Sustainability & Eco

1. Fan laa mën recycler lii?

   Where can I recycle this?

   Usage

   Used to ask where to recycle waste in Dakar or other Senegalese cities

   Grammar Note

   "Fan laa mën …?" = "where can I …?" (same frame as "Fan laa mën luye …?"). "Recycler" is the French verb used as-is. "Lii" = "this"

2. Am ngeen sac réutilisable?

   Do you have reusable bags?

   Usage

   Used at markets or shops to ask for an alternative to plastic bags

   Grammar Note

   "Am ngeen" means "you (plural) have". "Sac" and "réutilisable" are French loans; no native Wolof expression for "reusable bag" could be confirmed, so the French words are used as-is.

3. Am na kër bu baax ci aduna?

   Is there eco-friendly accommodation?

   Usage

   Used when looking for environmentally responsible lodging

   Grammar Note

   Wolof lacks a direct equivalent for "eco-friendly", so the phrase uses "a house that is good for the world/earth". Note: "kanam" means "face / what is in front of one", so "kanam bu aduna" cannot mean "the future of the earth"; "ci aduna" ("for the world") is enough.

4. Dama bëgg a feesal bidon bi ak ndox.

   I'd like to refill my water bottle.

   Usage

   Used to ask for a refill of a water bottle instead of buying a new drink

   Grammar Note

   "To fill" is "feesal", the causative in -al of "fees" (adjective "Plein", verb "Être rempli"). Examples: "masu cee feesal biiram ciw ñam" ("he never filled his belly with food"), "Danaa feesal Safara ci yaw ak ña la topp ñépp" ("I shall fill Hell with you and all who follow you"). "Dama bëgg a" means "I want to"; "ak" is a preposition meaning "with / using", here indicating what to fill with. Note: "dëkk" means "to live / village, town", not "to fill".

5. Am ngeen ñam bu amul yàpp?

   Are there vegetarian/vegan options?

   Usage

   Used to ask for meat-free or plant-based meal options

   Grammar Note

   No Wolof word for "vegetarian" can be confirmed, so the phrase asks for "food that has no meat". "Ñam" (food) ("togg ñam yi" = "to cook the food"; "Ñam wi nuy lekk" = "the food we eat"). "Amul" ("there is not") appears in "ku am ak ku amul" ("the one who has and the one who has not"). "Yàpp" (meat) is also spelled "yapp" and appears in "meew, yàpp, ceeb" ("milk, meat, rice") and "ñépp lekk yàpp" ("everyone ate meat"). For strict vegan, add "ak meew" ("and milk") to the question.

6. Lan la jëf ngir dem ci bus wala tren?

   How can I take public transport to get there?

   Usage

   Used to ask about using buses or trains to reach a destination

   Grammar Note

   "Lan la jëf" asks "what action should be taken". "ngir" is a purpose preposition meaning "in order to / for".

7. Fan la marché bi gëna jege ci dëkk bi?

   Where is the nearest local market?

   Usage

   Used to find a nearby market selling fresh local produce

   Grammar Note

   Senegal has strong French influence and loanwords like "marché" are used daily. Superlatives use "gëna" plus a verb, and "jege" is "to be near". "lëkk" does not mean "near", and "bu ndaw" means "small / young", not "nearby"

8. Bul jëfandikoo emballage yu bari, su la neexee.

   Please use minimal packaging.

   Usage

   Used to request less packaging when purchasing goods

   Grammar Note

   "Bul …" is the negative imperative "don't …" (same as "Bul ma laal!"); "jëfandikoo" is "to use". "yu bari" is a relative clause "that are many" (bari), so "don't use a lot of packaging" = keep it minimal. "Emballage" is a French loan.

9. Am na activités éco-touristiques fi?

   What eco-tourism activities are available here?

   Usage

   Used to ask about nature-based or environmentally conscious tourism experiences

   Grammar Note

   For "eco-tourism" the French "activités éco-touristiques" is used as-is. "Am na … fi?" = "is there … here?" (same frame as "Am na salle de sport fi?").

10. Dama bëgg a compenser sama émissions de carbone.

    I want to offset my carbon footprint.

    Usage

    Used when volunteering for or donating to tree-planting or carbon offset initiatives

    Grammar Note

    "Dama bëgg a …" = "I want to …" (same frame as "Dama bëgg a feesal …"). "Compenser" and "émissions de carbone" are French and are used as-is.

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