Kimbundu

Kimbundu
North Mbundu
Native toAngola
RegionBengo Province, Luanda Province, Icolo e Bengo Province, Cuanza Norte Province, Cuanza Sul Province, Malanje Province
EthnicityAmbundu
Native speakers
3.7 million (2024)
Dialects
  • Kimbundu proper (Ngola)
  • Mbamba (Njinga)
Official status
Official language in
Angola ("National language")
Language codes
ISO 639-2kmb
ISO 639-3kmb
Glottologkimb1241
H.21

Kimbundu, a Bantu language which has sometimes been called Mbundu or North Mbundu (to distinguish it from Umbundu, sometimes called South Mbundu), is the second-most-widely-spoken Bantu language in Angola.

It is the native language of 3.728 million people (as of 2024), with its speakers mostly concentrated in the north-west of the country, notably in the Bengo, Luanda, Icolo e Bengo, Cuanza Norte, Cuanza Sul, and the Malanje provinces. It is spoken by the Ambundu.

Northern Mbundu
PersonMumbundu
PeopleAmbundu or Akwambundu
LanguageKimbundu
CountryNdongo and Matamba