Getting around
Candongueiro
Vai para onde?
Where to?
You hear this when the doors close or the next stop is called. It is written down too, so a missed word does not end the ride.
Luanda
Angola
Luanda curves along a bay, with a colonial fort above the port and a long seafront.
How the language is used
Portuguese is official in offices, schools, and the news. Kimbundu and other Angolan languages stay in homes and markets.
In this city
- Language
- Portuguese
- Also heard
- Kimbundu
- A local word
- Candongueiro — A shared taxi.
- Writing
- the Latin alphabet
What people say
Ordinary lines from this city: the ride, the counter, the food, and the greeting.
Food
Mercado
Quanto é?
How much is it?
The order is built in short pieces like this one.
The counter
Escritório
Bom dia.
Good morning.
This line is a whole order. You do not need a longer sentence.
The street
Rua
Tudo bem?
Everything all right?
People keep this line short. It is enough for the moment.
The language through the day
Portuguese is the language of the ride, the shop, and the street.
In Ilha, Marginal, Maianga, you also hear Kimbundu.
A first day in Luanda can run on four lines: “Vai para onde?”, “Quanto é?”, “Bom dia.”, and “Tudo bem?”. Each one is already a complete moment.
If you are new here
- Stops, prices, and shop signs are written in the Latin alphabet.
- A shop may use você, or a polite infinitive. Tu is warmer, with people you know.
- If a spoken line goes past you, read the screen or the board. In Luanda, the stop and the price are written down.
One local word: Candongueiro. It means A shared taxi..
Places you can see
- Fortaleza de São Miguel — A seaside fort that now holds the armed-forces museum.
- Ilha de Luanda — A sand spit of beaches and seafood houses, reached by a short bridge.
- Marginal — The seafront avenue facing the bay and the island.
Food
Plates of muamba de galinha, funge, and grilled fish from the island.
Getting around
Shared taxis called candongueiros run the long avenues, and the Marginal follows the bay.
Daily life
You use Portuguese at counters, and in the market you also hear Kimbundu and other local languages.
A few everyday phrases
Portuguese
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Olá | Hello |
| Obrigado | Thank you |
| Bom dia | Good morning |
| Chamo-me… | My name is… |
