Swahili phrasebookSwahili or Kiswahili, is an official language
of Tanzania, Kenya (English is the official language the government
of Kenya and is widely spoken in urban areas), the Democratic
Republic of the Congo, and Uganda. Swahili speakers can also be
found in surrounding countries, such as Burundi, Rwanda, and
Mozambique. While only 5-10 million people speak Swahili as their
first language, as a second language, there are over 50 million
speakers, making it the most widely spoken African language in the
world. As a part of the Bantu language family, Swahili is related
to a variety of languages from Southern Africa to Central to West
Africa. While some Bantu languages, like Xhosa and Zulu are click
languages, Swahili does not use clicks, so pronunciation is
generally not difficult for English speakers.
Pronunciation guideVowelsSwahili has five vowels: a, e, i, o, u.
If you are familiar with Spanish, Italian or Japanese, the vowels
are pronounced the same. If not, they are pronounced: A - ah (Like
the "a" in "father") E - eh (Like the "e" in "egg" ) I - ee (Like
the "ee" in "see") O - oh (Like the "o" in "dot" ) U - oo (Like the
"oo" in "doom") Vowels in Swahili always make the same sounds, even
when combined with other vowels. There are no silent letters or
diphthongs in Swahili, so vowels will always make the same sound,
and it is important that you pronounce each vowel, even when one
vowel follows another. For example, in the word "daawa" (lawsuit),
you must say "dah-ah-wah", pronouncing both of the a's. Simply
saying "dah-wah" (dawa) changes the meaning to "drug/medicine".
ConsonantsThe following consonants are pronounced the same as in
English: blike the "b" in "bay" dlike the "d" in "dog" flike the
"f" in "fun" glike the "g" in "gut" hlike the "h" in "hen" jlike
the "j" in "jam" klike the "k" in "kit" llike the "l" in "lump"
plike the "p" in "pot" slike the "s" in "sun" tlike the "t" in
"tip" vlike the "v" in "van" wlike the "w" in "win" ylike the "y"
in "yellow" zlike the "z" in "zebra" Other consonants mlike the "m"
in "mop". nlike the "n" in "numb" Although "m" and "n" are
pronounced the same in Swahili as they are in English, unlike
English, these letters can often be found at the beginning of words
followed by other consonants, such as "t", "d", etc. Since Swahili
has no silent letters, it is important to pronounce these sounds.
So for words like "Mchana" (afternoon) and "Ndugu"
(sibling/relative), you need to pronounce the "m" and "n" sounds
along with the following consonant sounds. rlike the "r" in
"rambo"
Consonant pairingschlike the "ch" in "chat" nglike the "ng" in
"sing" nylike the "ni" in "onion" ghofficially pronounced similiar
to the "ch" in "loch", you can alternatively just pronounce it with
a hard "g", like the "g" in "gut" (as mentioned above) shlike the
"sh" in "dash" thlike the "th" in "thank". It is never pronounced
like the "th" in "those". That "th" is spelled "dh" in Swahili.
dhlike the "th" in "the". It is important not to confuse "dh" with
the Swahili "th" above. Common diphthongsThere are no diphthongs in
Swahili; however, foreign names and loan words may contain them.
Phrase listBasicsNote that greetings in Swahili are very important
and long and drawn out - you can go back and forth several times,
using not one but all of the greetings you know. Hello, how are
you?. (to one person)Hujambo (response: Sijambo: I am fine.) Hello,
how are you all. (to a group): Hamjambo (response: Hatujambo, we're
fine) Hello to an older person or authority figure.Shikamoo
(shee-kah-moh) (response: Marahaba). Some people frown on the use
of Shikamoo because it started out as a servant's greeting to
his/her master. Hello. (informal)Sasa / Mambo / Jambo (generally
said only to tourists). This is 'Sheng' or Swahili slang. Most
locals are not impressed if you greet them using Sheng. Response to
informal helloMzuri (fine), Safi (clean/in order), Poa (cool), Poa
kichizi kama ndizi (crazy cool like a banana) How are you?Habari /
Habari yako? (lit.: Your news?) How are you? (alternative)Ukoje?
Response: Niko salama. How are you? (alternative)U hali gani?
(lit.: What's your condition?) How are you today?Habari ya leo? How
are you this morning?Habari ya asubuhi? How are you this
afternoon?Habari ya mchana? How are you this evening?Habari ya
jioni? How was your journey / trip / safari?Habari za safari? How
have you been today?Umeshindaje leo? Fine, thank you.Nzuri, asante.
