504 km away
A Bantu language and the most-spoken indigenous language of Zambia, used across the Northern, Luapula, and Copperbelt provinces. A major lingua franca on the Zambian Copperbelt.
Chichewa
Also known as: Nyanja, Chinyanja
A Bantu language and the national language of Malawi, also widely spoken in eastern Zambia and northern Mozambique under the name Nyanja. Around 14 million speakers.
Shareable facts
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Frequently asked questions
What language is Chichewa?
Chichewa is a dialect of the Chichewa language.
Where is Chichewa spoken?
Chichewa is primarily spoken in Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique.
Which region is Chichewa associated with?
Chichewa is part of the East & Southern Africa region on DialectAtlas.
Is Chichewa known by other names?
Yes — Chichewa is also referred to as Nyanja, Chinyanja.
Nearby dialects
See on the atlas →520 km away
The largest Bantu language of Zimbabwe and an official language of the country. Internally varied, with Karanga, Zezuru, and Manyika as the main dialect groups.
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A Bantu language and the largest indigenous language of Mozambique, spoken across the northern provinces of Nampula, Cabo Delgado, and Niassa. Around 7 million speakers.
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A Nguni Bantu language of south-western Zimbabwe, descended from a 19th-century offshoot of Zulu. Around 2 million speakers, centred on Bulawayo and Matabeleland.
994 km away
The Tanzania-based literary and educational standard of Swahili. Modelled on the Zanzibari Kiunguja variety; Tanzania's national language and a continental lingua franca.
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A Bantu language cluster of the Comoros archipelago and Mayotte, closely related to Swahili. Four mutually intelligible varieties, one per major island; around 1 million speakers.