French, English, and Seychellois Creole are the official language of Seychelles. Though the people are fluent in English, day to day conversations usually happen in Seychellois Creole which is also the language spoken by the majority of the population (approximately 95%).
Seychellois Creole
Creole is like a derivative formed from a parent language but has its own set of norms and enunciations. The Seychellois Creole, or Kreol, has French as its parent language and came into practice after the occupation of Seychelles by the French. Several initiatives, like establishing an institute to formulate grammatical rules and phonetics have been taken by the government to promote its use ever since. It is considered to be a mark of their culture and pride. Even the national anthem 'Koste Seselwa' has been penned in this language.
The pronunciation of words in this Seychelles language is quite similar to that of French but with slight variations owing to the local twist to the nation's culture and usage. For example, Good morning is said as "Bonjour" in French, whereas it is said as "Bonzour" in Seychellois Creole. So you can see how the two bear resemblance.
French
English
It was at the beginning of the 19th century (around 1811) when the British came and captured the islands. Despite this, French and Creole remained the most spoken languages due to the lack of interest shown by the British to impart their culture. After the Independence, to ensure that tourism flourishes without a hitch, English was made the official language of Seychelles. It is taught in schools and also used extensively in business and other formal communications. Almost everyone in the tourism industry speaks English to make travelling across the country easy going for the visitors.
Basic Translation Guide
For those of you who are planning their long overdue trip to Seychelles, check out our essential translation guide which will come handy for you during your trip to the country:
English to Seychellois Creole Translation
A look at the basic translations to help you communicate. The best thing about this dialect is that the words are written the way they are pronounced, i.e. phonetically.
| English | Seychellois Creole |
| Good morning | Bonzour (Bozooh) |
| Good night | Bonswar (Bonswaah) |
| Hello | Allo |
| How are you? | Komman sava? (Kommesava) |
| Thank you | Mersi (mehsi) |
| What is your name? | Ki manner ou apele? |
| My name is___ | Mon apel |
| Please | Silvoupel (sivooplay) |
| Yes | Wi |
| No | Non (noh) |
| Goodbye | Orevwar |
| Sorry | Pardon (pahrdoh) |
| Do you speak English? | Eski ou koz Angle? |
| Help! | Ed mwan! |
| Why? | Akoz? |
| What? | Kwa? |
| Who? | Lekel? |
| How much is this? | Konbyen sa? |
| I'm lost | Monn perdi |
English to French Translation
Here is your guide to the common sentences used for conversing. Since phonetics are a bit difficult for beginners, pronunciation has been given as well.| English | French |
| Hello | Salut (salew) |
| How are you? | Comment allez-vous? |
| Do you speak English? | Parlez vous anglais? (pahrlay-vooz-angh-glay) |
| I am from.. | Je viens de? (jeh-viyan-deh) |
| Good morning | Bonjour (bon-zhoor) |
| Good evening | Bonsoir (bon-swahr) |
| Yes | Oui (wee) |
| No | Non (nong) |
| Excuse me | Excusez-moi (ex-kewzay mwah) |
| Why? | Pourquoi? (poor-kwah) |
| Where? | où? (oo) |
| What? | Quelle? (kell) |
| How? | Comment? (kummonh) |
| My name is.. | Je m'appelle'...(Jhuh-ma-pell) |
| Thank you | Merci (mair-see) |
| Please | S'il vous plaît (seel vou play) |
| Help me | Aidez moi (Eh-de mwah) |
| You're welcome | De rien (doh-rehyan) |
| What time is it? | Quelle heure est-il? (Kell hyur es till) |
| I don't understand | Je ne comprends pas (zher ner kong-prahng pas) |
| Sorry | Pardon (phardo) |
| Bye | Au revoir (Oh-rer-vwahr) |
You are now equipped with the common phrases in the Seychelles languages just enough to express basic and essential queries and acknowledgements too. A thorough reading of these will help you converse but keep a translator or a phrasebook handy in case you catch an unfamiliar sentence.