What is your name?Jina lako ni nani? My name is ______ .Jina langu
ni ______. Where are you coming from?Unatoka wapi? Where are you
from (native region)unatokea wapi I am from _______.Ninatoka nchi
ya _______(your country). Please.Tafadhali. Thank you (very
much).Asante (sana). You're welcome.Karibu. Yes.Ndiyo. No.Hapana. I
don't need. (Polite way of saying you don't want to buy
anything)Sihitaji. Excuse me. (getting attention)Samahani. I'm
sorry (in the sense of "pardon me"; used for minor
transgressions).Samahani. I'm sorry (about hearing very bad news
for someone).Nasikitika. Please forgive metafadhali nisamehe
GoodbyeKwa heri. Good night.Usiku mwema. Sleep well.Lala Salama.
Did you sleep well?Umelalaje? Umeamkaje (lit.: did you wake up
well?) See you later.Tuonane baadaye. Later.Baadaye. See you
tomorrow.Tutuonana kesho. My Swahili is terribleKiswahili changu ni
kibaya sana. I can't speak Kiswahili.Siwezi kusema Kiswahili. I
only speak a little Kiswahili.Ninaongea Kiswahili kidogo tu. Do you
speak English?Unazungumza Kiingereza? BathroomBafu ToiletChoo
Help!Msaada! Where is the _______?_____(e.g. bathroom, police
station...) iko wapi? Grammatically, this would depend on the noun
class of the object in question. E.g. for bathroom, it would be
'Kiko', not 'Iko'. There are 18 noun classes in Swahili.
Problem(s)Leave me alone.Uniache! Don't touch me!Usiniguse! I'll
call the police.Nitaita polisi! Police!Polisi! Help!Msaada! Stop!
Thief!(Saying this in Swahili could likely result in violent death
for the thief at the hands of self appointed vigilantes. Your item
may or may not be recovered.) Simama, mwizi! I need your
help.Ninaomba msaada. I'm lost.Nimepotea. I lost my bag.Nimepoteza
mfuko wangu. I lost my wallet.Nimepoteza pochi. I'm sick.Mimi ni
mgonjwa. I've been injured.Nimeumia I need a doctor.Ninahitaji
daktari. Can I use your phone?Ninaomba kutumia simu yako?
NumbersOne.Moja Two.Mbili Three.Tatu Four.Nne Five.Tano Six.Sita
Seven.Saba Eight.Nane Nine.Tisa Ten.Kumi Twenty.Ishirini
Thirty.Thelathini Forty.Arobaini Fifty.Hamsini Sixty.Sitini
Seventy.Sabini Eighty.Themanini Ninety.Tisini One Hundred.Mia moja
One Thousand.Elfu moja TimenowSasa laterBaadaye beforeKabla ya
afterBaada ya morningAsubuhi afternoonMchana eveningJioni
nightUsiku Clock timeWhat time is it?Saa ngapi? In Swahili, the
morning does not begin at midnight (12 AM); instead, it begins at
7:00 AM. Daytime revolves around the rising and setting of the sun,
which typically begins to rise around 7 AM and set at 7 PM in the
areas where Swahili is spoken. For English speakers, this can be
confusing; however, those who learn how to tell time in Swahili
will admit that it is more logical than the English system, in
which midnight is considered "morning", even though no one begins
their day at midnight. So, to say the time in Swahili, you need to
add (or subtract) 6 from the English time. 7:00 in America will be
expressed as the first hour (1:00) in Swahili. AM is expressed with
asubuhi (morning) and PM is typically marked with usiku (night).
Because the daytime begins at 7 AM, hours from midnight to 6 AM
will be expressed with usiku, as these are nighttime hours in
Swahili. Jioni (evening) can be used in place of usiku for hours
that are not so late, such as 7 PM. 7 o'clock AMsaa moja asubuhi
7.15 AMsaa moja na robo asubuhi 7.20 AMsaa moja na dakika ishirini
asubuhi 7.30 AMsaa moja na nusu asubuhi 7.45 AMsaa mbili (kasoro
robo = kasorobo) 7.50 AMsaa mbili kasoro dakika kumi asubuhi 8
o'clock AMsaa mbili asubuhi 9 o'clock AMsaa tatu asubuhi Noon (12
o'clock PM)saa sita asubuhi 1 o'clock PMsaa saba mchana 2 o'clock
PMsaa nana mchana 7 o'clock PMsaa moja usiku 8 o'clock PMsaa mbili
usiku 9 o'clock PMsaa tatu usiku Midnight (12 o'clock AM)saa sita
usiku Durationdakika_____ minute(s)saa (masaa)_____
hour(s)siku_____ day(s)wiki_____ week(s)mwezi (miezi)_____
month(s)mwaka (miaka)_____ year(s)duration ____ muda how long ____
muda gani DaysIn Swahili, the first day of the week is Saturday.
