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There isn't really an exact equivant of the word 'Hello' in Zambia. The general greeting is to say 'How are you?' which is "Bwanji!" (prononounced 'Bwan-jj'). This is the word in the Chi-Njanja lanaguage, although there are around 73 separate languages spoken in Zambia. Nyanja is mainly spoken in the capital city (Lusaka) and surrounding areas and is a corrupted variation of the Chi-Chewa language spoken in eastern Zambia and Malawi. Please note that 'Bwanji!' is the informal greeting, which would be used amongst close people of equal social status. An elder or higher ranked indervidual would be greeted ''Mulibwanji!''(muli-bwan-jj) to show them respect. As you are being asked 'How are you' you would normally respond likewise. ''Bwino!'' or ''Tili bwino!'' means 'I'm good thanks!', ''manyingi'' means 'Not so great', and ''eye'' (pronounced 'ey-hey') literally means 'yes' but in this context means 'I'm ok'. After responding, it is quite normal to then say "Bwanji!" or ''Mulibwanji!'' to whomsoever greeted you.

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16y ago

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