LEARN DHOLUO

Dholuo Lessons

Free, structured Dholuo lessons. Read every lesson for free, then create a free account to unlock the interactive practice.

Chapter 1: Getting Started

Lesson 1Personal Pronouns in DholuoLearn the six Dholuo personal pronouns (an, in, en, wan, un, gin) with example dialogues and a quick practice quiz.Start lesson → Lesson 2Attaching Pronouns to VerbsSee how Dholuo pronouns join verbs as prefixes and suffixes, as in adhi (I go) and odhi (he/she goes), with dialogue and practice.Start lesson → Lesson 3Adjectives and Adverbs in DholuoDescribe things in Dholuo with adjectives and adverbs like ber, rach and mit, and learn how the ma- particle works (ot maduong’).Start lesson → Lesson 4Dholuo GreetingsGreet people in Dholuo by time of day and familiarity: oyaore, ichieo nade? and achieo maber, with a real conversation.Start lesson → Lesson 5Chapter 1 ReviewReview Dholuo pronouns, verb prefixes, adjectives and greetings from Chapter 1 with a quiz and a short writing task.Start lesson →

Chapter 2: People and Numbers

Lesson 6Numbers and Counting in DholuoCount in Dholuo from achiel (one) upward, and use the di- prefix for "how many times": dichiel, diriyo, didek.Start lesson → Lesson 7The Prefix Ja-: People, Origins and JobsUse the Dholuo prefix ja- (plural jo-) to say where people come from, what they do and what they’re like: jaluo, jakenya, jatelo.Start lesson → Lesson 8Dholuo Nouns and Plurals (-nde)No gender and no articles: learn how Dholuo nouns work, and how nouns ending in n and l form their plurals with -nde.Start lesson → Lesson 9Introducing Yourself in DholuoSay your name, where you’re from and what you do in Dholuo: nyingi ng’a?, nyinga Atieno, and more.Start lesson → Lesson 10Chapter 2 ReviewReview numbers, the ja- prefix, noun plurals and introductions from Chapter 2 with a quiz and a short writing task.Start lesson →

Chapter 3: Being, Having and the Present

Lesson 11"To Be" and "To Have" in DholuoDholuo has no verb "to be". Learn how to say where someone is with -tie, and how gi and kod express "to have".Start lesson → Lesson 12More Noun Plurals: -the, -che, -yeForm plurals for Dholuo nouns ending in dh, y, r and ch using -the, -che and -ye, with examples.Start lesson → Lesson 13Luo Names and Their MeaningsWhy Luo children are named after the time, season and circumstances of their birth: Akinyi, Odhiambo, Okeyo, Oyoo and more.Start lesson → Lesson 14The Present Tense in DholuoConjugate Dholuo verbs in the present tense with pronoun prefixes, and add object suffixes: achiemo, akonyi, ikonya.Start lesson → Lesson 15Chapter 3 ReviewReview "to be" and "to have", more noun plurals, Luo names and the present tense from Chapter 3.Start lesson →

Chapter 4: Talking About the Past

Lesson 16The Past Tense with Ne and NendeForm the Dholuo past tense with nende and its short form ne: ne andiko (I wrote), ne ondiko (he/she wrote).Start lesson → Lesson 17Yesterday’s Past Tense with NyoTalk about yesterday in Dholuo with nyoro, shortened to nyo, and conjugate verbs like wuotho (to walk) in that tense.Start lesson → Lesson 18Other Past Tense Markers: Nyocha, A and YandeGo beyond ne: use nyocha, a and yande to place actions in the recent or more distant past in Dholuo.Start lesson → Lesson 19The Habitual Tense with -gaSay what you usually do in Dholuo by adding -ga to the verb: achiemoga, aheroga kuon.Start lesson → Lesson 20Chapter 4 ReviewReview the Dholuo past tenses (ne, nyo, nyocha, yande) and the habitual -ga from Chapter 4.Start lesson →

Chapter 5: Doubling, Negation and the Future

Lesson 21Doubled Verbs: The Simple TenseDholuo doubles verbs to mean "just doing" something: asomo asoma, abedo abeda. Learn doubling with verbs, adjectives and adverbs.Start lesson → Lesson 22Negation in Dholuo: Ok, Ne Ok and PokMake Dholuo sentences negative with ok, talk about the past with ne ok, and say "not yet" with pod ok or pok.Start lesson → Lesson 23Don’t and Stop: Kik and WekTell someone not to do something with kik, or to stop with wek: kik ichiem, wek chiemo.Start lesson → Lesson 24The Future Tense with BiroForm the Dholuo future tense with biro and its short forms before the verb: wabiro ndiko, ibondiko.Start lesson → Lesson 25Chapter 5 ReviewReview doubled verbs, negation with ok, kik and wek, and the future tense with biro from Chapter 5.Start lesson →

Chapter 6: Must, If and More Plurals

Lesson 26Must and Until: NyakaUse nyaka to say something must be done (nyaka ichiem) and to mean "until" (awuotho nyaka Kisumu).Start lesson → Lesson 27Reflexive Verbs with -reAdd -re to show an action done to oneself: puonjore (to learn, literally "teach oneself"), with full conjugation.Start lesson → Lesson 28If and Then: Ka and ToBuild conditional sentences in Dholuo with ka (if) and to (then): ka ibiro to wabiro dhi.Start lesson → Lesson 29Advanced Noun PluralsEight more Dholuo plural patterns for nouns ending in ng, ny, d, w, t, th, m and a, with examples.Start lesson → Lesson 30Chapter 6 ReviewReview nyaka, reflexive verbs, if/then sentences and advanced noun plurals from Chapter 6.Start lesson →

Chapter 7: Idioms and the Body

Lesson 31Idioms with the Verb GoyoGoyo means "to beat", but it powers many Dholuo idioms: goyo thum, goyo erokamano, goyo mpira and more.Start lesson → Lesson 32Parts of the Body in DholuoLearn the Dholuo words for parts of the body: del, wich, chuny, ich, tielo and more.Start lesson → Lesson 33Body-Part Idioms in DholuoDholuo is full of idioms built on body parts: iya owang’, chunye pek, chunye oduogo. Learn what they really mean.Start lesson →

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Answer the daily Dholuo prompt or post your own recording on Echo. Other learners listen, and a native Luo speaker reviews how you sound.

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