The name of Saturday combines juma (week) and mosi (one/first). You
can think of it as meaning roughly "the first of the week". The
other days are the same, with the exception of Thursday and Friday,
which do not follow the pattern. SaturdayJumamosi SundayJumapili
MondayJumatatu TuesdayJumanne WednesdayJumatano ThursdayAlhamisi
FridayIjumaa MonthsMonthmwezi In Tanzania, the words in parentheses
are rarely used. Instead, they refer to them as first month, second
month, etc. JanuaryMwezi wa kwanza (Januari) FebruaryMwezi wa pili
(Februari) MarchMwezi wa tatu (Machi) AprilMwezi wa nne (Aprili)
MayMwezi wa tano (Mei) JuneMwezi wa sita (Juni) JulyMwezi wa saba
(Julai) AugustMwezi wa nane (Agosti) SeptemberMwezi wa tisa
(Septemba) OctoberMwezi wa kumi (Oktoba) NovemberMwezi wa kumi na
moja (Novemba) DecemberMwezi wa kumi na mbili (Desemba)
SeasonsSwahili-speaking countries generally experience two seasons:
rainy-and-hot and cold-and-dry. Swahili does not have words for
"autumn" or "spring", etc. Seasonmajira summerkiangazi wintermajira
ya baridi springmajira ya machipuko fall majira ya majani
kupukukika Writing time and dateColorsblack-nyeusi blue-
kibuluu/samawati brown- kahawia coloursrangi graykijivugreen-
kijani orange-machungwa pink-waridi purple-urujuani red-nyekundu
white-nyeupe yellow-njano TransportationBus and trainMinibus
(Kenya, Uganda)Matatu Minibus (Tanzania)Daladala PassengerAbiria
How much is a ticket to _____? Tikiti ya kwenda ____ shengapi? One
ticket to _____, please.Naomba tikiti moja ya kwenda ____. Where
does this train/bus go?Treni/basi hii inakwenda wapi? Does this
train/bus stop in _____?Treni/basi itakwenda ____? When does the
train/bus for _____ leave?Treni/basi itaondoka lini? When will this
train/bus arrive in _____?Treni/basi itafika lini _____?
DirectionsHow do I get to _____?Je, ninakwenda ____ I want to go to
____Ninataka kuenda ____ Which direction?Mwelekeo upi? ...the train
station?Kituo/stesheni cha treni/gari la moshi ...the bus
station?Kituo/stesheni cha basi ...the airport?Uwanja wa ndegi
...downtown?Mjini Town centerKatikati ya mjini ...the youth
hostel?...the _____ hotel?Hoteli _____ iko wapi? (but 'hoteli'
often refers to a place to eat, especially in Kenya) ...the
American/Canadian/Australian/British consulate?EmbassyUbalozi
ConsulateBalozi ndogo (but probably better to ask for 'Ubalozi')
Where are there a lot of......hotels?hoteli ...restaurants?migahawa
(singular is 'mgahawa') ...bars?Baa (same in plural) ClubKilabu
...sites to see?Can you show me on the map?Unaweza nionyesha katika
ramani? (maps are not widely understood; street names and
directions are less frequently used than local landmarks, which you
need to learn for each area. Bus stations, bus stops, expensive
hotels, monuments, and even some very unlikely items, constitute
recognized landmarks) Where is it on the map?Iko wapi katika
ramani? streetStreeti HighwayBarabara Turn left.Pinda kushoto Turn
right.Pinda kulia leftKushoto rightKulia straight aheadMoja kwa
moja towards the _____close to _____Karibu na past the _____Baada
ya ____/Pita ya _____ before the _____Kabla ya ____ Watch for the
_____.Angalia kwa ____ intersectionnorthKaskazini southKusini
eastMashariki westMagharibi uphillkwenye mlima
downhillTaxiTaxi!Take me to _____, please.Nipeleke......, tafadhali
How much does it cost to get to _____?itakuwa pesa ngapi
kunifikisha------? Take me there, please.Tafadhali nipeleke huko
basi: LodgingDo you have any rooms available?Je, unavyo vyumba?/Je,
vyumba vipo? How much is a room for one person/two people?Chumba
cha mtu moja/watu wawili ni bei gani? Does the room come
with...Self contained (with bathroom)Selfi contain Not self
contained (without bathroom)Non/not selfi contain
...bedsheets?Shuka ...a bathroom?BathBafu ShowerShowa/nyunyu/bafu
ya manyunyu ...a telephone?Simu ...a TV?Runinga May I see the room
first?Naweza kukiona chumba kwanza? Do you have anything
quieter?Kuna nafasi kimya zaidi? ...bigger?kikubwa?
