Kriolu Language Guide.
Portuguese is in the laws, but it's Kriolu that's lived, laughed, and sung. The 30+ phrases below won't carry you through every conversation, but they'll almost always earn you a smile. Here are the essentials, with pronunciation and an honest note on why every island sounds a little different.
Kriolu at a glance.
- Language type
- ✓ Verified
Creole language with a Portuguese vocabulary base - Country's official language
- § Legal status
Portuguese - Kriolu is not (yet) an official language - Southern variant (Sotavento)
- Santiago, Fogo, Maio, Brava - colloquially "Badiu"
- Northern variant (Barlavento)
- São Vicente, Santo Antão, São Nicolau, Sal, Boa Vista - "Sampadjudu"
- Writing system
- ✓ Verified
ALUPEC (experimental since 1998, institutionalized 2009), use optional - Native speakers
- ◐ Estimate
approx. 871,000 (2017), incl. diaspora - Is English common?
- In tourist towns and among younger people in cities; rarer in the countryside and among older people
- Rule of thumb for visitors
- Kriolu phrases > Portuguese > English
Not a dialect, but a language of its own.
Kriolu (also Kabuverdianu, Kriolu kabuverdianu, or Cape Verdean Creole) is the native language of practically every Cape Verdean. Linguistically, it's a creole language with a Portuguese base: by far the largest part of the vocabulary comes from Portuguese, but the grammar follows its own rules. Kriolu is described in several sources as one of the oldest living creole languages and is considered the most widely spoken Portuguese-based creole. It emerged starting in the 15th century through contact between Portuguese settlers and people forcibly brought to the islands from West Africa. More on this in our page on the history of Cape Verde.
Anyone who speaks Portuguese will recognize many words: obrigadu, bon dia, agu. But that's far from understanding it. Sounds drop out, words merge, and tense or negation are expressed with small particles placed before the verb instead of verb endings. "N ka ta konprende" (I don't understand) shares only the root word with the Portuguese "Não compreendo." Wikivoyage puts the Portuguese share of the vocabulary at 90 to 95 percent. That's a benchmark figure from a travel portal, not a linguistic measurement.
In everyday life, the country lives in a classic diglossia: Portuguese is the official language and dominates administration, courts, schoolbooks, and newspapers. Kriolu is the language of family, the street, the market, the radio, and above all music. Morna, coladeira, and funaná are almost always sung in Kriolu. The government passed resolutions in 2005 and 2015 meant to pave the way for Kriolu to eventually become an official language. That hasn't happened to this day, partly because there's no unified standard form and the island variants differ considerably from one another.
Kriolu is not "bad Portuguese." Anyone who even hints at that touches a sore spot. For many Cape Verdeans, their language is the strongest marker of national identity.
Two main variants, nine island sounds.
Every inhabited island has its own flavor. Linguistically, though, the variants can be grouped into two major families, and the difference is clearly audible to visitors.
Sotavento (South): "Badiu"
Santiago, Fogo, Maio, and Brava. The Santiago variant is spoken by the most people, since about half the population lives here (including the capital, Praia). It's considered more "conservative" - vowels at the end of words are usually retained: bu (you), modi (how), papia (speak).
Barlavento (North): "Sampadjudu"
São Vicente, Santo Antão, São Nicolau, Sal, and Boa Vista. The Mindelo variant sounds closer to European Portuguese, unstressed vowels often drop, and "s" at the end of a syllable becomes "sh": fésta sounds like "feshta." Distinct words: bo (you), manera (how), falá (speak).
What the names mean
"Badiu" (for people and the language from Santiago) and "Sampadjudu" (for the north) are everyday labels. They're used with pride but can also be teasing, since the rivalry between Praia and Mindelo is proverbial. As a visitor, you're always safe with "Kriolu di Santiago" or "Kriolu di São Vicente."
Do they all understand each other?
Yes. Cape Verdeans generally understand the other variants without any problem, even if they don't speak them themselves. For you as a learner, that means: a sentence learned in Praia will also work in Mindelo, it'll just sound "southern" there. That's usually met with humor, not confusion.
