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The Ultimate Cape Verde Language Guide: Tips for Travellers

Cabo Verde: Where languages and cultures blend

The Cape Verde islands are renowned for their beautiful beaches, stunning scenery, and flourishing wildlife. Scratch a little below the surface, however, and you’ll encounter a whole new world of culture and language waiting to be explored.

For the intrepid remote worker seeking their fortune (or a relaxing time away!), Cape Verde offers an experience like no other. If you’re looking to stay for an extended period of time and really get to know local life, we recommend learning a little bit of the local language. A simple ‘Bom dia!’ goes a long way.

As we dive into this Cabo Verde language guide, let’s start off by having a brief look into the history of the isles, helping you to understand where the local languages stem from. Without further ado, let’s get started!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Cape Verde Islands - A Brief History Lesson

From its beginnings as a Portuguese colony and hub for the slave trade, all the way through to its independence, Cape Verde has a very interesting history that you may not be aware of. Today, locals enjoy a wide menu of food and cultural traditions that stem from Portuguese and West African roots. But just how did these two cultures intertwine?

Previously uninhabited, Cape Verde was the first European colony founded in 1462 when Portuguese explorers landed on Santiago island. However, records go back as far as 2000 years ago, with evidence of the Phoenicians, Moors, and Africans visiting the archipelago.

Incentives were handed out by the Portuguese government for Portuguese citizens to move to the islands. At the same time, the strategic location of the islands had not gone unnoticed.

With the Atlantic slave trade business at an all time high, the Cape Verde archipelago quickly became a hub for slave ships traveling from the coast of West Africa to the Americas. During the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, up to 12 million African slaves were thought to have been transported from the west coast of Africa across the Atlantic Ocean.

The slave trade in the Cabo Verde islands was abolished in 1878, and with it Cape Verde’s status as a slave trading hub. With Portuguese and African inhabitants on the islands, the two cultures had found a balance, from the food to the local dress – not least with the language.

Cape Verde: Portuguese or Creole?

In 1975, Cape Verde peacefully organised its independence with Portugal, officially establishing it as an independent country that maintains close ties with Portugal and Europe.

While ‘ European Portuguese’ remained Cape Verde’s official language primarily used by the government and for instructive purposes, the most popular language spoken by locals was, and remains, Cape Verdean Creole (Kriolu). This is the mother tongue of almost all Cape Verdeans and will most likely be the language you hear when visiting the islands.

The different creole languages throughout the world

Firstly, we must clarify that there are various types of creole languages, which have emerged, over the course of history, from the crossing between European languages and those natives to other continents – not only African, but also Asian, American and Oceanic languages – which were once colonized by European countries. The vast majority of creole languages come from English, French, Portuguese or Spanish.

Having lost contact with their respective mother tongues, as a result of their diaspora, multiculturalism and the exposure to the language of the colonizers, the diverse groups started to develop unifying communication systems named pidgin. These were simplified forms of language that allowed for group interaction.

Many pidgin languages have evolved into full-fledged creoles (a later linguistic stage) – stable natural languages, employed by communities and learned as mother tongues since early childhood.

The Origins of Cape Verdean Creole

The richness of the Cape Verdean Creole

The language of the Cape Verdean people is immensely rich and its creole language, the Cape Verdean Kriolu or Kauberdianu (possible phonetic representation of Santiago’s Creole) , arose many centuries ago – originating in the Fogo and Santiago islands, the first to be occupied.

This mother tongue presents several variants, with the Barvalento (St. Nicolau variant) and the Sotavento (Santiago Variant) as the most prominent ones. Although several differences in grammar, spelling and pronunciation prevail, as in all languages, if you learn a good bit of these variants you will find it easier to talk to Cape Verdean people.

Where did the Cape Verdean language originate?

The Cape Verdean Creole is rooted in Portuguese and integrates the High Guinea Creoles, Creole languages originated in West Africa – Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, the Casamansa region of Senegal and, last but not least, Gambia – which were influenced by Portuguese from a grammatical and mostly lexical standpoint.

Where Cabo Verde’s mother tongue, the Cape Verdean Creole, upholds a proximity to Portuguese, in Senegal and Guinea-Bissau the European languages, namely Portuguese and French, coexist alongside countless influential African languages.

Thereby, the Creole languages, more specifically the languages of the African continent, mirror an indefinable multiculturalism and richness of language.

Your Cape Verde Language Phrasebook

Part 1: Using Portuguese

If you already know a bit of Portuguese, then you’re in luck. You’ll find that the majority of locals will already be able to understand you (especially useful if you want to ask for directions).

Here are a few Portuguese phrases that you can use either on your trip to Cape Verde or for your next visit to beautiful Portugal:

English Portuguese Pronunciation
Hello
Olá
oh-LA
Goodbye
Adeus
Ah-dee-oh-sh
How are you?
Tudo bem?
Too-doo baym
Good morning
Bom dia
Bom DEE-ah
Good afternoon
Boa tarde
BOH-ah TAR-deh
Good night
Boa noite
BOH-ah NOY-teh
Yes
Sim
Seen
No
Não
Now
Please
Por favor
Poor fah-voh-r
Thank you

Obrigado (male speaker)

Obrigada (female speaker)

Oh-bree-gah-doh

Oh-bree-gah-dah

Excuse me
Com licença
Col-ee-sen-sah
How much does it cost?
Quanto custa isso?
-
Water
Água
-
I would like...
Eu gostaria
-

Part 2: Using Creole (Kriolu)

If you’re looking to go the extra mile to fit in like a local, you’ll want to pick up a few phrases of the local Creole language. Not only are you bound to get a smile along the way, but its a great icebreaker when meeting local people for the first time:

English Creole (Kriolu) Pronunciation
Hello
Olá
-
Goodbye
Te logu / Tchau
-
How are you?
Adeus
-
I am fine
Tudo bem?
-
Good morning
Bom dia
-
Good afternoon
Boa tarde
-
Good night
Boa noite
-
Yes
Sin
-
No
Nau
-
Please
Pur favor
-
Thank you
Obrigadu
-
You're welcome
Di nada
-
How much is this?
È kantu?
-

Can you use English?

Yes, in some areas!

With Cape Verde being a popular tourist destination for travellers from around the world, English is also spoken in areas popular with tourists. The islands of Sal and Boa Vista are two examples of popular islands where English is understood to a degree. Most tours and excursions are available in English as well.

If you’re planning to visit some of the more remote islands, it’s likely you’ll rely on your Portuguese or Creole a bit more in order to get your point across, or alternatively explore with an English-speaking guide if you’re uncertain.

Even if you’re not planning to head further afield, it’s always a good idea to learn a little bit of the local language!

Summary

For those considering either a short trip or an extended stay on the beautiful islands of Cape Verde, it’s well worth learning a few Portuguese or, better yet, Creole phrases so that you can better converse with the locals. This is especially useful if you are planning to travel a bit further afield and off the beaten path during your travels.

FAQs

  • Which is the most popular language in Cape Verde?

    Portuguese is the official language of Cape Verde, used in most written conversation, such as newspapers and government documents. On the other hand, Creole is more popular as a spoken language amongst locals.

  • Do people in Cape Verde speak Spanish?

    While Spanish speakers may find themselves understood when talking with the locals, due to the similarity with Portuguese, Spanish remains a minority language as does English. Most locals speak Creole and Portuguese.

  • Is Cape Verde Portuguese or African?

    With a diverse history dating back to the 15th century, Cape Verde is an independent country that features a blend of Portuguese and West African cultures and languages. As such, Cabo Verde’s unique culture is not found anywhere else in the world.

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