Swahili or Kiswahili, is the official language of Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda. Swahili speakers can also be found in surrounding countries, such as Burundi, Rwanda, Mozambique, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. While only 5-10 million people speak Swahili as their first language, as a second language, there are over 50 million speakers, making it the most widely spoken African language in the world. As a part of the Bantu language family, Swahili is related to a variety of languages from Southern Africa to West Africa. While some Bantu languages, like Xhosa and Zulu are click languages, Swahili does not use clicks, so pronunciation is generally not difficult for English speakers.
Pronunciation guide
Vowels
Swahili has five vowels: a, e, i, o, u. If you are familiar with Spanish or Japanese, the vowels are pronounced the same. If not, they are pronounced:
A - ah (Like the "a" in "father")
E - eh (Like the "a" in "say")
I - ee (Like the "ee" in "see")
O - oh (Like the "o" in "cone")
U - oo (Like the "oo" in "doom")
Vowels in Swahili always make the same sounds, even when combined with other vowels. There are no silent letters or diphthongs in Swahili, so vowels will always make the same sound, and it is important that you pronounce each vowel, even when one vowel follows another. For example, in the word "daawa" (lawsuit), you must say "dah-ah-wah", pronouncing both of the a's. Simply saying "dah-wah" (dawa) changes the meaning to "drug/medicine".
Consonants
The following consonants are pronounced the same as in English:
b
like the "b" in "bay"
d
like the "d" in "dog"
f
like the "f" in "fun"
g
like the "g" in "gut"
h
like the "h" in "hen"
j
like the "j" in "jam"
k
like the "k" in "kit"
l
like the "l" in "lump"
p
like the "p" in "pot"
s
like the "s" in "sun"
t
like the "t" in "tip"
v
like the "v" in "van"
w
like the "w" in "win"
y
like the "y" in "yellow"
z
like the "z" in "zebra"
Other consonants
m
like the "m" in "mop".
n
like the "n" in "numb"
Although "m" and "n" are pronounced the same in Swahili as they are in English, unlike English, these letters can often be found at the beginning of words followed by other consonants, such as "t", "d", etc. Since Swahili has no silent letters, it is important to pronounce these letters. So for words like "Mchana" (afternoon) and "Ndugu" (sibling/relative), you needs to pronounce the "m" and "n" sounds along with the following consonant sounds.
r
The "r" sound is not pronounced as it is in English. Actually, like the vowels, the "r" sound is the same as Spanish and Japanese; a soft "r" that sometimes sounds like a "d".
Consonant pairings
ch
like the "ch" in "chat"
ng
like the "ng" in "sing"
ny
like the "ni" in "onion"
gh
officially pronounced similiar to the "ch" in "loch", you can alternatively just pronounce it with a hard "g", like the "g" in "gut" (as mentioned above)
sh
like the "sh" in "dash"
th
like the "th" in "thank". It is never pronounced like the "th" in "those". That "th" is spelled "dh" in Swahili.
dh
like the "th" in "the". It is important not to confuse "dh" with the Swahili "th" above.
Common diphthongs
There are no diphthongs in Swahili; however, foreign names and loan words may contain them.
Phrase list
Basics
Note that greetings in Swahili are very important, and long and drawn out - you can go back and forth several times, using not one but all of the greetings you know.
Hello. (to one person)
Hujambo (response: Sijambo)
Hello. (to a group) : Hamjambo (response: Hatujambo)
Hello to an older person or authority figure.
Shikamoo (shee-kah-moh) (response: Marahaba). Some people frown on the use of Shikamoo because it started out as a servant's greeting to his/her master.
Hello. (informal)
Sasa / Mambo / Jambo (generally said only to tourists). This is 'Sheng' or Swahili slang. Most locals are not impressed if you greet them using Sheng.
Response to informal hello
Mzuri (fine), Safi (clean/in order), Poa (cool), Poa kichizi kama ndizi (crazy cool like a banana)
How are you?
Habari yako? (lit.: Your news?)
How are you? (alternative)
Ukoje? Response: Niko salama.
How are you? (alternative)
U hali gani? (lit.: What's your condition?)
How are you today?
Habari ya leo?
How are you this morning?
Habari ya asubuhi?
How are you this afternoon?
Habari ya mchana?
How are you this evening?
Habari ya jioni?
How was your journey / trip / safari?
Habari za safari?
How have you been today?
Umeshindaje leo?
Fine, thank you.
Nzuri, asante.
What is your name?
Jina lako ni nani?
My name is ______ .
Jina langu ni ______.
Where are you from?
