painted in real watercolor by Leslie Dunn. $16.99 on Amazon, ages 0 to 8.
Buy on AmazonSources
We check every greeting against dictionaries, language institutes and cultural sources.
- Here are 25 African ways of saying Merry Christmas, Face2Face Africa
- Christmas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, WhyChristmas.com
- Comment dire Bonne année dans toutes les langues, Generation Voyage