A few documented differences at a glance. The Santiago forms come from the APiCS description of Sotavento Creole (Brava variant, closely related to Santiago), the São Vicente forms from Dominika Swolkien's APiCS description and the Wikipedia article "São Vicente Creole."
| English | Santiago / Sotavento | São Vicente / Barlavento |
|---|---|---|
| you | bu | bo |
| how? | modi | manera |
| where? | undi | ondê |
| how much? | kantu | tont |
| what? | kuze | kze |
| to speak | papia | falá |
| to say | fla | dzê |
| to dance | badja | dançá |
| you (polite, singular) | nho (m) / nha (f) | bosê |
| negation before the verb | ka | ka |
How to read the phrases.
The spelling on this page largely follows the official ALUPEC alphabet. With six rules, Kriolu reads almost like English.
tx = "ch", dj = "j"
txeu (a lot) sounds like "chey-oo," djuda (to help) like "joo-da." In older or informal spellings you'll often find "tch" or "ch," or "dj" or "j."
x = "sh", nh = "ny"
dixa (to let) is pronounced "dee-sha," nha (my) like "nya," similar to the Spanish "ñ."
k and s are always hard
ALUPEC writes k instead of "c/qu" and s for the voiceless "s" (as in "bus"). A voiced "s" (as in "zoo") is written as z.
The standalone "N"
"I" is just N in many sentences: a short, hummed nasal sound before the verb ("n sta" = I am). It flows almost seamlessly into the next word.
Endings in -u and -i
Where Portuguese ends in -o or -e, Santiago Kriolu often has a clear -u or -i: obrigadu, noiti, nomi. On São Vicente these final vowels are often swallowed.
Stress
In our transcription, the stressed syllable is in CAPITAL LETTERS, for example "o-bri-GA-du." This is a reading aid, not a phonetic transcription.
The key phrases for your trip.
32 phrases for greetings, courtesy, communication, the market, restaurants, getting around, and emergencies. Main form: Santiago (Sotavento), with São Vicente variants noted only where documented.
| Kriolu (Santiago) | English | Pronunciation (approx.) | Note / São Vicente |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greetings & Introductions | |||
| Bon dia | Good morning | bong DEE-a | Until about noon. The same on every island. |
| Boa tardi | Good afternoon | BO-a TAR-di | From noon until dusk. |
| Boa noiti | Good evening / Good night | BO-a NOY-ti | Greeting and farewell in the evening. |
| Modi ki bu sta? | How are you? | MO-di ki boo STA | São Vicente says manera instead of modi and bo instead of bu. |
| N sta dretu. / Tudu dretu. | I'm good. / All good. | n sta DRE-too / TOO-doo DRE-too | Most common reply. Alternatively Muitu ben (very good). |
| Modi ki bu txoma? | What's your name? | MO-di ki boo CHO-ma | Literally "What do you call yourself?" Spelling variant: Moki bu tchoma? |
| Nha nomi e … | My name is … | nya NO-mi eh … | Literally "My name is …" |
| Mi e di Alemanha. | I'm from Germany. | mee eh di a-le-MA-nya | Austria: Áustria, Switzerland: Suísa (spelling varies). |
| Te logu. / Ti manhan. | See you later. / See you tomorrow. | teh LO-goo / ti ma-NYANG | Also Ti prósimu bes (until next time). |
| Courtesy | |||
| Obrigadu / Obrigada | Thank you | o-bri-GA-doo / o-bri-GA-da | Ending depends on the speaker's gender (m/f). |
| Obrigadu txeu! | Thank you very much! | o-bri-GA-doo CHEY-oo | txeu = a lot, very. An all-purpose word you'll hear often. |
| Di nada. | You're welcome. | di NA-da | Same as in Portuguese. |
| Pur favor / Favor | Please | poor fa-VOR | In everyday speech often just favor. |
| Da-m lisensa. | Excuse me, may I (get by)? | DA-m li-SEN-sa | Literally "Give me permission." Ideal in a full aluguer or at the market. |
| Sin. / Nau. | Yes. / No. | sing / now | "Sin" with a slightly nasal ending. |
