Phrases You Should Know Before Visiting the Seychelles

The Seychelles have been uninhabited for most of recorded history. The island was traversed by Asian, Maldivian, and Arab traders before Europeans arrived on its shores.

On March 15, 1503, the Seychelles were spotted by the Portuguese. The first recorded landing was in January 1609, by the British crew of the Ascension during the fourth voyage of the British East Company.

Because of its strategic positioning between Africa and Asia, Seychelles was occasionally used by pirates until the French took control in 1756 when a stone of possession was laid on Mahe.

On Monday, August 27, 1770, 28 people settled on the island after travelling a ten-day voyage from Mauritius. 15 white Frenchmen, seven enslaved black male Africans, five enslaved Indians, and one black enslaved African woman arrived and settled on Ste Anne Island to start a community there. They brought with them bundles of clothing, utensils, farming equipment, and food that would eventually become food staples in the Seychelles today: maize, cassava, coffee, and rice. The faces of these original settlers are reflected in today’s faces of the Seychelles’ people.

In 1794, Britain took control of the Seychelles without resistance from the French settlers. In 1903, the Seychelles officially became a crown colony. Even though the French colonisation of the Seychelles was short, French customs and traditions have dominated the people of the Seychelles. The modern-day culture of the Seychelles is largely based on French ideals.

Today, French, English, and Seychellois Creole (Seselwa) are the three official languages of the Seychelles. Seychellois people are fluent in English; however, day-to-day conversations are usually spoken in Seychellois Creole, which is spoken by approximately 95% of the population.

What is Creole?

Creole is a language that is often derived from a combination of European, African, and/or Eastern languages. It usually comes from a parent language and then branches off to have its own set of norms and enunciations.

Seychellois Creole, or Kreol has French as its parent language and came into being after the settling of the Seychelles by the French, African, and Indian enslaved persons. Since its inception, there have been various government initiatives to formulate grammatical rules and phonetics to promote the language and its use. It’s considered a cornerstone of Seychellois culture and pride. The national anthem, “Koste Seselwa,” is written in Seychellois Creole.

The pronunciation of the words in Seselwa is very similar to that of French but with slight variations. For example, Good Morning is said as “Bonjour” in French, but in Seselwa (Seychellois Creole), it is “Bonzour.” The differences are obvious, but it is also obvious to see the connection between them.

English

Despite Britain taking over the Seychelles in 1794, French and Creole remained the most spoken languages in the Seychelles. This is partly because Britain did not strongly impose the English language and British culture on the people. Only after independence, for the benefit of the tourism industry, English became an official language.

English is taught in schools and widely used in business and other formal communication. The majority of Seychelles people are trilingual. Because of this, almost everyone in the tourism industry speaks English fluently, making travelling to the Seychelles easy for visitors.

English to Seychellois Creole

For those who are more adventurous and want to try out some Seselwa, here are some phrases to help you understand and converse in Seychelles Creole.

Pronouncing Seychelles’ Creole is relatively easy, as the way the word is spelt is the same as its phonetic pronunciation. The phrases below will help you communicate with locals in Seselwa.

English to French Translation

Since French is one of the official languages of the Seychelles, it is also widely used. These common phrases in the Seychelles are great if you want to express your basic and essential queries and if you want to impress the locals.

Here are some phrases to help you converse in French:

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