Dagbani food vocabulary is the quickest way to turn a meal in Tamale from something you watch into something you join in. You do not need long sentences. A handful of words for what is on the plate, a few phrases for ordering, and one clear way to thank the cook will carry you through a chop bar, a family compound or a busy market stall.

Everything in this guide comes from the published Dagbani phrasebook, so nothing here is guessed at. The language is called Dagbanli by the people who speak it; Dagbani is the anglicised form. The speakers are Dagbamba, the land is Dagbaŋ, and one person is a Dagbana. Where a meaning is better described as commonly understood than fixed, this guide says so.

The words for what is on the plate

Food words come first because they do the most work. Even one recognised word on your side of the table changes how a meal goes, and if you want to know what a full northern meal involves, our guide to cooking a traditional northern Ghanaian meal walks through it.

Dagbanli	English
Asiba Nangban’suuli	breakfast
Wuntaŋ bindirigu	lunch
Yuŋ bindirigu	supper
Mo’chi / shinkaafa	rice
Tuya	beans
Paanu	bread
Shebu	toast
Taaliya	noodles
Noo nimdi	chicken
Naɣ’nimdi	beef
Kurichu nimdi	pork
Zahim	fish
Chinchaŋga	sausage
Waagashi	cheese
Gala	eggs
Ʒevari	vegetables
Bin’walli	fruit
Yɛlim	salt
Naanzu’sabinli	black pepper

You will notice that the meat words in this list all end in nimdi, and that the phrasebook gives two forms for rice, Mo’child and shinkaafa. Learn each entry whole rather than pulling it apart, and you will be understood. Kurichu nimdi covers both pork and ham in this list, so it is worth knowing early.

Drinks, water and what to ask for

In the heat of the afternoon, water is the word you will reach for most often. Kom din bi zora is still water. Binkom is juice, Dam is beer, and wine appears with two forms, da’ʒiɛɣu and da’piɛlli.

Dagbanli	English
Kom din bi zora	water (still)
Binkom	juice
Dam	beer
da’ʒiɛɣu / da’piɛlli	wine

Add Dimi suɣulo or Pahimi suɣulo — please — and you have a complete request. Water is usually brought to the table without being asked, but saying the word yourself is a small, welcome courtesy.

Ordering food in Dagbani

Ordering is a short conversation rather than a single sentence, and it follows a familiar order: greet, ask, name what you want, then thank.

Greet first. Dasiba in the morning, Antire or Aninwula in the evening, or N doo as an informal hello.
Ask to see what is available: N ni tooi nya bindira gbaŋ maa — can I look at the menu?
Ask what the area is known for: Bindiri bo n tooi zooi yaɣili ŋo na? — is there a local specialty?
Name what you want: M borila ____, with the food word from the table above slotted in.
If you are eating together, ask for Teebuli kam ninvuɣ’yino/niriba ayi — a table for one or two.
Finish with N paɣiya or M puhiya ka paɣi — thank you.

Dagbanli	English
Teebuli kam ninvuɣ’yino/niriba ayi	a table for one / two
N ni tooi nya bindira gbaŋ maa	can I look at the menu?
N ni tooi yuli jaara maa ni?	can I look in the kitchen?
Bindiri bo n tooi zooi yaɣili ŋo na?	is there a local specialty?
M borila ____	I want ____ / I need ____
M bi borili	I don’t want it
M bi bora	I’m not interested
N naaya / N jehiya	I’m finished
Di di nyaɣisa	it was delicious

If the answer comes back faster than you can follow it, say M bi gbaai — I don’t understand — or ask A ni tooi yɛli silimiinsilii? Do you speak English? Then explain yourself with N ku tooi yɛli Dagbanli, which simply means you cannot speak Dagbanli. Most people meet you halfway, and the attempt is what counts. If you want to know which dishes to look for in the first place, start with Tamale’s must-try dishes.

Saying what you do not eat

Dietary needs are best stated early and plainly, before the food arrives rather than after it is served. Two short phrases do the work.