| Communication | |||
| N ka ta konprende. | I don't understand. | n ka ta kon-PREN-de | ka = not, placed before the verb. The same on every island. |
| Bu ta papia inglês? | Do you speak English? | boo ta pa-PEE-a ing-LESH | São Vicente: Bo ta falá inglês? (falá instead of papia). |
| Papia más dibagar, pur favor. | Please speak more slowly. | pa-PEE-a mash di-ba-GAR | Spelling variant at Omniglot: digabar. The most important phrase for beginners. |
| Torna fla, pur favor. | Please say that again. | TOR-na fla | São Vicente: dzê instead of fla (to say). |
| Market & Restaurant | |||
| Kantu ki e? / E kantu? | How much does this cost? | KAN-too ki eh | São Vicente: Tont é? Also useful in an aluguer before the ride. |
| N kre … | I would like … | n kreh … | e.g. N kre un kafé (I'd like a coffee). |
| Agu, pur favor. | Water, please. | A-goo | Tap water isn't drinkable everywhere. When in doubt, ask for bottled water. |
| Konta, favor. | The bill, please. | KON-ta fa-VOR | Often also spelled Conta. |
| Sta sabi! | This is delicious! / This is lovely! | sta SA-bi | sabi = delicious, pleasant, lovely. The best compliment for a cook. |
| Getting Around | |||
| Undi ki e …? | Where is …? | UN-di ki eh | São Vicente: Ondê …? |
| Para li! / Para! | Stop here! / Stop! | PA-ra lee | For getting off in an aluguer. See our Ferries & Aluguer guide. |
| Boa viaji! | Have a good trip! | BO-a vi-A-ji | You'll hear this often when saying goodbye. |
| Help & Emergencies | |||
| Djuda-m! | Help! / Help me! | JOO-da-m | Emergency numbers: police 132, fire brigade 131, ambulance 130. |
| N sta duenti. | I'm sick. | n sta doo-EN-ti | Spelling and spoken variants, e.g. dunt. When in doubt, just use the Portuguese doente. |
| N sta perdidu. | I'm lost. | n sta per-DEE-doo | Female form: perdida. |
| Txoma polísia! | Call the police! | CHO-ma po-LEE-si-a | Police emergency number: 132. |
| Txoma un médiku! | Call a doctor! | CHO-ma oon MEH-di-koo | Ambulance: 130. Hospital: ospital. |
Three phrases are enough to start
◐ Community valueIf you only remember three things, make it these: Bon dia when entering any shop, Obrigadu txeu on your way out, and Sta sabi! after a meal. Trip reports and expat groups say again and again that just these three phrases noticeably change the mood. What usually follows is the surprised question of where you learned Kriolu.
From un to dés, and what a "conto" is.
At markets and in an aluguer, prices are almost always stated out loud. The numbers from one to ten are quick to learn. They're given here in the Santiago form; on São Vicente they sound shorter due to the swallowed final vowels. For larger amounts, many Cape Verdeans switch to Portuguese anyway, and in tourist areas you'll often hear prices in English too.
| Number | Kriolu | Pronunciation (approx.) | Number | Kriolu | Pronunciation (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | un | oong | 6 | sais | saish |
| 2 | dos | dosh | 7 | seti | SE-ti |
| 3 | tres | tresh | 8 | oitu | OY-too |
| 4 | kuatu | KWA-too | 9 | novi | NO-vi |
| 5 | sinku | SING-koo | 10 | dés | desh |
"Un conto" = 1,000 escudos
Larger amounts in Cape Verde are traditionally counted in contos, meaning thousands. "Dos contos" is 2,000 CVE. Even the government and press use the unit: Expresso das Ilhas reported in 2023 on compensation payments of "727 mil contos."
Fixed euro rate
The escudo (CVE) is fixed to the euro: €1 = 110.265 CVE. One conto is therefore roughly €9. That makes it easy to convert market prices in your head. More in our guide Money, Paying & ATMs.
Four words you should understand.
Some Kriolu terms are nearly untranslatable. They show up in conversations, song lyrics, and advertising billboards.
