The main words to know in Creole during your stay in Mauritius

Have you planned for a Mauritius holiday packages? So, it is auspicious to know at least a few words so that you are not too lost when you arrive at your destination. English and French are the official languages of the country, but the locals often use Mauritian Creole.

Some bases of Mauritian Creole

Before planning your Mauritius family holidays, you can have fun with your little family to learn Mauritian Creole. It is a mixture of African, Malagasy, French and English. The consonants are read like in French. Except for the “j” which reads “z” and “ch” as “s”. The “C” is pronounced as a “k” unless the word is borrowed from the English. The letter “x” does not exist in the Mauritian Creole alphabet it has been replaced by an “s” or “ks”. For vowels, the “u” is pronounced in “i” and the “i” is read like “in”. All letters are pronounced in Mauritian Creole.

The basic expressions that you need to know

To be able to express yourself during your holidays in Mauritius, you must know certain expressions to be able to mingle with the population. Good morning and good evening are pronounced like “bonzour” and “bonswar”. How are you? is “ki manière?” in Mauritian Creole. To say goodbye, it’s “Salam”, sorry is “Sori” and thank you “mersi”. For you are welcome you have to say “padkwa” or “péna problem”. So, if you want to greet someone in this language, you have to say “Alo, ki manier?”.

The expressions you need in commerce

When you are on holidays in Mauritius, even if you are relaxing in your suite or villa rental Mauritius, at some point you may need to mix with the locals to buy something. To ask for the price of a product, you must say “komié?”. To bargain you can say “ou kapav bes pri  ?” or “ki dernie pri ou kapav fer?”. When you’re looking for something and you want to ask for it, it’s “Mo pe rod….” which means, “I’m looking for”. And if you think the price is too expensive, you can say “li tro ser”.

Expressions about the meal

While you are enjoying your villa rental Mauritius, you can go to a typical Mauritian restaurant for lunch. To ask for food, you can use the expression “ki nou pou manze”. It will certainly please the person who serves you that you have made the effort to speak their language. And if you order a spicy dish and you don’t want it to be too spicy, you can say “Eski ou kapav pa fer manze la for?”. And finally, to show your admiration, you can say “Mari bon!”. However, if you can’t pronounce them, be sure that they understand English and French.

The best way to show to the Mauritians that you are interested in their cultures is to learn some of their words. It will please the people who serve you because they are the same people who will do their utmost to make your Mauritius holidays pleasant and unforgettable. The Mauritian Creole is not difficult to learn and it is close enough to French. You just need to practice more and willpower!