Useful Swahili Words

Pronunciation

To be able to pronounce Swahili words correctly, I strongly recommend the Teach Yourself Swahili CD. You can also check out the Introduction to Kiswahili Language by AbdulGhany Mohammed and Kassim A. Abdullah or the Swahili Pronunciation Guide by Thomas Hinnebusch and Sarah Mirza. Some pronunciation is provided in each section of this page in MP3 format. Just click on the Swahili words. You may have to replay the words in some cases.

Quick Swahili Lessons

Many readers of this page have been asking me where they can have quick Swahili lessons. The Teach Yourself Swahili CD has been prepared exactly to address that need. For those who get a chance to visit Zanzibar, Tanzania, they can have Swahili lessons from the Institute of Kiswahili and Foreign Languages of the State University of Zanzibar. Follow the link for more information. Various universities in North America, Europe, and Asia, also offer such lessons. You may locate through the Internet the one that is closest to you.

Swahili Basics

Swahili is one of the easiest languages to learn. Here are a few basic things to know about Swahili:

Swahili verbs always carry with them the subject (and sometimes the object) and the tense. For example, Ninakula, is a complete sentence which means "I am eating". Ni- prefix stands for the subject "I", the -na- affix stands for "am" showing the tense i.e. the "present continuous" tense, and -kula is the root of the verb "eat".

Another example, Alitupa zawadi which means "He/She gave us gifts". First of all note that in the Swahili language, the pronouns are the same for all the genders - he, him, she, and her are not distinguishable in Swahili - same words, prefixes, affixes and suffixes are used. The well sought after "gender equality" is in-built in the Swahili language!! Now back to the sentence. The prefix A- stands for the subject "He" or "She", the -li- affix indicates the past tense, the -tu- affix stands for the object "us", and -pa is the root of the verb "give".

More examples:

Nilikula - I ate
Nimekula - I have eaten
Ninakula - I am eating
Nitakula - I will eat
 
If you have any comments or questions, I'd be pleased to receive them at: [email protected]
 

Greetings

Between peers: "Habari!" and the greeted answers, "Nzuri!".
Between peers: "Hujambo?" (Are you fine?) and the greeted answers, "Sijambo!" (I'm fine!)
Young to older: "Shikamoo!" (originally it meant "I touch your feet" as a sign of respect) and the greeted answers, "Marahabaa!" (I acknowledge your respect!).

Personal Pronouns

English Swahili
I Mimi
We Sisi
You (singular) Wewe
You (plural) nyinyi
He Yeye
She Yeye
They Wao


Common Dialogue

Sentence/Phrase Response
Habari!
(Hello!/Hi!)
Nzuri!
(Good!/Fine!)
Ninaitwa Charles. Wewe unaitwaje?
(My name is Charles. What's your name?)
Ninaitwa Mary. Nimefurahi kukujua.
(My name is Mary. I'm pleased to know you.)
Unazungumza Kiswahili?
(Do you speak Swahili?)
Ndio! Ninazungumza Kiswahili.
(Yes! I speak Swahili.)

Kidogo tu!
(Just a little bit!)

Hapana! Sizungumzi Kiswahili. Ninazungumza Kiingereza tu!
(No! I don't speak Swahili. I only speak English!)
Ninatokea Marekani. Wewe unatokea wapi?
(I'm from the United States of America. Where are you from?)
Ninatokea Japani. Nipo hapa kwa matembezi.
(I'm from Japan. I'm visiting here.)

Ninatokea Uingereza. Nipo hapa kwa kazi.
(I'm from U.K. I'm here on business.)

Ninatokea Ujerumani. Nimekuja kujifunza Kiswahili.
(I'm from Germany. I've come to learn Swahili.)
Kwaheri! Nimefurahi kukutana na wewe.
(Goodbye! I'm pleased to meet you.)
Karibu! Nimefurahi pia kukutana na wewe.
(Goodbye! I'm also pleased to meet you.)


Utapenda kunywa nini?
(What would you like to drink?)
Nitakunywa maji tu. Nina kiu sana!
(I'll just drink water. I'm very thirsty.)

Nitakunywa kahawa bila maziwa.
(I'll drink coffee without milk.)

Nitakunywa chai na maziwa na sukari kidogo.
(I'll drink tea with milk and little sugar.)

Nitakunywa soda. CocaCola, tafadhali.
(I'll drink soda. CocaCola, please.)
Tafadhali niletee chakula moto haraka. Nina njaa sana!
(Please bring me some hot food quickly. I'm very hungry!)
Huu hapa wali, samaki, mbatata, na saladi. Nitakuletea keki baadaye.
(Here is rice, fish, potatoes, and salad. I'll bring you cake later.)


General Words and Phrases

English Swahili
And Na
Bad Mbaya
Bicycle Baiskeli
Bitter Chungu
Car Gari
Cold Baridi
Danger Hatari
Drink (noun)
Kinywaji
Drink (verb)
Kunywa
Eat
Kula
Excuse me!
Samahani!
Food
Chakula
Friend
Rafiki
Good
Nzuri
Goodbye!
Kwaheri!
Help me, please!
Nisaidie, tafadhali!
Here
Hapa
Hot
Moto
How?
Vipi?
I am angry.
Nimekasirika.
I am traveling.
Ninasafiri.
I am happy.
Nimefurahi.
I can speak Swahili.
Ninaweza kusema Kiswahili.
I can't speak Swahili.
Siwezi kusema Kiswahili.
I love you!
Ninakupenda!
Motorcycle
Pikipiki
No!
Hapana!
OK!
Sawa!
Please
Tafadhali
Sorry! (apologize)
Samahani!
Sorry! (sympathize)
Pole!
Sweet
Tamu
Thank you!
Asante!
Thank you very much!
Asante sana!
There
Pale
Very
Sana
Water
Maji
Welcome!
Karibu!
What?
Nini?
When?
Wakati gani?
Where?
Wapi?
Where are you going to?
Unakwenda wapi?
Which?
Ipi?
Yes!
Ndio!