Morabeza describes the Cape Verdean attitude of warmheartedness and openness toward strangers, explained in detail on our Culture & Morabeza page. Sodadi is the feeling that carries the morna: longing for home, for people who have left. For a country of emigration with a large diaspora, this is a core theme. It became best known through the song "Sodade" as performed by Cesária Évora. Anyone wanting to understand the country's music can find more under Music & Art. Song lyrics, incidentally, are one of the best ways to get an ear for Kriolu.
How to show respect through language.
Unwritten rules, gathered from culture guides and trip reports. They're guidance, not a rigid rulebook.
Trying is rewarded
Wikivoyage explicitly recommends the order Kriolu, then Portuguese, then English, and emphasizes that the attempt is appreciated as a sign of respect. Trip reports confirm this unanimously. Mistakes aren't a problem - indifference is more likely to be.
Greet first, then ask
Anyone entering a shop, an aluguer, or an office greets the room first before stating their business. Opening directly with "How much?" comes across as rude, even if no one says so out loud.
Address elders politely
Sotavento Kriolu has its own polite forms of "you": nho (for men) and nha (for women), bosê on São Vicente. The polite form is appropriate toward elders. When in doubt, a Portuguese "Senhor" or "Senhora" also comes across as respectful.
Don't call it a "dialect"
Don't refer to Kriolu as a "dialect" or "broken Portuguese." For many, that's a put-down of their identity. And stay out of the island rivalry: jokes about "Badius" or "Sampadjudus" are a privilege reserved for locals.
Portuguese is never a mistake
Anyone speaking Portuguese will be understood everywhere, and in government offices, banks, and doctors' offices, it's the standard language anyway. Kriolu phrases for everyday life, Portuguese for formal matters: that mix will serve you well.
Listening is a language too
Kriolu is spoken vividly, loudly, and with a lot of gesturing. What might sound like an argument to foreign ears is often a perfectly normal conversation. Don't let it unsettle you - listen instead. Rhythm and melody are half of language learning.
Ask for the "right" word, and listen
◐ Community valueOne of the best conversation openers is to ask about the language itself: "Kumó ki bu ta fla … na kriolu?" (How do you say … in Kriolu? Form per Omniglot). Most Cape Verdeans are happy to explain, often with enthusiasm, and you'll learn the local variant of your island right away instead of a textbook form.
Why every word has three spellings.
For centuries, Kriolu was mainly a spoken language. For a long time it was written by feel, usually leaning on Portuguese spelling. It wasn't until 1998 that a unified alphabet, ALUPEC (Alfabeto Unificado para a Escrita do Caboverdiano), was first approved on an experimental basis via Decreto-Lei Nr. 67/98. With Decreto-Lei Nr. 8/2009 it was officially institutionalized. Its use, however, remains optional.
You'll see the result everywhere: the same word appears on a poster as txeu, in a WhatsApp message as tcheu, and in a song lyric as cheu. On top of that come the island variants, which are also reflected in writing. Don't let this throw you off. None of these spellings is "wrong," and spoken aloud, they all mean the same thing.
How to keep learning
- Through music: morna, coladeira, and funaná are almost always in Kriolu. Reading along with lyrics and singing along trains rhythm and vocabulary at the same time.
- Through phrase lists: Omniglot and travel portals offer free basic-vocabulary lists. Pay attention to which island variant is meant - it's often not specified.
- Through linguistics: anyone wanting to go deeper can find dedicated chapters on the São Vicente and Brava (Sotavento) variants in the freely accessible APiCS atlas (Atlas of Pidgin and Creole Language Structures).
- Through people: no book replaces a conversation at the market, in an aluguer, or at a bar. Explicitly ask people to speak Kriolu with you. Many automatically switch to Portuguese or English with foreigners.
Sources & status of this page
- Classification, variants, speaker count, official status: Wikipedia, "Cape Verdean Creole." Per that source: a Portuguese-based creole language, approx. 871,000 native speakers (as of 2017), Sotavento/Barlavento division with the labels Badiu and Sampadjudu, government resolutions in 2005 and 2015, no official status granted.
- ALUPEC: Decreto-Lei Nr. 67/98 (experimental approval in 1998) and Decreto-Lei Nr. 8/2009 (institutionalization), use optional. Cited per Wikipedia "Cape Verdean Creole."
