Learn Garifuna
Garifuna (Garífuna, ISO 639-3 cab) is the language of the Garínagu of Belize, Honduras, Guatemala, and Nicaragua — UNESCO-recognized intangible heritage, and spoken daily on the coast of Hopkins. This page is the fastest way in: a phrasebook you can hear, a searchable dictionary, and guided lessons that build from your first greeting to real conversation.
The phrasebook below is teaching material, not a scholarly reference. Spellings follow Belizean coastal usage and are reviewed by a person before publishing; regional variants exist. If an entry is wrong for how your family says it, write to hello@itara.live and we will correct the page. Pronunciation audio is AI-synthesised as a study aid.
Where to learn next
Six ways to practice, all free to start. Most learners begin with the word of the day and the phrasebook below, then move to the pronunciation studio.
- Word of the DayOne Garifuna word every day with pronunciation, meaning, and a cultural note.
- Living DictionarySearch the lexicon for meanings, examples, and audio for each headword.
- Live TeacherAsk questions and practice conversation with an AI teacher trained on Garifuna usage.
- Pronunciation StudioRecord yourself, compare with a native model, and track your practice sessions.
- Cultural StoriesÚraga — traditional stories that carry the language in its natural setting.
- The Immersive JourneyA scrollytelling introduction to origins, music, food, and traditions, plus a free starter PDF.
Garifuna phrasebook with audio
Press Hear it on any word to play the pronunciation, then repeat aloud. Garifuna has gendered vocabulary — some words differ depending on whether a man or a woman is speaking. Where a form varies by region, the Belizean coastal form is given.
Greetings & courtesy
The first words most learners need. Garifuna greetings carry blessing — you are wishing wellness, not just saying hello.
| English | Garifuna | Say it | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hello / Greetings | MábuigaLiterally a welcome and a blessing. | [mah-bwee-gah] | |
| How are you? | Ida biña? | [ee-dah bee-nyah] | |
| I am well | Magadientina | [mah-gah-dyen-tee-nah] | |
| Thank you | Seremein | [seh-reh-mayn] | |
| Thank you (to all of you) | Seremein hun | [seh-reh-mayn hoon] | |
| Good morning | Buiti binafi | [bwee-tee bee-nah-fee] | |
| Good afternoon | Buiti amidi | [bwee-tee ah-mee-dee] | |
| Good night | Buiti guñoun | [bwee-tee goo-nyoon] | |
| Goodbye / until later | Ayó | [ah-yoh] | |
| Yes | Ûhûn | [oo-hoon] | |
| No | Uwá | [oo-wah] | |
| Please | Amuñegü | [ah-moo-nyeh-goo] | |
| Excuse me / sorry | Perdunu | [pehr-doo-noo] |
Family & people
Kinship words sit at the center of Garifuna life. Many carry a possessive prefix — nu- means 'my'.
| English | Garifuna | Say it | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| My mother | Nuguchu | [noo-goo-choo] | |
| My father | Nuguchi | [noo-goo-chee] | |
| My grandmother | Náguchu | [nah-goo-choo] | |
| My child | Nisaani | [nee-sah-nee] | |
| My brother | Nibiri | [nee-bee-ree] | |
| My friend | Nidúheñu | [nee-doo-heh-nyoo] | |
| Woman | Wuri | [woo-ree] | |
| Man | Wügüri | [woo-goo-ree] | |
| Ancestors | WagúchaguThe elders who came before; honored in dügü ceremony. | [wah-goo-chah-goo] | |
| The Garifuna people | GarínaguGarifuna is the language and culture; Garínagu is the people. | [gah-ree-nah-goo] |
Food & the table
Garifuna cuisine is coastal and cassava-rooted — the words below appear in every kitchen in Hopkins.
| English | Garifuna | Say it | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cassava bread | ErebaPressed and baked from grated cassava — the staple bread. | [eh-reh-bah] | |
| Food | Éigini | [ay-gee-nee] | |
| Water | Duna | [doo-nah] | |
| Fish | Údu | [oo-doo] | |
| Coconut | Fáluma | [fah-loo-mah] | |
| Plantain | Baruru | [bah-roo-roo] | |
| Let us eat | Erei wamá | [eh-ray wah-mah] | |
| It is delicious | Buiti lidan | [bwee-tee lee-dahn] |
Music, drum & ceremony
Garifuna music is UNESCO-recognized intangible heritage. Punta, paranda, and dügü all begin with the drum.
| English | Garifuna | Say it | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drum | GarawouñThe primero and segunda drums drive punta and parranda. | [gah-rah-woon] | |
| Song | Uremu | [oo-reh-moo] | |
| Dance | Abinahani | [ah-bee-nah-hah-nee] | |
| Ancestral ceremony | DügüA feasting rite that calls the ancestors home. | [doo-goo] | |
| Story | Úraga | [oo-rah-gah] | |
| Law, tradition | Lúrudu | [loo-roo-doo] | |
| Life, soul | Ibágari | [ee-bah-gah-ree] | |
| Journey, trip | Weíyasü | [way-yah-soo] |
Numbers 1–10
Garifuna counting blends Arawak roots with French loan numbers past five — both are used daily.
| English | Garifuna | Say it | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| One | Aban | [ah-bahn] | |
| Two | Biama | [bee-ah-mah] | |
| Three | Ürüwa | [oo-roo-wah] | |
| Four | Gádürü | [gah-doo-roo] | |
| Five | Seingü | [sayn-goo] | |
| Six | Sisi | [see-see] | |
| Seven | Sedü | [seh-doo] | |
| Eight | Widü | [wee-doo] | |
| Nine | Nefu | [neh-foo] | |
| Ten | Dísi | [dee-see] |
Everyday phrases
Short sentences you can use on day one — say them aloud, then listen back.
| English | Garifuna | Say it | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Like this / in this way | ÍtaraThe word behind the name Itara.LikeThis™. | [ee-tah-rah] | |
| Do it like this | Ítara aban | [ee-tah-rah ah-bahn] | |
| It is good | Búidu giñe | [bwee-doo gee-nyeh] | |
| I am trying | Náfaagua | [nah-fah-ah-gwah] | |
| What is your name? | Ka biri? | [kah bee-ree] | |
| My name is… | …niri | [nee-ree] | |
| I don't understand | Masubudirunti nau | [mah-soo-boo-dee-roon-tee nah-oo] | |
| Speak slowly | Ariñaga hénrengu | [ah-ree-nyah-gah hen-ren-goo] | |
| I love you | Ínsiñe bu nun | [een-see-nyeh boo noon] | |
| May you have a good life | Buiti ibágari bun | [bwee-tee ee-bah-gah-ree boon] |
Looking for the printable reference without audio? See the common Garifuna translations page, or search any word in the living dictionary.
Go deeper with Bumada at Garifuna.live
Bumada is our sister collection at Garifuna.live — long-form cultural writing, ancestral teaching, and the ebooks that go beyond vocabulary into the life the language belongs to. Itara teaches you to speak; Bumada tells you why it matters.