How to Ask for Directions in Wolof: Phrases to Copy

Asking where a place is

To ask for directions, you start with a question: “where is…?” Our teachers recorded several phrases of this kind:

Click the button after a phrase to hear it spoken by a teacher.

• Keur gui fan la?: Where is the house?
• Fan la bus yi di taxaw?: Where is the bus stop?
• Jereejef. Ana farmasi bi?: Thank you. Where is the pharmacy?

Learn each question as a whole. Then you can use the phrase that matches the place you are looking for.

Starting with “excuse me”

Three of our phrases put “excuse me” before the question:

• nga Baal ma, fan la jaa-ba nekk?: Excuse me, where is the market?
• Baal ma, fan la Monument bi nekk?: Excuse me, where is the Monument?
• Baal ma, ana saal d'embarquement bi?: Excuse me, where is the departure hall?

As you can see, “where is” is said in more than one way in our recordings. Pick one full phrase and learn it as it is.

Saying “straight ahead” and “right”

Here are the phrases our teachers recorded to give directions:

• dioubalal ba ci jaddukaay bi.: Go straight ahead to the crossroads.
• Dengay dioubal, nga diadd sa ndeyjoor.: Go straight ahead, turn right at the crossroads.
• Ci suuf, dengay dioubal ba wessu duwaan bi.: Down there, straight ahead after the customs.
• Waaw, nga jadd ndeyjoor. so doxè juroom minut dinga ko gis.: Yes, turn right. In five minutes you will see it.

For “turn right”, remember nga jadd ndeyjoor. The word for “turn” is written diadd in one phrase and jadd in another. For “straight ahead”, you will meet dioubalal and dioubal.

Talking about the taxi

For taxis, our teachers recorded these phrases:

• fii ak Gorée taxi niata la?: How much is the taxi to Gorée?
• Taksi! paas almadies niata la?: Taxi! How much to go to the Almadies?
• Paas taxi ba marsé Sandaga ñaata la?: How much is the taxi to Sandaga market?

To say you want to take a taxi, you can say Taxi laa bëgg a jël: I want to take a taxi. To say where you are going: Marsé laa jëm: I am going to the market.

Two spelling notes. The word “taxi” is written Taksi in one phrase and taxi in the others. The word “how much” appears as Ñaata, ñaata, ñata and niata.

Understanding the answer

The answers in our recordings talk about distance and minutes:

• Deedeet, dafa jege. Juroom minut rekk.: No, it is close. Five minutes only.
• Ñaar i minut rk, ci kanam.: Two minutes away, straight ahead.

To ask if a place is far, you have Ndax dafa sori?: Is it far?

To say thank you, say Jereejef !: Thank you very much! One recorded reply is Ñoo ko bokk. Ba ci kanam!: You're welcome. See you soon!

Mini-dialogue

This mini-dialogue is made of phrases recorded by our teachers:

• Baal ma, fan la Monument bi nekk?: Excuse me, where is the Monument?
• Dengay dioubal, nga diadd sa ndeyjoor.: Go straight ahead, turn right at the crossroads.
• Ndax dafa sori?: Is it far?
• Deedeet, dafa jege. Juroom minut rekk.: No, it is close. Five minutes only.

Tips for practice

• Learn whole phrases rather than single words.
• Pair the question about the place with the question about distance: Ndax dafa sori?
• Listen for the times in the answers: Ñaar i minut rk (two minutes) and Juroom minut rekk (five minutes only).
• Before you get in a taxi, practise asking the price out loud.

Frequently asked questions

How do you say “where is the bus stop” in Wolof?

You can say Fan la bus yi di taxaw?, which means “Where is the bus stop?”

How do you say “straight ahead” in Wolof?

Our teachers recorded dioubalal ba ci jaddukaay bi. (Go straight ahead to the crossroads) and Ci suuf, dengay dioubal ba wessu duwaan bi. (Down there, straight ahead after the customs).

How do you say “turn right” in Wolof?

You can say nga jadd ndeyjoor, as in Waaw, nga jadd ndeyjoor. so doxè juroom minut dinga ko gis. (Yes, turn right. In five minutes you will see it).

How do you ask the price of a taxi in Wolof?

Try fii ak Gorée taxi niata la? (How much is the taxi to Gorée?) or Paas taxi ba marsé Sandaga ñaata la? (How much is the taxi to Sandaga market?).

Read also

• Numbers from 0 to 10 in Wolof
• Time, Parts of the Day and Days of the Week in Wolof
• How to Say “How Are You” in Wolof: Phrases and Replies