Four big language families
- Niger-Congo: the largest, including Swahili, Yoruba, Igbo, Zulu, Xhosa, Shona, Wolof and many more.
- Afroasiatic: Arabic, Amharic, Somali, Hausa, Tamazight (Berber) and others.
- Nilo-Saharan: including Dholuo, Maasai (Maa) and Kanuri.
- Khoe and San languages: known for their click consonants (some Bantu languages, like Xhosa and Zulu, borrowed clicks too).
Widely spoken languages
Swahili, Arabic, Hausa, Amharic, Yoruba, Oromo, Igbo and Zulu each have tens of millions of speakers. English, French and Portuguese are official in many countries.
Useful phrases
| Language | Hello | Thank you |
|---|---|---|
| Swahili (East Africa) | Jambo / Habari | Asante |
| Arabic (North Africa) | As-salamu alaykum | Shukran |
| Amharic (Ethiopia) | Selam | Ameseginalehu |
| Zulu (South Africa) | Sawubona | Ngiyabonga |
| Wolof (Senegal) | Nanga def | Jërëjëf |
| Yoruba (Nigeria) | Bawo ni | E se |
| Malagasy (Madagascar) | Salama | Misaotra |
A few words go a long way. People are almost always delighted when you try.
