Internet & WiFi

1. Ijambobanga rya Wi-Fi ni irihe?

   i-jam-bo-ban-ga rya Wi-Fi ni i-ri-he?

   What is the Wi-Fi password?

   Usage

   Asking for the Wi-Fi password

   Grammar Note

   Password is "ijambobanga" ("ijambo" word + "ibanga" secret), a class 5 noun, so the connective is "rya" and the interrogative is "irihe". Rwanda has some of the fastest internet infrastructure in Africa. Note: "imigabane" means "shares / portions", not "password".

2. Interineti ikora neza

   in-te-ri-ne-ti i-ko-ra ne-za

   The internet is working well

   Usage

   Confirming that internet is working well

   Grammar Note

   "Interineti" is borrowed from English, treated as a class 9 noun. "Ikora" is third person singular present of "gukora" (to work/function).

3. Nyamuneka charger telefone yanjye

   nya-mu-ne-ka char-ger te-le-fo-ne yan-jye

   Charge my phone

   Usage

   Asking someone to charge your phone

   Grammar Note

   "Charger" is borrowed from English/French "charge(r)", the same loanword as "gucharger" in the Convenience Store category. "Nyamuneka" means "please". "Yanjye" is the class 9 possessive "my". "Telefone" is borrowed from English/French "téléphone".

4. Ingufu z'amashanyarazi nta zo

   in-gu-fu z'a-ma-sha-nya-ra-zi nta zo

   There is no electricity

   Usage

   Reporting a power outage

   Grammar Note

   "Amashanyarazi" is a class 6 (ama-) noun meaning electricity. "Nta zo" is a negation of existence. Rwanda is rapidly expanding its electricity infrastructure.

5. Ndashaka ikarita ya SIM

   nda-sha-ka i-ka-ri-ta ya SIM

   I want a SIM card

   Usage

   When a traveler wants to buy a local SIM card

   Grammar Note

   "Ikarita" is borrowed from French "carte" (card); it is a class 5 noun (i-, plural amakarita). Loans of this shape take ya as their connective, giving "ikarita ya SIM". Main carriers in Rwanda are MTN Rwanda and Airtel Rwanda.

6. Interineti igenda buhoro

   in-te-ri-ne-ti i-ge-nda bu-ho-ro

   The internet is slow

   Usage

   Reporting slow internet speed

   Grammar Note

   "Igenda buhoro" literally means "goes slowly" used for slow internet. "Buhoro" means "slowly/quietly" and is also used in "buhoro buhoro" (slowly but surely).

7. Scan kode ya QR

   scan ko-de ya QR

   Scan the QR code

   Usage

   Requesting someone to scan a QR code

   Grammar Note

   "Scan" is borrowed from English, the same word as in the QR card in the Useful Phrases category. "Kode" is a class 9 noun, so the connector is "ya". "Fungura" (open) and "imbaho" (board) are not used.

8. Ohereza email yanjye

   o-he-re-za e-mail yan-jye

   Send my email

   Usage

   Requesting to send an email

   Grammar Note

   "Ohereza" is the imperative of "kohereza" (to send). "Email" is borrowed directly from English. English loanwords are rapidly increasing in Kinyarwanda.

9. Fata ifoto

   fa-ta i-fo-to

   Take a photo

   Usage

   Asking someone to take a photo

   Grammar Note

   "Fata" is the imperative of "gufata" (to take/grab). "Ifoto" is borrowed from French "photo"; it is a class 5 noun (i-, plural amafoto).

10. Injira kuri interineti

    in-ji-ra ku-ri in-te-ri-ne-ti

    Connect to the internet

    Usage

    Telling someone to connect to the internet

    Grammar Note

    "Injira" is the imperative of "kwinjira" (to enter). "Kuri" is the Kinyarwanda locative preposition used for "connecting to" as well as physical location.

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