Swahili basics
TANZANIA SWAHILI BASICS
Swahili or Kiswahili is the national and official language of Tanzania. Swahili belongs to the greater Bantu language family that is widely spoken in East Africa as well as some parts of West Africa and Southern Africa.
GREETINGS – SALAMU
• Hello, how are you? – Habari yako ?
• Am fine – Mzuri
• Goodbye – Kwa heri
• Nice to meet you = Nafurahi kukuona
• Goodnight – Lala salama
COMMUNICATION – MAZUNGUMZO
• Yes – Ndio
• No – Hapana /La
• Thank you – Asante
• Thank you very much – Asante sana
• Please – Tafadhali
• OK – Sawa
• Excuse me – Samahani
• You’re Welcome – Karibu
• Can you help me? – Nisaidie Tafadhali
• What is your name? – Jina lako ni?
• My name is Lisa – Jina langu ni Lisa…
• Where are you from? – Unatoka wapi?
• I’m from London.. – Nimetoka London…
• May I take a picture? – Naweza piga picha
• Do you speak English? -Unaongea Kizungu?
• Just a little bit – Kidogo tu!
• How do you say Hallo in Swahili? = Unasemaje Hallo kwa Kiswahili
• I don’t understand – Sifahamu
• Friend of mine -Rafiki yangu/Shoga yangu
• Me – Mimi
• You -wewe
• I am – Mimi ni
• Let’s go – Twende
• Ok – Sawa
• Enough – Tosha
MOVING AROUND…
• Where is the … – ni wapi…
• Road – barabara
• Market -soko
• Toilet/bathroom – choo
• Plane – ndege
• Is there a bus going to Arusha…? – Kuna basi ya kuenda Arusha..?
• Is it far – Ni mbali
• Over there – pale
• Ticket – tikiti
• Where are you going? – Unaenda wapi?
• How much is it? -Ni pesa ngapi?
• Hotel – hoteli
• Room – chumba
• Are there any vacancies for tonight? -Kuna nafasi leo usiko?
• No vacancies – Hamna nafasi
• How much is it per night? – ni bei gani kwa usiku?
TIME AND DAYS – WAKATI NA SIKU
• What is the time – ni saa ngapi?
• Today – leo
• Tomorrow – kesho
• Yesterday – jana
• Now – sasa
• Later – baadaye
• Every day – kila siku
• Monday – Jumatatu
• Tuesday – Jumanne
• Wednesday – Jumatano
• Thursday – Alhamisi
• Friday – Ijumaa
• Saturday – Jumamosi
• Sunday – Jumapili
NUMBERS – HESABU
• 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 moja
• 200,000 -laki mbili….
FOOD – CHAKULA
• Hot – moto
• Cold – baridi
• Water – maji
• Hot water – maji moto
• Cold water – maji baridi
• Drinking water – maji ya kunywa
• Soda (soft drinks) – soda
• Beer – bia
• Milk – maziwa
• Meat – nyama
• Chicken – kuku
• Fish – samaki
• Beef – nyama ya ng’ombe
• Fruit – matunda
• Vegetables – mboga
HEALTH – AFYA
• Doctor = daktari/mganga
• Hospital = hospitali
• I’m sick = mimi ni mgonjwa
• I need a doctor = nataka kuona daktari
• It hurts here = naumwa hapa ( hapa –point at where the pain is)
• Fever = homa
• Malaria = malaria
• I have a headache = naumwa na kichwa
• I have diarrhoea = naendesha
• Vomiting = tapika
• Medicine = dawa
ANIMALS – WANAYAMA
• Animal = mnyama
• Buffalo = Nyati / Mbogo
• Cheetah = Duma / Chita
• Elephant = Tembo / Ndovu
• Giraffe = Twiga
• Hippo = Kiboko
• Hyena = Fisi
• Leopard = Chui
• Lion = Simba
• Rhino = Kifaru
• Warthog = Ngiri
• Wildebeest = Nyumbu
• Zebra = Punda milia
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