Morisien
Phrasebook
Mauritian Kreol is what you will actually hear. French and English are widely understood. Spellings vary; these are practical, not a linguistics thesis.
Bonzour
Hello / good morning
bon-zoor · Anytime before evening.
Bonswar
Good evening
bon-swar · Evening greetings.
Mersi
Thank you
mair-see · Stalls, buses, houses.
Silvouple
Please
sil-voo-pleh · Softens almost any ask.
Wi
Yes
wee · Agreement.
Non
No
non · A firm no is allowed. Practice it for hawkers.
Komie sa?
How much is this?
ko-myeh sa · Markets and stalls.
Ene
One
ain · Ordering food.
De
Two
day · Dholl puri usually comes in pairs anyway.
Li bon
It's good / tasty
lee bon · After food. More useful than a speech.
Li piman
It's spicy
lee pee-man · Before you commit to the red jar.
Pa trop piman
Not too spicy
pa trop pee-man · Ordering.
Dilo
Water
dee-lo · Hikes and heat.
Bis
Bus
bees · Asking where it stops.
Kotete?
Where is it?
kot-teh-teh · With a place name after.
Twalet
Toilet
twa-let · Beaches and markets.
Eskiz mo
Excuse me
es-keez moh · Crowds, buses.
Non mersi
No thank you
non mair-see · The polite close to a sales pitch.
Ed mwa
Help me
aid mwah · Emergencies. Then switch to English or French if needed.
Korrek
Okay / all good
ko-rek · The island's Swiss-army agreement.
Ki manier?
How are you?
kee ma-nyeh · Greetings; a short answer is fine.
Mo bien
I'm well
moh byen · Reply to ki manier.
Salar
Bye
sa-lar · Casual goodbye.
Li zoli
It's beautiful
lee zoh-lee · Landscapes, children, plates.