Swahili is widely used in: (1) Tanzania, where it is the language of administration and primary education; (2) Kenya, where it is, after English, the main language for these purposes; (3) Congo (Kinshasa), where a form of Swahili is one of the four languages of administration, the main language for this purpose being French; and (4) Uganda, where the main language is again English.
Vocabulary
Greetings
- Hello: jambo/ hujambo/ salama
- How are you?: habari gani
- Fine (response): nzuri
- Goodbye: kwa heri/ kwa herini (more than one peson)
- See you later: tutaonana
- Nice to meet you: nafurahi kukuona
- Goodnight: lala salama
Civilities
- Yes: ndiyo
- No: hapana
- Thank you: asante
- Thank you very much: asante sana
- Please: tafadhali
- OK: sawa
- Excuse me: samahani
- You’re welcome: starehe
- Can you help me?: tafadhali, naomba msaada
- What is your name?: jina lako nani?
- My name is: jina langu ni
- Where are you from?: unatoka wapi?
- I’m from: natokea
- May I take a picture?: naomba kupiga picha
- Do you speak English?: unasema kiingereza?
- Do you speak Swahili?: unasema Kiswahili?
- Just a little bit: kidogo tu
- How do you say… in Swahili?: unasemaje… kwa kiswahili
- I don’t understand: sielewi
- Friend: rafiki
Getting Around
- Where is the…?: ni wapi…?
- Airport: uwanja wa ndege
- Bus station: stesheni ya basi
- Bus stop: bas stendi
- Taxi stand: stendi ya teksi
- Train Station: stesheni ya treni
- Bank: benki
- Market: soko
- Police station: kituo cha polisi
- Post office: posta
- Tourist Office: ofisi ya watali
- Toilet/ bathroom: choo
- What time is the… leaving?: inaondoka saa… ngapi?
- Bus: basi
- Minibus: matatu (Kenya); dalla dalla (Tanzania)
- Plane: ndege
- Train: treni/gari la moshi
- Is there a bus going to…?: kuna basi ya…?
- I’d like to buy a ticket: nataka kununua tikiti
- Is it near: ni karibu?
- Is it far: ni mbali?
- There: huko
- Over there: pale
- Ticket: tikiti
- Where are you going?: unakwenda wapi?
- How much is the fare?: nauli ni kiasi gani?
- Hotel: hoteli
- Room: chumba
- Reservation: akiba
- Are there any vacancies for tonight?: mna nafasi leo usiko? (Kenya: iko nafasi leo usiku?)
- No vacancies: hamna nafasi. (Kenya: hakuna nafasi)
- How much is it per night?: ni bei gani kwa usiku?
Days and Numbers
- Today: leo
- Tomorrow: kesho
- Yesterday: jana
- Now: sasa
- Later: baadaye
- Every day: kila siku
- Monday: Jumatatu
- Tuesday: Jumanne
- Wednesday: Jumatano
- Thursday: Alhamisi
- Friday: Ljumaa
- Saturday: Jumamosi
- Sunday: Jumapili
- 1: moja
- 2: mbili
- 3: tatu
- 4: nne
- 5: tano
- 6: sita
- 7: saba
- 8: nane
- 9: tisa
- 10: kumi
- 11: kumi na moja (ten and one)
- 12: kumi na mbili (ten and two)
- 20: ishirini
- 21: ishirni na moja (twenty and one)
- 30: thelathini
- 40: arobaini
- 50: hamsini
- 60: sitini
- 70: sabini
- 80: themanini
- 90: tisini
- 100: mia
- 200: mia mbili
- 1000: elfu
- 100,000: laki
Food and Drinks
- I’d like: nataka
- Food: chakula
- Hot/cold: ya moto/baridi
- Water: maji
- Hot water: maji ya moto
- Drinking water: maji ya kunywa
- Soda: soda
- Beer: bia
- Milk: maziwa
- Meat: nyama
- Chicken: nyama kuku
- Fish: sumaki
- Beef: nyama ng’ombe
- Fruit: matunda
- Vegetables: mboga
Health
- Where can I find a…?: naweza kupata… wapi?
- Doctor: daktari/mganga
- Hospital: hospitali
- Medical center: matibabu
- I’m sick: mimi ni mgonjwa
- I need a doctor: nataka kuona daktari
- It hurts here: naumwa hapa
- Fever: homa
- Malaria: melaria
- Mosquito net: chandalua
- Headache: umwa kichwa
- Diarrhoea: harisha/endesha
- Vomiting: tapika
- Medicine: dawa
Animals
- Animal: wanyama
- Buffalo: nyati/mbogo
- Cheetah: duma/ chita
- Cow: n’gombe
- Elephant: tembo/ndovuh
- Giraffe: twiga
- Goat: mbuzi
- Hippo: kiboko
- Hyena: fisi
- Leopard: chui
- Lion: simba
- Rhino: kifaruGreetings
- Hello: jambo/ hujambo/ salama
- How are you?: habari gani
- Fine (response): nzuri
- Goodbye: kwa heri/ kwa herini (more than one peson)
- See you later: tutaonana
- Nice to meet you: nafurahi kukuona
- Goodnight: lala salama
- Civilities
- Yes: ndiyo
- No: hapana
- Thank you: asante
- Thank you very much: asante sana
- Please: tafadhali
- OK: sawa
- Excuse me: samahani
- You’re welcome: starehe
- Can you help me?: tafadhali, naomba msaada
- What is your name?: jina lako nani?
