Kikongo (also known as Kongo) is a Bantu language spoken by over 5 million people worldwide, mostly by the Kongo and Ndundu people living in the tropical forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, and Angola. Kikongo was spoken by many from this region who were sold into slavery in the Americas. Thus creolized forms of the language can be found in the ritual speech of Afro-American religions, especially in Brazil, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Haiti. It is also one of the sources of the Palenquerocreole in Colombia, and the Gullah language spoken in coastal regions of South Carolina and Georgia in the United States. This unique, two-part resource provides travelers to Democratic Republic of the Congo and other parts of Central Africa with the tools they need for daily interaction. The bilingual dictionary has a concise vocabulary for everyday use, and the phrasebook allows instant communication on a variety of topics. Ideal for businesspeople, travelers, students, and aid workers, this guide includes 4,000 dictionary entries; phonetics that are intuitive for English speakers; essential phrases on topics such as transportation, dining out, and business; and concise grammar and pronunciation sections.

Dr. Yeno Mansoni Matuka is the translator and composer of the introduction to this English-Kikongo Dictionary. Matuka is a native Kikongo vernacular speaker. Matuka is an accomplished translator and interpreter working in English, French, Lingala, and Kikongo. He works in the Department of English at Ball State University and resides in Muncie, Indiana.