The purpose of this list is to give a rough idea of the Kongo language. The words listed below are not the most common words, but a broad sampling of words. See the Word Lists page for more details.
| English | Kongo |
| I | ngi- |
| you *(sing)* | u- |
| he | u- |
| we | tu- |
| you *(pl)* | lu- |
| they | be- |
| this | -ki |
| that | -kina |
| here | vava, eva, kuku, eku |
| there | vana, kuna |
| who | nani |
| what | nki |
| where | kweyi |
| how | bwe, bweyi |
| not | ka…ko |
| all | -onso |
| many | -bidi |
| few | -n'ke, -ndwêlo, -fyôti |
| other | -n'kaka |
| one | mosi, imosi |
| two | zôle |
| three | tatu |
| four | ya |
| five | tânu |
| big | -nene |
| long | -nda |
| heavy | -zitu |
| small | -fyôti, -ndwêlo, -n'ke |
| short | -nkufi |
| woman | nkento, ndumba |
| man | bakala |
| human | muntu |
| child | mwana |
| wife | n'kento, -busi |
| husband | bakala |
| mother | ngudi |
| father | sé, tata |
| animal | bulu |
| fish | mbizi |
| bird | nuni |
| dog | mbwa |
| louse | nyanzi |
| snake | nioka |
| worm | ngambu |
| tree | m'ti |
| forest | mfinda |
| stick | -bota |
| fruit | mbutu, mbuma |
| seed | nginga |
| leaf | -kaya |
| root | mwanzi |
| bark *(tree)* | -bâla |
| grass | tîti |
| rope | m'singa |
| skin | m'kanda |
| meat | m'suni |
| blood | menga |
| bone | visi |
| fat *(n.)* | mâzi |
| egg | dîki, diaki |
| horn | mpoka |
| tail | m'kila |
| feather | nsala |
| hair | nsuki |
| head | m'tu |
| ear | kutu |
| eye | disu |
| nose | m'zunu |
| mouth | m'nwa |
| tooth | dinu |
| tongue | ludimi |
| fingernail | nzala |
| foot | kulu, ntambi |
| leg | kulu |
| hand | kôko |
| wing | -ve |
| belly | vumu |
| guts | m'dia |
| neck | nsîngu |
| back | nima |
| breast | ntulu |
| heart | mbundu, m'tima |
| to drink | nwa |
| to eat | kudia |
| to bite | tatika |
| to vomit | luka |
| to blow | fula |
| to breathe | fulumuna |
| to laugh | seva |
| to see | mona |
| to hear | wa |
| to know | zaya, zaba |
| to think | yinda, banza |
| to sleep | lêka |
| to live | zînga |
| to die | fwa |
| to kill | gônda, vonda |
| to fight | nwana |
| to hunt | konga, wela |
| to hit | zuba |
| to cut | zenga |
| to split | bâsa, bâsula |
| to scratch | kwanza |
| to dig | tima |
| to walk | diata, zieta |
| to come | kuiza |
| to lie *(bed)* | lêka, lambalala |
| to sit | vuanda |
| to stand | telema, sikama |
| to turn | baluka |
| to fall | bwa |
| to give | vana, va |
| to hold | simba |
| to wash | sukula |
| to wipe | kusuna |
| to pull | benda |
| to throw | losa |
| to count | tanga |
| to say | ta, tela |
| to sing | yimbila |
| to play | sakana |
| to flow | kukula |
| to swell | vimba |
| sun | ntangu |
| moon | ngonda |
| star | ntetembwa |
| water | maza |
| rain | mvula |
| river | m'koko, nzadi, n'to |
| lake | zanga |
| sea | m'bu |
| salt | mungwa |
| stone | tadi |
| sand | zielo |
| earth | n'toto |
| cloud | tuti |
| fog | dime |
| sky | zulu |
| wind | mupepe |
| snow | mvula mpembe |
| smoke | mwisi |
| fire | tiya |
| ash | bombe |
| to burn | vya |
| road | nzila |
| mountain | mongo |
| red | mbwaki |
| white | -mpêmbe |
| black | -ndômbe |
| night | mpimpa |
| day | lumbu |
| year | mvula |
| warm | tiya, kiungila |
| cold | kiozi, nzizi |
| full | -zala |
| new | -mpa |
| old | -ntama, -nkulu |
| good | -mbote |
| bad | -mbi |
| rotten | -bola |
| dirty | mvindu |
| straight | -singama |
| round | -vindumuka |
| wet | -bola |
| dry | -yuma |
| near | -mbela |
| far | ntama, -ntaku |
| right | lubalkala |
| left | lumonso |
| at | ku, kuna |
| in | mu |
| with | ye |
| and | ye |
| if | vo |
| because | kadi |
| name | nkumbu, zina |