Dagbanli	English
M bi diri kurichu nimdi	I don’t eat pork
M bi diri naɣ’nimdi	I don’t eat beef
M bi borili	I don’t want it
M bi bora	I’m not interested

In this list, the small word bi marks a negative in several phrases, which makes it a useful shape to remember. Say your line once, calmly, and let it stand. If you want to see how a dish is prepared, N ni tooi yuli jaara maa ni? asks whether you may look in the kitchen, but treat the answer as the household’s to give.

Compliments for the cook, and finishing your meal

The compliment that matters most in Dagbanli is Di di nyaɣisa — as commonly understood, it says the food pleased you, and it is the phrase a cook listens for. N jehiya tells the table you have finished, and N paɣiya or M puhiya ka paɣi is your thank you.

Dagbanli	English
Di di nyaɣisa	it was delicious
N naaya	I’m finished
N paɣiya	thank you
M puhiya ka paɣi	thank you
Dimi suɣulo / Pahimi suɣulo	please
Naawuni ni sɔŋ	goodbye
Bai bai	goodbye (informal)

Say it before you leave the room rather than on the way out of the gate. It is a short sentence, and it is the one most likely to be repeated back to you with a smile.

Mealtimes, days and counting at the market

The three meals have their own words, and the days of the week have theirs. Both are useful when someone invites you to eat on a particular morning rather than simply today.

Dagbanli	English
Asiba Nangban’suuli	breakfast
Wuntaŋ bindirigu	lunch
Yuŋ bindirigu	supper
Alahari	Sunday
Atani	Monday
Atalaata	Tuesday
Alaaba	Wednesday
Alaamishi	Thursday
Alizummah	Friday
Asibiri	Saturday

At Tamale Central Market, counting is part of buying food, and it helps to recognise the round numbers. This guide quotes no prices or amounts; ask A la n nyɛ ŋɔ — how much is this? — and let the answer stand. Kirikiri means expensive and Alaha means cheap, which is enough to keep a conversation friendly.

Dagbanli	Number
Ndam	1
Ayi	2
Ata	3
Anahi	4
Anu	5
Ayobu	6
Apoin	7
Anii	8
Awoi	9
Pia	10
Pishi	20
Kɔbiga	100
Tuhili	1,000
Pirigili	half
Bɛla	less
Pam	more

Politeness, dialects and how to practise

Dagbanli is a Gur (Mabia) language, and it has two main dialects: Eastern Dagbani, called Nayahali, centred on Yendi, and Western Dagbani, called Tomosili, centred on Tamale. They are mutually intelligible, differing mainly in some root vowels and the pronunciation of some nouns, so a food word learned in Tamale will still be understood in Yendi. If you are settling in the city, the notes on Western Dagbani Tomosili are the natural next step.

Greet before you ask for anything. Dasiba, Antire and Aninwula cost nothing and open doors.
Use Gaafara to get attention, and Dimi suɣulo to soften a request.
If you are stuck, M bi gbaai is honest and understood.
Learn one food word a day and use it that same day. Vocabulary that sits in a notebook stays in the notebook.

Nobody expects a visitor to speak well. They expect you to try, to laugh at your own accent, and to eat what you are given. That is the whole method.

Frequently asked questions

How do I say “I don’t eat pork” in Dagbani?

Say M bi diri kurichu nimdi. For beef, say M bi diri naɣ’nimdi. Both are best said before the food is served, and stating them once, clearly, is enough.

How do I order food in Dagbani?

Greet first, then ask N ni tooi nya bindira gbaŋ maa to see what is available. Name your choice with M borila ____, adding the food word, and finish with N paɣiya.

How do I thank a cook in Dagbanli?

Di di nyaɣisa is the compliment, understood as saying the food was delicious. Follow it with N paɣiya or M puhiya ka paɣi, and say N jehiya when you have finished eating.

Is Dagbani the same everywhere in northern Ghana?

Largely, yes. Eastern Dagbani (Nayahali) is centred on Yendi and Western Dagbani (Tomosili) on Tamale, and the two are mutually intelligible. They differ mainly in some root vowels and the pronunciation of some nouns, not in the everyday words for food.

Tamale Ghana TML

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Dagbani Food and Cooking Vocabulary