...cleaner?kisafi? ...cheaper?bei nafuu? OK, I'll take it.Sawa
basi, nitakichukua. I will stay for _____ night(s).nitakitumia
usiku-----. Can you suggest another hotel?Do you have a safe? (...)
...lockers?Is breakfast/supper included? What time is
breakfast/supper?) Please clean my room.Can you wake me at _____?I
want to check out.Ninataka kuondoka. MoneyDo you accept
American/Australian/Canadian dollars?Do you accept British
pounds?Do you accept credit cards?Can you change money for
me?Unaweza kubadilia pesa mimi? Where can I get money
changed?Ninaweza kubadilisha pesa wapi? Can you change a traveler's
check for me?Where can I get a traveler's check changed?What is the
exchange rate?Where is an automatic teller machine (ATM)?EatingA
table for one person/two people, please.Meza kwa mtu moja/watu
wawili, tafadhali. We are two/three/four.Tuko wawili/watatu/wanne.
Can I look at the menu, please?Ninaweza kuangalia menu, tafadhali.
Can I look in the kitchen?Ninaweza kuona jikoni? Is there a house
specialty?Is there a local specialty?I'm a vegetarian.Mimi ni mla
mboga Vegetarian foodChakula mboga mboga I don't eat pork.Sili
nyama ya nguruwe/kiti moto (The latter is far more common) I don't
eat beef.Sili nyama ya n'gombe I don't eat goat.Sili nyama ya mbuzi
I only eat kosher food.Ninakula chakula halali tu. Can you make it
"lite", please? (less oil/butter/lard)Punguza mafuta/siagi/ No
bones.Bila mafupa fixed-price meala la cartebreakfastkifungua
kinywa / chakula cha asubuhi lunchchakula cha mchana Food Chakula
teachai supperchakula cha jioni I want _____.Ninataka I request
_____. Naomba _____. (more polite than 'I want', especially in
Tanzania) I want a dish containing _____.Banana Ndizi Goat Mbuzi
chickenKuku beefN'gombe fishSamaki hamsausagecheeseJibini
Egg/eggsYai/Mayai saladSaladi (fresh) vegetablesMboga (singular),
Maboga (plural) Freshfreshi (fresh) fruitMtunda (singular), Matunda
(plural) breadMkate toastTosti (but there is a brand of bread
called 'Tosti' so you will also find a 'Toasted toast' entry on
some menus!) noodles/pastaTambi (invariably, spaghetti unless you
are in a specialist restaurant) riceWali (cooked rice), Mchele
(uncooked) Mpunga (rice plant) beansMaharage May I have a glass of
_____?Ninaomba glasi moja ya ____. May I have a cup of
_____?Ninaomba kikombe kimoja cha ____. May I have a bottle of
_____?Ninaomba chupa moja ya ____. coffeeKahawa (this will usually
be instant coffee. It's rare to find real coffee except in
specialist establishments or those frequented by tourists) tea
(drink)Chai spiced teaChai ya masala (tea is often spiced with
masala mix or ginger Tea with milkChai ya maziwa Tea without
milkChai ya rangi (literally, 'tea with color') juicejuici (bubbly)
waterwaterMaji beerPombe, Bia (Pombe often refers to a local brew
and many of these are unsafe to drink. Better to ask for a beer by
brand name or ask 'Bia gani ipo?', 'What beers do you have?'
