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Vocabulary Words in Native American Languages: Bribri

We have included twenty basic words, enough to give you a feeling for each language. All the nouns are singular and all the verbs are 3rd person singular ("he or she sings") because many Native American languages don't have a separate infinitive ("to sing") the way English and French do.

You can find a broader selection of Bribri words in our online picture glossaries. If you would like to know a word that is not included in any of these wordlists, you can take part in our Native American words fundraiser or visit our main Bribri language site for more free resources.

Thanks for your interest in Native American languages!

Bribri Word Set

(Click here for pronunciation guide)

English (Français)	Bribri
One (Un)	Ek/Etöm (round/long)
Two (Deux)	Bök/Bötöm (round/long)
Three (Trois)	Mañál/Mañàtöm (round/long)
Four (Quatre)	Tkël/Tkëtöm (round/long)
Five (Cinq)	Skél/Skètöm (round/long)
Man (Homme)	Wëm
Woman (Femme)	Alàköl
Sun (Soleil)	Dìwö
Moon (Lune)	Si'wö
Water (Eau)	Di'
Tree (Arbre)	Kàl
House (Maison)	Ù

Click here to see Bribri vocabulary words compared to words in related Chibchan languages: Chibchan Indian Words

Bribri Picture Dictionaries

Here are some themed Bribri word lists we have put together and illustrated for language learners. Feel free to print them out for classroom purposes!

Bribri animal words

Bribri body parts

Bribri color words

Additional Resources

   Costa Rica native languages
   Native American-English dictionary
   Indians names
   Chibchan language

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