- My name is: jina langu ni
- Where are you from?: unatoka wapi?
- I’m from: natokea
- May I take a picture?: naomba kupiga picha
- Do you speak English?: unasema kiingereza?
- Do you speak Swahili?: unasema Kiswahili?
- Just a little bit: kidogo tu
- How do you say… in Swahili?: unasemaje… kwa kiswahili
- I don’t understand: sielewi
- Friend: rafiki
- Getting Around
- Where is the…?: ni wapi…?
- Airport: uwanja wa ndege
- Bus station: stesheni ya basi
- Bus stop: bas stendi
- Taxi stand: stendi ya teksi
- Train Station: stesheni ya treni
- Bank: benki
- Market: soko
- Police station: kituo cha polisi
- Post office: posta
- Tourist Office: ofisi ya watali
- Toilet/ bathroom: choo
- What time is the… leaving?: inaondoka saa… ngapi?
- Bus: basi
- Minibus: matatu (Kenya); dalla dalla (Tanzania)
- Plane: ndege
- Train: treni/gari la moshi
- Is there a bus going to…?: kuna basi ya…?
- I’d like to buy a ticket: nataka kununua tikiti
- Is it near: ni karibu?
- Is it far: ni mbali?
- There: huko
- Over there: pale
- Ticket: tikiti
- Where are you going?: unakwenda wapi?
- How much is the fare?: nauli ni kiasi gani?
- Hotel: hoteli
- Room: chumba
- Reservation: akiba
- Are there any vacancies for tonight?: mna nafasi leo usiko? (Kenya: iko nafasi leo usiku?)
- No vacancies: hamna nafasi. (Kenya: hakuna nafasi)
- How much is it per night?: ni bei gani kwa usiku?
- Days and Numbers
- Today: leo
- Tomorrow: kesho
- Yesterday: jana
- Now: sasa
- Later: baadaye
- Every day: kila siku
- Monday: Jumatatu
- Tuesday: Jumanne
- Wednesday: Jumatano
- Thursday: Alhamisi
- Friday: Ljumaa
- Saturday: Jumamosi
- Sunday: Jumapili
- 1: moja
- 2: mbili
- 3: tatu
- 4: nne
- 5: tano
- 6: sita
- 7: saba
- 8: nane
- 9: tisa
- 10: kumi
- 11: kumi na moja (ten and one)
- 12: kumi na mbili (ten and two)
- 20: ishirini
- 21: ishirni na moja (twenty and one)
- 30: thelathini
- 40: arobaini
- 50: hamsini
- 60: sitini
- 70: sabini
- 80: themanini
- 90: tisini
- 100: mia
- 200: mia mbili
- 1000: elfu
- 100,000: laki
- Food and Drinks
- I’d like: nataka
- Food: chakula
- Hot/cold: ya moto/baridi
- Water: maji
- Hot water: maji ya moto
- Drinking water: maji ya kunywa
- Soda: soda
- Beer: bia
- Milk: maziwa
- Meat: nyama
- Chicken: nyama kuku
- Fish: sumaki
- Beef: nyama ng’ombe
- Fruit: matunda
- Vegetables: mboga
- Health
- Where can I find a…?: naweza kupata… wapi?
- Doctor: daktari/mganga
- Hospital: hospitali
- Medical center: matibabu
- I’m sick: mimi ni mgonjwa
- I need a doctor: nataka kuona daktari
- It hurts here: naumwa hapa
- Fever: homa
- Malaria: melaria
- Mosquito net: chandalua
- Headache: umwa kichwa
- Diarrhoea: harisha/endesha
- Vomiting: tapika
- Medicine: dawa
- Animals
- Animal: wanyama
- Buffalo: nyati/mbogo
- Cheetah: duma/ chita
- Cow: n’gombe
- Elephant: tembo/ndovuh
- Giraffe: twiga
- Goat: mbuzi
- Hippo: kiboko
- Hyena: fisi
- Leopard: chui
- Lion: simba
- Rhino: kifaru
- Warthog: ngiri
- Wildebeest: nyumbu
- Zebra: punda milia
- Warthog: ngiri
- Wildebeest: nyumbu
- Zebra: punda milia