Official Language

Official language of Cape Verde

The official language of Cape Verde is Portuguese, which is used in education, in administrative and official documents, and in most formal or solemn situations.

In everyday life, Cape Verdeans use their mother tongue - Cape Verdean (Kriolu Kabuverdianu).

Mother tongue of Cape Verde

O Cape Verdean Creole (Kriolu Kabuverdianu) is the mother tongue of Cape VerdeThe language is commonly spoken in everyday life. Cape Verdean Creole has a Portuguese lexical base and arose during colonization as a result of the need for communication between the Portuguese colonists and the enslaved people brought from the African continent.

There are some variations of Creole between the islands, and the nine variants can be grouped according to their degree of similarity into two main ones: a Windward variant (spoken with variations in Santo Antão, São Vicente, São Nicolau, Sal and Boavista) and the Sotavento bypass or kriolu badiu (Santiago, Maio, Fogo and Brava). The variations, however, do not prevent understanding between islands. Cape Verdean Creole is considered by linguists to be a single language.

Frequently used Creole expressions

It's important to remember that there are different variants of Cape Verdean Creole, depending on the island and region. And although there are some proposals for grammar e dictionary There is still nothing official at national level.

Because I'm from one region (barlavento) and live in another (sotavento), I tend to use more than one variant, but I've tried to make the list as simple as possible so as not to confuse beginners.

This list is just an example of the main words and expressions used in Cape Verdean Creole.

Me - Mi

You - Bo

Him - Él

We - Us

You - Bzot/ Nhôs

They - You are

Hello - Hi/Hello

Txau - Txau

Very - Tcheu

Love - Cretcheu

No - No/Nou

Mine - Nha

To - Pa

That - Kel

This - Ess

Far away - Lonj/ lonji

Near - Pertu

Large - Grand/ grandi

Small - Piquinoti/ Piknim

Ir - Bai

Coming - Good

Love - Ama

Fazer - Fazi/ Fazê

Want - Kre

Living - Sta

Good - Sabi/ Sabe

Well - Dretu/ Dret

Bonito - Bonitu

Dear - Karu

Change - Troku

Price - Presu

Lunch - Almosu

Dinner - Dinner/Dinner

Table - Table

Good morning - Good morning

Good afternoon - Boa tardi

Good evening - Bonoit

Please - Pur favor

Thank you - Thank you

You're welcome - You're welcome/ keli ka nada

Excuse me - Excuse me

Be well - Fka dret/ Fika dretu

Tips for learning Cape Verdean Creole

Phonetics is a very important part of the Cape Verdean Creole language, so it's important to practice the correct pronunciation of words and pay attention to the differences in sounds. A good way to do this is by listening to beautiful Cape Verdean music.
The grammar is relatively simple compared to other languages, but it is important to study the order of words in sentences and verb conjugations.
One of the peculiarities of Cape Verdean Creole is the frequent use of contractions and abbreviations, such as "n" instead of "em" and "pa" instead of "para", etc.
Vocabulary is very important, and the best way to learn it is by practicing. Try talking to native speakers and learning new words and expressions in different contexts.
Pay attention to the regional variations of the Cape Verdean Creole language. There are differences in pronunciation and vocabulary depending on the island or region of the country.
Practice reading and writing in Cape Verdean Creole, even if the language is not official, so that you can understand and express yourself well.
Remember that learning a new language requires constant practice and patience. Don't give up and take the opportunity to get to know a different culture and language!
Look for materials that suit your learning style. This website has some materials for English speakers who want to learn Cape Verdean Creole.

Conclusion

In short, the two languages officially spoken in Cape Verde are Creole and Portuguese. However, English and to a lesser extent French are spoken by some Cape Verdeans, especially in the main tourist spots.

Questions/ Expressions	Windward side	Eastern bypass
What's up?	All right?	All right?
How much does it cost?	Tont el t kusta?	Kantu ki ta kusta?
Where is...?	Where is it?	Unki ki ta fika...?
How are you?	Manera k bo ta?	Mo ki bu sta?
What time does it open?	Tont ora el t abri?	Ki ora k ta abri?
The food is delicious!	Kmida t sab!	Kumida sta sabi!
I want to go to...	M kre ba pa...	Ami kre bai pa...
I want to eat cachupa.	M kre kme katxupa	N'kre kumi kachupa
I don't want any more, thank you.	M k kre but, thank you.	N'ka kre maas, thank you.
I really liked it.	M likes it.	Ami doesn't like it very much.
What do you want to drink/eat?	O k bo kre bibê/ cmê?	Kuze bu kre cumi?
Where are you from?	Bo ê d'where?	Abu ê di ondi?
Cape Verde is very good!	Kabu Verd ê sab!	Kabu Verdi ê sabi!