Kongo language resources – Language Links Database
Kongo or Kikongo - is one of the Bantu languages spoken by the Kongo people living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, Angola and Gabon. It is a tonal language. It was spoken by many of those who were taken from the region and sold as slaves in the Americas. For this reason, while Kongo still is spoken in the above-mentioned countries, creolized forms of the language are found in ritual speech of Afro-American religions, especially in Brazil, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Haiti. It is also one of the sources of the Gullah language and the Palenquero creole in Colombia. The vast majority of present-day speakers live in Africa.
More information: Wikipedia
Native speakers: (c. 6.5 million cited 1982–2012)
5 million L2 speakers in DRC (perhaps Kituba)
Official language in: Angola
Kongo Grammar and Pronunciation
- Learn 101 - “All the lessons contain audio and are all offered for free. We will learn the alphabet together. We will also review some simple grammar rules, practice common phrases, and we will have fun memorizing many important vocabulary lists, and everything else that you see below.”
- ILanguages - this site is designed to teach you and help you learn Kongo for free through vocabulary, phrases, grammar and flashcards (vocabulary trainer).
- 101 Languages - frequency list, vocabulary, grammar and many more
- Omniglot.com - kongo language and pronunciation
- PdfRoom.com - “Dictionary and Grammar of the Kongo Language” - PDF
Kongo Reading Materials
- W3Newspapers - List of Kongo newspapers, news sites and magazines
- ILanguages - Komgo phrases: “Below we picked expressions that a new learner will find useful. We included the audio as well.”
- Learn 101 - “Welcome to our seventh lesson about popular Kongo phrases. This page will include greetings, questions, emergency and survival expressions, asking for direction, language practice, introducing yourself, holiday wishes, and finally some travel phrases.”
Kongo Dictionaries
- https://glosbe.com/
- Kupsala.net - Kikongo-Kituba -English Word List
Kongo Listening and Video Resources
TV / Video / Movies
- YogaKonga YouTube Channel - Easy and everyday phrases in Kikongo
- CongoTalks243 YouTube Channel - Learn Kongo Playlist CongoTalks243
Radio
- Radio.net - Top Kongo radio stations online
If you want to help with expanding this list of resources, please send me your suggestions here.