Days of the Week


In Swahili, Saturday is the first day of the week. The sixth day of the week, Thursday, is mostly pronounced  as "Alkhamisi" to match the way it is pronounced in its Arabic origin. Thursday and Friday both are of Arabic origin. They probably replaced the original Bantu names of those days due to their special place in the Islamic religion. Note that in Arabic, "Alkhamis" means the fifth day of the Arabic week while Thursday is actually the sixth day of the Swahili week! Sort of we ended up with two fifth days of the week: "Jumatano" and "Alkhamisi"!

English Swahili
Saturday
Jumamosi (literally: first day of the week)
Sunday Jumapili (literally: second day of the week)
Monday Jumatatu (literally: third day of the week)
Tuesday Jumanne (literally: fourth day of the week)
Wednesday Jumatano (literally: fifth day of the week)
Thursday Alhamisi (Arabic: fifth day of the week)
Friday Ijumaa (Arabic: the day of congregational prayer)


Numbers

English Swahili English Swahili
1 Moja 40
Arubaini
2 Mbili 
50
Hamsini
3 Tatu 55
Hamsini na tano
4 Nne 
60
Sitini
5 Tano 
70
Sabini
6 Sita 
80
Thamanini
7 Saba 
90
Tisini
8
Nane
100
Mia
9
Tisa
136
Mia moja thalathini na sita
10
Kumi
999
Mia tisa tisini na tisa
11
Kumi na moja
1000
Elfu
12
Kumi na mbili
1997
Elfu moja mia tisa tisini na saba
17
Kumi na saba
Half
Nusu
20
Ishirini
Two and a half
Mbili na nusu
24
Ishirini na nne
Quarter
Robo
30
Thalathini
Forty seven and three quarters Arubaini na saba na robo tatu


Time

It is interesting to note that in the Swahili culture the day starts at sunrise (unlike in the Arab world where the day starts at sunset, and in the Western world where the day starts at midnight). Sunrise in East Africa, being exactly at the Equator, happens every day at approximately 6:00 a.m. And for that reason, 6:00 a.m. is "0:00 morning" Swahili time. By "Swahili time" I mean the time as spoken in Swahili.

So the hands of a watch or clock meant to read Swahili time would always point to a number opposite to the number for the actual time as spoken in English. That is, the Swahili time anywhere in the world (not just East Africa) is delayed by 6 hours.

Therefore 7:00 a.m. is "1:00 morning"  (saa moja asubuhi) Swahili time; midnight is "6:00 night"  (saa sita usiku) Swahili time. 5:00 a.m. is "11:00 early morning" (saa kumi na moja alfajiri) Swahili time.

Note also that the Swahili time doesn't use "noon" as the reference as in a.m. (before noon) and p.m. (after noon). The time is spoken using  "alfajiri" which is the early morning time during which the morning light has started to shine but the sun has not risen yet; "asubuhi" which is the morning time between sunrise and a little before noon; "mchana" which is from around noon to around 3:00 p.m.; "alasiri" which is from around 3:00 p.m. to sunset;  "jioni" which is the entire time period from around 3:00 p.m. up to a little before 7:00 p.m.; and  "usiku" which is the entire time period from around 7:00 p.m. to early morning.


English Swahili
Time Saa
Hour
Saa
Watch/Clock
Saa
Morning Asubuhi
Evening
Jioni/Usiku
Afternoon
Mchana
Late afternoon
Alasiri/Jioni
Dusk
Magharibi
Night
Usiku
Late night
Usiku wa manane
Early morning
Alfajiri
What time is it?
Saa ngapi?
8 o'clock in the morning
Saa mbili kamili asubuhi
8 o'clock sharp
Saa mbili barabara
Noon
Saa sita mchana
4:25 p.m.
Saa kumi na dakika ishirini na tano alasiri
6:00 p.m.
Saa kumi na mbili kamili jioni
8:15 p.m.
Saa mbili na robo usiku
7:45 p.m.
Saa mbili kasorobo usiku
9:30 a.m.
Saa tatu unusu asubuhi (also: Saa tatu na nusu asubuhi)
Now
Sasa
Today
Leo
Yesterday
Jana
Tomorrow
Kesho
Day before yesterday
Juzi
Day after tomorrow
Kesho-kutwa
Day
Siku
Week
Wiki
Month
Mwezi
Year
Mwaka
Century Karne


Animals



English Picture Swahili
Baboon  Nyani
Bird(s) Ndege
Buffalo  Nyati
Cat  Paka
Cheetah  Duma
Chimpanzee  Sokwe
Cow/Ox Ng'ombe
Deer Paa
Dog  Mbwa
Donkey  Punda
Elephant  Tembo/Ndovu
Giraffe  Twiga
Goat  Mbuzi
Hippopotamus Kiboko
Hyena  Fisi
Impala Swala
Leopard  Chui
Lion  Simba
Monkey  Kima
Ostrich  Mbuni
Peacock  Tausi
Pig  Nguruwe
Python  Chatu
Rhinoceros  Kifaru
Sheep Kondoo
Snake  Nyoka
Warthog  Ngiri
Wild  Boar
Nguruwe-mwitu
Wild Dog Mbwa-mwitu
Zebra  Punda-milia

Copyright © 1995-2004 Hassan O. Ali.