Languages
Native
Lingala
29%
Kituba
26%
Secondary languages
French
30%
Kikongo
11%
Language Samples
Mbote! Ndenge nini?
Hello! How are you?
Nazali malamu, merci.
I am well, thank you.
Moko, míbalé, mísambo, mínei, mitáno, motóba, nsambo, mwambe, libwa, zómi.
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
Linguistic History
The Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville) is a smaller but equally multilingual country on the western bank of the Congo River. French is the sole official language, a legacy of French colonial rule, but two Bantu lingua francas — Lingala in the north and Kituba (a Kikongo-based creole) in the south — serve as the main languages of everyday communication. The capital Brazzaville straddles the linguistic boundary between these two zones. Many ethnic languages are also spoken, including Kikongo, Teke, and Mbochi. The country's music scene, like that of its larger neighbour across the river, has contributed significantly to Central African popular music.
Similar Languages
Kituba
50%
Kikongo
42%
Lomongo
52%
Swahili
38%
Media
Brazzaville on the Congo River, where Lingala speakers in the north and Kituba speakers in the south meet in the capital.
Did You Know
01
The Republic of the Congo and the DRC face each other across the Congo River — Brazzaville and Kinshasa are the world's two closest capital cities.
02
Kituba, one of the country's main lingua francas, is a creole language derived from Kikongo that developed as a trade language along the Congo River in the late 19th century.
03
Despite its relatively small size, the Congo Republic has around 60 indigenous languages across Bantu, Ubangian, and other families.