Basic Swahili for Travelers This is a brief introduction to Swahili with basic instruction about pronunciation and important words and phrases. Anywhere you travel in East Africa, the ability to communicate in Swahili will greatly enhance your experience. Even if you do not plan on studying the language indepth, we strongly suggest learning and using basic greetings and phrases. The locals will greatly appreciate your efforts and will be all the more welcoming to you during your stay. If you would like to complete a beginning course in Swahili there are a number of self-study books and tapes. Teach Yourself Swahili, by Joan Russell (Teach Yourself, 2003) is one of the best. Pronunciation a b ch d dh e f g gh
i j k kh l
as in father as in bat as in chop as in dad as in this halfway between get and gait as in family as in game halfway between ‘k’ in keep and ‘g’ in get h as in home as in see as in jump as in kennel like ‘ch’ in J.S. Bach as in long
m n ng’ ny
p r s sh t th u w y z
as in mill as in neat as in song like the Spanish ñ, or the first ‘n’ in onion o as in old as in pin as in rabbit as in small as in shallow as in time as in thick as in roof v as in vote as in women as in yolk as in zero
Stress nearly always falls on the next to last syllable, and accents mark which syllables to stress: dáda (2 syllables), mlángo (3 syllables), nimechóka (4 syllables), tunafuráhi (5 syllables).
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Greetings
Translation and transliteration
May I come in? Welcome/Come in Hello Goodbye How are you? Very well …and you? Okay What’s up? (informal) What’s up with you? Cool Introductions
Hodi (hoh-dee) Karibu (kah-ree-boo) Jambo (jah-mboh) Kwaheri (kwah-heh-ree) Habari yako? (hah-bah-ree yah-koh) Mzuri sana Na wewe je? Sawa Mambo? Vipi, Poa Translation and transliteration
My name is… What is your name?
Jina langu ni… (jee-nah lah-ngoo) Jina lako ni nani? (jee-nah lah-koh nahnee)
What do you call yourself? I call myself… Pleased to meet you. I am from America. Where are you from? I am a student. I am doing work for …
Unaitwa nani? Ninaitwa… Nimefurahi kukutana Ninatoka nchi ya Amerika. Unatoka wapi? (wah-pee) Mimi ni mwanafunzi. Ninafanya kazi kwa…
Etiquette
Translation and transliteration
Thank you You are welcome Please My sympathy (Sorry) Excuse me
Asante (ah-sah-nteh) Karibu (kah-ree-boo) Tafadhali (tah-fah-thah-lee) Pole (poh-leh) or Samahani Nisamehe (nee-sa-meh-heh), Samahani
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Relationships/Titles Me You Us Him/Her Them Friend/Pal Family Daughter (in Luo) Daughter Son Relative/Brother Brother Sister Father Mother Doctor Teacher Sir Man, Men
Translation and transliteration Mimi Wewe Sisi Yeye Wao Rafiki (rah-fee-kee) Jamii (jah-mee) Nyar Binti Mwana (mwah-nah) Ndugu (ndoo-goo) Kaka Dada (dah-dah) Baba (bah-bah) Mama Daktari (dahk-tah-ree) Mwalimu Bwana (bwah-nah) Mwanaume, Wanaume (wah-nah-oo- meh)
Woman, Women
Mwanamke, Wanawake (wah-nahwah-keh)
A young person Girl, young women Old man (term of respect)
Kijana (kee-jah-nah) Msichana (msee-chah-nah) Mzee
Drinks
Translation and transliteration
I am thirsty I would like… I want… Drinks/Beverages Coffee Tea Water Milk Beer
Ninasikia kiu Ninaomba… Nataka… Kinywaji Kahawa (kah-hah-wah) Chai Maji (mah-jee) Maziwa Bia
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Food I am hungry Food Bread Meat Fish Vegetables Fruit Chicken Corn Locations Market Mosque Church Shop School Hospital Home Bathroom/Toilet Shower Kitchen Garden Cost How much? How many? Money Price Expensive Cheap
Translation and transliteration Ninasikia njaa Chakula (chah-koo-lah) Mkate (mkah-teh) Nyama (nyah-mah) Samaki (sah-mah-kee) Mboga (mboh-gah) Matunda (mah-too-ndah) Kuku Mahindi Translation and transliteration Soko (soh-koh) Msikiti Kanisa (kah-nee-sah) Duka Shule (shoo-leh) Hospitali (hoh-spee-tah-lee) Nyumba - Nyumbani Choo (choo) Kioga (kee-oh-gah) Jiko (jee-koh) Shamba (shah-mbah) Translation and transliteration Pesa ngapi (peh-sahn gah-pee) Ngapi (ngah-pee) Pesa (peh-sah) Bei (beh-ee) Ghali (ghah-lee) Rahisi (rah-hee-see)
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Time of Day
Translation and transliteration
Morning Afternoon Evening Night
Asubuhi (ah-soo-boo-hee) Mchana (mchah-nah) Jioni (jee-oh-nee) Usiku (oo-see-koo)
Numbers
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Sufiri Moja Mbili Tatu Nne Tano Sita Saba Nane Tisa Kumi
Translation and transliteration 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 23
Kumi na moja Kumi na mbili Kumi na tatu Kumi na nne Kumi na tano Kumi na sita Kumi na saba Kumi na nane Kumi na tisa Ishirini Ishirini na tatu
Useful Words/Phrases
30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 102 200 250
Thelathini Arobaini Hamsini Sitini Sabini Themanini Tisini Mia Mia na mbili Mia mbili Mia mbili na hamsini
1000
Translation and transliteration
Yes No Maybe Now Later Long life No worries/problems I am satisfied (by this meal) I want…
Ndiyo Hapana Labda Sasa Baadaye Maisha marefu Hakuna matata Nimeshiba. Nataka… (nah-tah-kah)
I want to go…
Nataka kwenda…(nah-tah-kah kwehndah)
I want to buy… I am tired.
Nataka kununua… Nimechoka.
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elfu
I am lost. I don’t know. I don’t understand. How do you say…in Swahili?
Nimepotea Sijui. Sifahamu. Unasemaje… kwa Kiswahili? Sema tena tafadhali. Sema tena pole pole Nani? Nini? Kwa nini? Wapi? Lini?
Can you repeat that please? Repeat that slowly Who? What? Why? Where? When?
Swahili Proverb/Phrases
Translation and transliteration
Together for one goal. A proverb that has a similar meaning to: “a journey of thousand miles starts with one step.”
Pamoja kwa lengo moja. Haba na haba hujaza.
Slowly is the best course Hurry has no blessing He who praises rain has been rained on
Pole pole ndiyo mwendo Haraka haraka haina baraka Asifuye mvuwa imemnyeshea
To live long is to see much To get lost is to learn the way
Kuishi kwingi ni kuona mengi Kupoteya njia ndiyo kujua njia
Miscelaneous
Translation and transliteration
Peace
Amani (ah-mah-nee)
Love Work Enough Beautiful Slowly Strength Bad Long life Cool
Upendo (oo-peh-ndoh) Kazi (kah-zee) Inatosha/basi Mrembo (mreh-mboh) Pole pole (poh-leh) Nguvo Mbaya (mbah-yah) Maisha marefu Poa
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Beautiful Sick Good Piece of cloth worn by a woman
Nzuri/Mzuri Gonjwa (goh-njwah) Nzuri Kanga
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