Airport & Customs

1. Icibansa ca ndeke

   Airport

   Usage

   The word for the place where planes take off and land

   Grammar Note

   The literal sense is "the field of planes". Icibansa is also used for playing fields and open squares, so it is not an airport-only word. Native review recommended

2. Bushe icibansa ca ndeke cili kwi?

   Where is the airport?

   Usage

   Ask how to get to the airport, including when asking a taxi driver

   Grammar Note

   The ci- of cili agrees with icibansa. For a person it is ali kwi, for several people bali kwi. Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

3. Icitupa cenu ica kwendela, mukwai.

   Your passport, please.

   Usage

   A set request you hear from officials at immigration or boarding

   Grammar Note

   A passport is described as "a travel document", with ica kwendela added to tell it from other documents. Mukwai is a polite form of address. Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

4. Ici ni citupa candi ica kwendela.

   This is my passport.

   Usage

   Say it as you hand over your passport

   Grammar Note

   "Ici ni + noun" means "this is ...". After ni the initial i- of icitupa drops, giving citupa. Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

5. Indeke yakokola.

   The plane is late.

   Usage

   For telling someone about a flight delay, or understanding one

   Grammar Note

   The root -kokola means "to be late" or "to take long". The ya- agrees with indeke (plane). Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

6. Ni lilali indeke ikafuma?

   When does the plane leave?

   Usage

   Ask for the departure time or when to board

   Grammar Note

   Ni lilali, placed first, means "when". The -ka- marks the future, and ukufuma means "to go out" or "to leave". Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

7. Ndeya ku ___ mu ndeke.

   I am going to ___ by plane.

   Usage

   Answer when asked your destination; put a place name in the blank

   Grammar Note

   Travel by vehicle is expressed as "mu + vehicle", for example mu bwato for a boat. Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

8. Ndefwaya ukushita tiketi.

   I want to buy a ticket.

   Usage

   Say at the counter that you want to buy a ticket

   Grammar Note

   Tiketi (also itiketi) is a loanword; the plural is amatiketi. Loanword. Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

9. Indeke

   Plane

   Usage

   The word for an aeroplane

   Grammar Note

   A noun starting with in- (class 9); the plural has the same form, and only the verb prefix changes to shi-

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