West Africa Languages

West Africa is home to some of the friendliest and most hospitable cultures in the world. People coming to serve in this region should attempt to learn some greetings in the local language as a quick way to display cultural respect and the love of Christ.

Hundreds of languages are spoken throughout this vast region, but we've included a sample of the most common. Some of the spelling is phonetic for easier learning, and we confess some of this is “street slang” that might not suit scholarly linguistics. However, our missionaries are convinced these are the best greetings to help you build an instant bond with the West Africans you’re coming to serve.

Use the links below to access an audio file and PDF printed guide for each language. (To listen to the audio file online, click on the Audio File link; to download the file, right click on the link and choose "Save Target As..." or "Save Link As...".)

Language & Country	Audio File (MP3)	Printed Guide (PDF)
Bambara (Mali)	Audio File	Printed Guide
Fon (Benin)	Audio File	Printed Guide
French (former French colonies)	Audio File	Printed Guide
Fulfulde (Niger)	Audio File	Printed Guide
Hausa (Nigeria, Niger)	Audio File	Printed Guide
Jula (Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast)	Audio File	Printed Guide
Mampruli (Ghana)	Audio File	Printed Guide
Mandinka (Southern Senegal, Gambia)	Audio File	Printed Guide
Maninka (Guinea)	Audio File	Printed Guide
Mooré (Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast)	Audio File	Printed Guide
Sereer (Senegal)	Audio File	Printed Guide
Songhai (Niger)	Audio File	Printed Guide
Susu (Guinea)	Audio File	Printed Guide
Tamashek (Niger)	Audio File	Printed Guide
Wolof (Senegal)	Audio File	Printed Guide
Zerma (Niger)	Audio File	Printed Guide