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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Page 5 of 7
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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