Baal ma, ngir yalla: how to say sorry, excuse me and please in Wolof
For apologizing or making a polite request in Wolof, our recordings give two expressions: Baal ma and ngir yalla. The first covers âexcuse me,â âI'm sorry,â and âforgive me.â The second means âplease.â
On this page, you will find phrases recorded by our native teachers, with their translations and concrete examples you can start using right away.
Baal ma: sorry, excuse me, forgive me
In our recordings, Baal ma is translated as âexcuse me,â âI'm sorry,â and âforgive me.â It can be used on its own or to introduce an explanation.
Click the button after a phrase to hear it spoken by a teacher.
- Baal ma, dama yeex a yegsi. : Forgive me, I arrived late.
- Baal ma, duma mën ñëw tay. déma xawa fÚebar. : Excuse me, I can't come today. I'm a little sick.
- Baal ma. Damaa jappoone ni mane ak yaw noo koy défandoo : Forgive me. I thought we would do it together.
- Baal ma, waaye mënu ma nangu loolu. 4%? : Excuse me, but I can't accept that. 4%?
Ngir yalla: please
Two spellings appear in our recordings: ngir yalla and nguir yalla. Both correspond to âplease.â In our recordings, it appears at the beginning or at the end of a sentence.
- nguir yalla, jox ma sa bic bi. : Please, pass me your pen.
- Indil tamaaté yu bees tamit, ngir yalla : Bring fresh tomatoes too, please.
- Wà ññil ma tuuti, ngir yalla. : Lower it a little, please.
Baal ma to get someone's attention
Baal ma also appears in situations where you need to approach someone to ask for information or a service.
- Baal ma, bane waxtu moo jot? : Excuse me, what time is it?
- 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 boarding area?
- Baal ma, dama bëgg jeul benn nÚeg. : Excuse me, I would like a room.
A mini-dialogue built from our teachers' recordings
These two phrases, recorded separately by our teachers, can follow each other: one person apologizes and promises it won't happen again, and the reply is warm and welcoming.
- A: Ngir yalla, baal ma. Dootul amaat (Please, forgive me. It won't happen again.)
- B: Barakalla! Bu la neexé, ñëwël ci kanam. Kër gi sa kër la (Bless you! Please, come back. The house is open to you.)
Frequently asked questions
Can Baal ma mean both âexcuse meâ and âforgive meâ?
Yes. In our recordings, Baal ma is translated as âexcuse me,â âI'm sorry,â and âforgive meâ depending on the context of the sentence.
Is there only one way to spell âpleaseâ in Wolof?
No. Two spellings appear in our recordings: ngir yalla and nguir yalla. Both correspond to âplease.â
Can Baal ma be used alone, without adding an explanation?
Yes. Our teachers recorded the phrase Baal ma! Sa xol neexul? Muñal! where Baal ma! appears with no explanation following it. The full translation is: âExcuse me! Do you feel sick? Be patient!â
How do you combine Baal ma and ngir yalla in the same sentence?
The phrase Ngir yalla, baal ma. Dootul amaat shows this combination. It means âPlease, forgive me. It won't happen again.â
