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What to Bring What not to Bring Safety Visa and Passport Buying Souvenirs Tipping Medical facts A word on Etiquette Some Basic Swahili

Hello                                    Jambo
Doing OK                            Sijambo

How are things?                    Habari?
Fine, etc.                               Nzuri
(response)

Goodbye to one/+                   Kwaheri/Kwaherini

Come in                                Karibu
Thank you                            Asante

Mr.                (respectful Bwana - adult man)
Mrs.,                                    Miss Mama(respectful- adult woman)
youth/youths                          kijana/vijana
child/children                        mtoto/watoto

What is your name? Jina lako nani?
My name is... Jina langu...
What are you called? Unaitwaje?
I am called... Nina itwa...


Numbers

1 moja
2 mbili
3 tatu
4 nne
5 tano
6 sita
7 saba
8 nane
9 tisa
10 kumi
11 kumi na moja
12-19 kumi na (mbili, tatu, etc.)
20 ishirini
21-29 ishirini na (moja, mbili, etc.)
30 thelathini
40 arobaini
50 hamsini
60 sitini
70 sabini
80 themanini
90 tisini
100 mia moja
121 mia moja na ishirini na moja
1000 elfu moja


Time

What time is it? Saa ngapi?
three o'clock saa tisa
quarter past na robo
half past na nusu
quarter to kasa robo
minutes dakika
early mapema
yesterday jena
today leo
tomorrow kesho
daytime mchana
nighttime usiku
dawn alfajiri
morning asubuhi


Days

Monday jumatatu
Tuesday jumanne
Wednesday jumatano
Thursday alhamisi
Friday ijumaa
Saturday jumamosi
Sunday jumapili


Verbs

Note that "ku" is the infinitive and generally separable.

to be able
(can) ku-weza
to be,
to become ku-wa
to bring ku-leta
to buy ku-nunua
to come kuja (irregular)
to come from ku-toka
to drink ku-nywa
to eat ku-la
to give ku-pa
to go kwenda (generally irregular)
to have ku-wa na
to hear ku-sikia
to know ku-jua
to like,
to love ku-penda
to look ku-tazama
to think ku-fikiri
to be tired ku-choka
to say,
to speak ku-sema
to see,
to meet ku-ona
to sleep ku-lala
to stay ku-kaa
to want ku-taka


Pronouns

Me, I Mimi, Ni
You Wewe, U
Him/Her Yeye
He/She A
Us, We Sisi, Tu
You (plural) Ninyi, M
Them, They Wao, Wa


Tenses

present -na-
past -li-
future -ta-
immediately past
or continuing -me-


Useful words

yes   ndiyo            no        hapana
expensive             ghali sana
cheap                   rahisi
right                     kulia
left                       kushoto
up                        juu
down                   chini
friend                   rafiki
Pardon                 Samahani
Where is?             Wapi?
here hapa
when? lini?
now sasa
soon sasa hivi
why? kwa nini?
because kwa sababu
who? nini?
what? nani?
which? gani?/gapi?
true kweli
and/with na
or au
(it) is/
(they) are ni


Useful phrases

I don't understand                     Sifahamu/Sielewi
I don't speak Swahili                 Sisemi kiswahili
How do you say in Swahili?      Unasemaje kwa kiswahili...?
Could you repeat that?              Sema tena
Speak slowly                            Sema pole pole
I don't know                             Sijui
Where can I stay?                      Naweza kukaa wapi?
Can I stay here?                       Naweza kukaa hapa?
How much?                             Ngapi?
How much is...                   ? Pesa ngapi...?
What price?                         Bei gani...?
I want...                            Nataka...
I don't want...                      Sitaki...

Come down a little (in price)                 Punguza kidogo
Bring me...                                                     Nilete...
Where are you going?                           Nenda wapi?
I'm going to...                      Nenda...
When does it leave?                     Inaondoka lini?
When will we arrive?                  Tutafiki lini?
I want to get off here                  Nataka kushuka hap
Let's go (carry on, etc.) Twende
straight ahead Moja kwa moja
Excuse me (let me through) Hebu