The most comprehensive free platform for learning the Dholuo language of Kenya. Translate, learn, and practice with 23,000+ words.
Translate between Dholuo (Luo) and English instantly. Our translator supports over 23,000 words and phrases with accurate translations, fuzzy matching for misspelled words, and grammar-aware sentence-level translation with word-by-word breakdowns.
Type any Dholuo word or phrase to see its English meaning, part of speech, example sentences, synonyms, antonyms, and related words. The translator automatically detects whether you're typing in Dholuo or English.
Dholuo (also written Dho-Luo) is the language of the Luo people of western Kenya, spoken by over 4.2 million people. It belongs to the Western Nilotic branch of the Nilo-Saharan language family. Our platform offers structured, interactive lessons that take you from complete beginner to conversational fluency.
Browse our comprehensive bilingual dictionary with 23,000+ Dholuo-English entries. Each entry includes part of speech, definition, example sentences, synonyms, antonyms, and cultural notes. Features include fuzzy search, category filtering, word of the day, and community-contributed entries.
Reinforce your Dholuo knowledge through interactive practice tools designed for effective language learning:
Explore the rich cultural heritage of the Luo people through their oral traditions:
Essential Dholuo greetings and everyday phrases that every learner should know:
| Dholuo | English |
|---|---|
| Misawa | Hello / Good morning |
| Oyawore | Good morning |
| Oimore | Good afternoon |
| Otieno maber | Good evening |
| Idhi nade? | How are you? |
| Adhi maber | I am fine |
| Erokamano | Thank you |
| Oriti | Goodbye |
| Aheri | I love you |
| Nyasaye ogwedhi | God bless you |
Family (joot) is central to Luo culture. Learn the words for family members in Dholuo:
The Dholuo number system is based on ten (apar). Here are the basic numbers:
Essential Dholuo verbs for everyday conversation:
Dholuo (also known as Luo, Jaluo, or Kavirondo Luo) is a Western Nilotic language spoken primarily in western Kenya around the shores of Lake Victoria (Nam Lolwe) and in parts of northern Tanzania. It is the language of the Luo people (Jo-Luo), the fourth largest ethnic community in Kenya.
Key facts about Dholuo:
The Luo people have a rich cultural tradition including ohangla music, traditional fishing on Lake Victoria, distinctive architectural styles, and a deep oral tradition of proverbs (ngero), riddles (ngeche), and storytelling (sigand).
Dholuo is the language spoken by the Luo people of Kenya and Tanzania. It is a Nilotic language with approximately 4.2 million speakers, making it one of the most widely spoken languages in East Africa.
The most common greeting in Dholuo is "Misawa" (hello/good morning). You can also say "Oyawore" for good morning, "Oimore" for good afternoon, or "Otieno maber" for good evening.
No, Dholuo and Swahili belong to different language families. Dholuo is a Nilotic language (Nilo-Saharan family), while Swahili is a Bantu language (Niger-Congo family). However, due to geographic proximity, there are some borrowed words between the two languages.
Our dictionary contains over 23,000 Dholuo-English entries, sourced from multiple academic corpora including the Capen-Odaga dictionary, KenCorpus, LAFAND corpus, and community contributions. It is the largest freely available Dholuo-English dictionary online.