Mauritian Creole Phrasebook

193 everyday Mauritian Creole (Morisien) phrases with a plain-English pronunciation guide. Browse by category, search in seconds, and drill with flashcards — everything runs on this device.

Spelling varies in real life — 'mersi' and 'merci', 'bonzour' and 'bonjour' are both fine. Pronunciation matters more than orthography, and this guide is an approximation, not a native-speaker model.

Most entries follow the 2011 Lortograf Kreol Morisien spelling (the convention used in the Wikivoyage phrasebook: Bonzour, Mersi, Silvouple). Where a source spells a phrase differently, the entry keeps the verbatim source form and links to that source, because everyday writing varies: you will see 'mersi' and 'merci', 'bonzour' and 'bonjour'. Pronunciation matters more than orthography — say it the way it looks and people will understand you.

The pronunciation guide is a friendly approximation for English speakers, not a native model: the stressed syllable is in capitals, hyphens mark syllables (e.g. bon-ZOOR). Nasal vowels and the French-style 'r' exist in real Morisien, but a casual approximation is understood. There is no audio playback in this version — web speech APIs have no reliable Morisien voice — and audio is a v1.1 candidate.

This app runs entirely in your browser: phrases are bundled with the page, and nothing you search or mark is uploaded. Flashcard marks live only in your browser's local storage on this device. The app makes zero network requests after the page loads. Like every AppDoesIt page, the website itself uses anonymous Microsoft Clarity session analytics.

Use cases

Five real situations where this phrasebook saves the day.

  • You land in Port Louis tomorrow

    You only speak English. Search 'hello', 'toilet' or 'taxi', learn the Morisian form and its pronunciation before you step off the plane, and drill them with flashcards on the flight.

  • Haggling at the market

    Before you walk in, learn 'How much is this?' and the numbers you are likely to need. Prices, quantities and 'thank you very much' — all in the Food & market category.

  • Your first language learning session

    Turn on Flashcards, mark what you know, and let the review queue repeat only the unknown cards until they stick. No account, no app store, nothing leaves your device.

  • Visiting family in Mauritius

    Aunties expect more than 'Bonzour'. Small talk — what's up, what are you doing, long time no see — plus a few food words, and you will feel at home at the table.

  • Checking a phrase's spelling

    Every entry links to its public source (Wikivoyage, Wikipedia or creolemauritius.com). When spelling varies between sources, the entry keeps the verbatim source form so you can verify it yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is this app?
A free, in-browser Mauritian Creole (Morisien) phrasebook: 193 everyday phrases across 7 categories, each with an English meaning, an approximate pronunciation guide and a link to its public source. It also includes a flashcard mode with known/unknown marks and a review queue. Everything runs on your device.
Why do spellings differ between phrases?
Mauritian Creole had no standardized orthography until recently. Most entries here follow the 2011 Lortograf Kreol Morisien spelling (Bonzour, Mersi, Silvouple), but where a source spells differently the phrase is kept verbatim and its source is linked, because everyday writing varies — you will see 'mersi' and 'merci', 'bonzour' and 'bonjour'. Pronunciation matters more than orthography.
How accurate is the pronunciation guide?
It is an approximation for English speakers, not a native model. Morisien has nasal vowels and a French-style 'r' that English letters can't fully capture; a casual approximation is nonetheless understood by speakers. There is no audio playback in this version — web speech APIs have no reliable Morisien voice — and audio is a candidate for v1.1.
Are my flashcard marks uploaded anywhere?
No. Marks are stored in your browser's local storage on this device only; nothing you search or mark is sent to a server. The app makes zero network requests after the page loads. Like every AppDoesIt page, the website itself uses anonymous Microsoft Clarity session analytics.
Where do the phrases come from?
Only from public, citable sources: the Wikivoyage Mauritian Creole phrasebook (2011 orthography), the Wikipedia 'Mauritian Creole' article, and the creolemauritius.com phrasebook. Every entry carries its source link; phrases without a verifiable source are not included.