Learn Wolof Online with the Vocabo Chrome Extension
Master Vocabulary While You Browse — Free, No Sign-Up
Master Wolof vocabulary while browsing the web. Free Chrome extension for language learners. Wolof is spoken by 5+ million native (10+ million total) people. Wolof unlocks everyday life in Senegal far more than French does, and it carries the country's griot storytelling and mbalax music traditions.
249+ Languages
Learn Spanish, Japanese, Arabic, and 249+ other languages powered by Google Translate.
Completely Free
No premium tiers, no subscriptions, no ads. Language learning should be accessible to everyone.
No Sign Up!
Install and start learning immediately. Your vocabulary stays on your device for complete privacy.
About Wolof
Wolof is Senegal's lingua franca: while roughly 40% of Senegalese speak it as a first language, around 90% speak it in daily life.
Also known as: Wollof, Ouolof
Speakers
5+ million native (10+ million total)
Language Family
Atlantic-Congo (Senegambian)
Writing System
Latin alphabet (also Wolofal, an Arabic-based script)
Difficulty
Medium
Spoken in
Why Learn Wolof?
Wolof unlocks everyday life in Senegal far more than French does, and it carries the country's griot storytelling and mbalax music traditions.
Common Wolof Words
Start your Wolof journey with these essential words and phrases.
Salaam aleekum
Hello
sa-LAAM a-LAY-kum
Na nga def
How are you?
nan-ga DEF
Maangi fi
I'm fine
MAAN-gee fee
Jërëjëf
Thank you
jeh-reh-JEF
Waaw
Yes
waow
Déedéet
No
day-DAYT
Ndox
Water
ndokh
Ñam
Food
nyam
Xarit
Friend
kha-REET
Mbëggeel
Love
mbuh-GAYL
Kër
House
kehr
Jamm
Peace
jam
Ba beneen yoon
Goodbye (until next time)
ba be-NAYN yohn
History of Wolof
Wolof is spoken by the Wolof people of the Senegambia region, where it was long the language of the Jolof Empire. Under French colonial rule French became the language of administration, but Wolof spread as the language of markets, cities and music, absorbing French loanwords while displacing other local languages as a regional lingua franca. It is written today in a Latin orthography standardized in 1971, though the older Arabic-based Wolofal is still used in religious contexts.
Is Wolof Hard to Learn?
Wolof has no tone and no grammatical gender, and its Latin spelling is consistently phonetic. The main hurdles are a noun-class system with around eight classes that governs agreement, and verb conjugation carried by sets of pronouns rather than verb endings.
Learning Wolof Online: FAQ
Can I learn Wolof online for free?
Yes — Vocabo is a free Chrome extension that teaches you Wolof vocabulary while you browse the web. It replaces words and short phrases on pages you already read with their Wolof equivalents, so you pick up vocabulary passively — no sign-up, no ads, and no daily lesson grind.
Is Wolof on Duolingo?
No — Duolingo doesn't currently offer a Wolof course for English speakers. You can still learn Wolof online for free: Vocabo supports Wolof and builds your vocabulary naturally while you browse.
Similar Languages to Wolof
If you're interested in Wolof, you might also want to explore these related languages:
Start Learning Wolof Today
Install Vocabo and begin building your Wolof vocabulary while browsing the web. No sign-up required!
Add to Chrome