- São Vicente forms (bo, manera, ondê, tont, kze, bosê, ka): APiCS Online, survey chapter "Cape Verdean Creole of São Vicente" (Dominika Swolkien), apics-online.info/surveys/32.
- Sotavento forms (bu, modi, undi, kantu, kuze, nho/nha, ka): APiCS Online, survey chapter "Cape Verdean Creole of Brava" (Marlyse Baptista), apics-online.info/surveys/31. Brava belongs to the Sotavento group, like Santiago.
- Phonetic and lexical differences (s→sh, dançá/badja, dzê/fla, falá/papia): Wikipedia, "São Vicente Creole."
- Phrases: Omniglot, "Useful phrases in Cape Verdean Creole"; actourhiking.com, "Cape Verde: Official language, Creole and travel vocabulary"; Wikivoyage, "Cape Verde" (Talk section); the existing phrase box on our Culture & Morabeza page. Where spellings diverged, an ALUPEC-close form was chosen and the variant noted.
- Conto = 1,000 escudos: usage documented, among others, in Expresso das Ilhas (20.04.2023, "727 mil contos"). Exchange rate €1 = 110.265 CVE (fixed parity).
- Emergency numbers 132/131/130: cross-checked against our emergency guide.
- Not officially documented / community knowledge: pronunciation transcriptions (our own reading aid, not IPA), the emergency phrases "Txoma polísia/médiku" (editorially constructed from documented basic vocabulary, not found verbatim in any source), numbers in Kriolu spelling, the social connotation of the terms Badiu/Sampadjudu, all etiquette notes. This is labeled accordingly on the page.
Questions about Kriolu.
What language do people speak in Cape Verde?
The official language is Portuguese. In everyday life, practically the entire population speaks Kriolu (Cape Verdean Creole), a creole language with a Portuguese base. English is also understood in tourist towns, less so in the countryside and among older people.
Is Kriolu a Portuguese dialect?
No. Kriolu is a distinct creole language. The vocabulary comes predominantly from Portuguese, but grammar and pronunciation follow their own rules. Without practice, Portuguese speakers often understand only fragments.
What's the difference between Badiu and Sampadjudu?
Badiu colloquially refers to the Sotavento variant (Santiago, Fogo, Maio, Brava), Sampadjudu to the Barlavento variant (São Vicente, Santo Antão, São Nicolau, Sal, Boa Vista). They differ audibly, for example bu/bo (you) or modi/manera (how), but are mutually intelligible.
Which variant should I learn?
The variant of the island where you'll spend the most time. For Santiago, Fogo, Maio, and Brava, that's the Sotavento form; for Mindelo, Santo Antão, Sal, and Boa Vista, the Barlavento form. For a few phrases it doesn't matter: Bon dia and Obrigadu work everywhere.
How do you say "thank you" in Kriolu?
Obrigadu (male speakers) or Obrigada (female speakers); "thank you very much" is Obrigadu txeu. The reply is Di nada.
Why do I find different spellings for the same word?
Kriolu is mainly spoken. The official alphabet ALUPEC (introduced 1998, institutionalized 2009) is optional, so many people write by feel or lean on Portuguese. Island variants add to this. No spelling is "wrong."
Will I get by with English?
In hotels and tourist towns on Sal and Boa Vista, usually yes. In cities like Praia and Mindelo, mainly younger people speak English. In the countryside, at markets, and with authorities, Kriolu or Portuguese will get you much further.
How do Cape Verdeans react when tourists speak Kriolu?
Almost always with delight. The attempt is seen as a sign of respect, and mistakes are taken with humor. Expect that people will immediately want to teach you more words.
Note: Kriolu is a predominantly orally transmitted language with no binding standard form. Spellings, pronunciation, and individual words can vary by island, region, and generation. The pronunciation guidance on this page is a simplified reading aid for English-speaking readers and not a phonetic transcription. This page serves as general orientation for travelers and replaces neither a language course nor a professional translation, for example for dealings with authorities or medical or legal matters. There, Portuguese is the authoritative language.
Related topics.
Got a few words packed? Then let's go.
Find out which island and which Kriolu variant fit your trip, or go deeper on the cultural ground rules.