red/white wineMvinyo/wini nyekundu/nyeupi May I have some
_____?Ninaomba saltChumvi black pepperpilipili manga butterSiagi
(But you are likely to get margarine, at best. You will probably
need to ask for margarine by a brand name, such as 'Blue Band')
Excuse me, waiter? (getting attention of server)Samahani/ebu (the
latter is less formal) Excuse me, waiter? (to a waiter, 'Kaka', to
a waitress, 'Dada') I'm finished.Nimemaliza It was
delicious.Chakula ni kitamu Please clear the plates.Uondoe masahani
tafadhali The check, please.Naomba bili, tafadhali BarsDo you serve
alcohol?Pombe ipo? Is there table service?Je, kuna meza huduma A
beer/two beers, please.Bia moja/mbili, tafadhali. A glass of
red/white wine, please.Glasi mvinyo/wini nyekundu/nyuepi, tafadhali
A pint, please.(Pint measure is not used in East Africa, bottles
are usually half litre, sometimes 375ml. People order by the bottle
and if there are two sizes, they say 'kubwa' for large or 'ndogo'
for small. A bottle, please.Chupa moja, tafadhali. _____ (hard
liquor) and _____ (mixer), please.whiskeyWhiskey vodkaVodka
rumwaterMaji club sodatonic waterorange juicejuici/maji ya
machungwa Coke (soda)Koka Do you have any bar snacks?Snaki ipo? One
more, please.Moja nyingine,tafadhali Another round, please.Duru
nyingine, tafadhali When is closing time?Saa ya kufunga ni lini?
Cheers!Maisha marefu ShoppingDo you have this in my size?Kuna hii
ya kunitosha? How much is this?Bei gani? That's too expensive.Ni
Ghali Sana. Would you take _____?Utakubali----- expensiveGhali
cheapRahisi I can't afford it.Sina pesa za kutosha I don't want
it.Sitaki You're cheating me.I'm not interested.OK, I'll take
it.Sawa, nitachukua. Can I have a bag?Nipe mfuko mmoja tafadhali.
Do you ship (overseas)?I need...Ninahitaji ...toothpaste.Dawa ya
meno ...a toothbrush.Mswaki ...tampons....soap.Sabuni
...shampoo.shampoo ya nywele ...pain reliever. (e.g., aspirin or
ibuprofen)dawa ya kupambana na maumivu ...cold medicine.Dawa ya
mafua ...stomach medicine.Dawa ya tumbo ...a razor.wembe ...an
umbrella.Mwavuli ...sunblock lotion....a postcard....postage
stamps.stempu ...batteries.makaa ...writing paper.Karatasi ya
kuandika ...a pen.Kalamu ...English-language books.Kitabu cha
Kiingereza (singular) / Vitabu vya Kiingereza (plural)
...English-language magazines....an English-language
newspaper.Gazeti la Kiingereza ...an English-English
dictionary.Kamusi ya Kiingereza DrivingI want to rent a
car.Ninataka kukodi gari. Can I get insurance?Ninaweza kupata bima?
stop (on a street sign)Simama one wayyieldno parkingHairuhusiwi
kuegesha (parking not permitted) speed limitSlow downPunguza mwendo
gas (petrol) stationStesheni/stesheni ya mafuta/stesheni ya mafuta
ya gari petrolMafuta/mafuta ya gari dieselAuthorityI haven't done
anything wrong.sijafanya kitu kibaya It was a
misunderstanding.Where are you taking me?Am I under arrest?Je, mimi
chini ya kukamatwa? I am an American/Australian/British/Canadian
citizen.I want to talk to the American/Australian/British/Canadian
embassy/consulate.I want to talk to a lawyer.nataka kuogea na
wakili Can I just pay a fine now?Country and territory namesUnited
StatesMarekani CanadaKanada MexicoMeksiko BrazilBrazil United
KingdomUingereza IrelandEire, Ayalandi RussiaUrusi FranceUfaransa
NetherlandsUholanzi GermanyUdachi, Ujerumani ItalyItalia
KenyaKenya TanzaniaTanzania Zanzibar (Tanzanian Island)Unguja
UgandaUganda Democratic Republic of the CongoJamhuri ya
Kidemokrasia ya Kongo South AfricaAfrika Kusini NigeriaNijeria
EthiopiaUhabeshi ChinaUchina JapanJapani SingaporeSingapuri South
KoreaKorea Kusini IndiaUhundi IsraelUyahudi AustraliaAustralia New
ZealandNyuzilandi On safaricheetah duma elephanttembo giraffe twiga
hippo kiboko lion simba ostrich mbuni snake nyoka turtle warthog
pumba zebra punda milia