Unatoka wapi?
I am from _______.
Ninatoka nchi ya _______(your country).
Please.
Tafadhali.
Thank you (very much).
Asante (sana).
You're welcome.
Karibu.
Yes.
Ndiyo.
No.
Hapana.
I don't need. (Polite way of saying you don't want to buy anything)
Sihitaji.
Excuse me. (getting attention)
Samahani.
I'm sorry (in the sense of "pardon me"; used for minor transgressions).
Samahani.
I'm sorry (in the sense of "please forgive me for wronging you"; used for major transgressions).
Nasikitika.
Goodbye
Kwa heri.
Good night.
Usiku mwema.
Sleep well.
Lala Salama.
Did you sleep well?
Umelalaje?
Umeamkaje (lit.: did you wake up well?)
See you later.
Tutuonana baadaye.
Later.
Baadaye.
See you tomorrow.
Tutuonana kesho.
My Swahili is terrible
Kiswahili changu ni kibaya sana.
I can't speak Kiswahili.
Siwezi kusema Kiswahili.
I only speak a little Kiswahili.
Ninaongea Kiswahili kidogo tu.
Do you speak English?
Unazungumza Kiingereza?
Bathroom
Bafu
Toilet
Choo
Help!
Msaada!
Where is the _______?
_____(e.g. bathroom, police station...) iko wapi?
Grammatically, this would depend on the noun class of the object in question. E.g. for bathroom, it would be 'Kiko', not 'Iko'. There are 18 noun classes in Swahili.
Problem(s)
Leave me alone.
Uniache!
Don't touch me!
Usiniguse!
I'll call the police.
Nitaita polisi!
Police!
Polisi!
Help!
Msaada!
Stop! Thief!
(Saying this in Swahili could likely result in violent death for the thief at the hands of self appointed vigilantes. Your item may or may not be recovered.) Simama, mwizi!
I need your help.
Ninaomba msaada.
I'm lost.
Nimepotea.
I lost my bag.
Nimepoteza mfuko wangu.
I lost my wallet.
Nimepoteza pochi.
I'm sick.
Mimi ni mgonjwa.
I've been injured.
I need a doctor.
Ninahitaji daktari.
Can I use your phone?
Ninaomba kutumia simu yako?
Numbers
One.
Moja
Two.
Mbili
Three.
Tatu
Four.
Nne
Five.
Tano
Six.
Sita
Seven.
Saba
Eight.
Nane
Nine.
Tisa
Ten.
Kumi
Twenty.
Ishirini
Thirty.
Thelathini
Forty.
Arobaini
Fifty.
Hamsini
Sixty.
Sitini
Seventy.
Sabini
Eighty.
Themanini
Ninety.
Tisini
One Hundred.
Mia moja
One Thousand.
Elfu moja
Time
now
Sasa
later
Baadaye
before
Kabla ya
after
Baada ya
morning
Asubuhi
afternoon
Mchana
evening
Jioni
night
Usiku
Clock time
What time is it?
Saa ngapi?
In Swahili, the morning does not begin at midnight (12 AM); instead, it begins at 7:00 AM. Daytime revolves around the rising and setting of the sun, which typically begins to rise around 7 AM and set at 7 PM in the areas where Swahili is spoken. For English speakers, this can be confusing; however, those who learn how to tell time in Swahili will admit that it is more logical than the English system, in which midnight is considered "morning", even though no one begins their day at midnight.
So, to say the time in Swahili, you need to add (or subtract) 6 from the English time. 7:00 in America will be expressed as the first hour (1:00) in Swahili. AM is expressed with asubuhi (morning) and PM is typically marked with usiku (night). Because the daytime begins at 7 AM, hours from midnight to 6 AM will be expressed with usiku, as these are nighttime hours in Swahili. Jioni (evening) can be used in place of usiku for hours that are not so late, such as 7 PM.
7 o'clock AM
saa moja asubuhi
7.15 AM
saa moja na robo asubuhi
7.20 AM
saa moja na dakika ishirini asubuhi
7.30 AM
saa moja na nusu asubuhi
7.45 AM
saa mbili (kasoro robo = kasorobo)
7.50 AM
saa mbili kasoro dakika kumi asubuhi
8 o'clock AM
saa mbili asubuhi
9 o'clock AM
saa tatu asubuhi
Noon (12 o'clock PM)
saa sita asubuhi
1 o'clock PM
saa saba mchana
2 o'clock PM
saa nana mchana
7 o'clock PM
saa moja usiku
8 o'clock PM
saa mbili usiku
9 o'clock PM
saa tatu usiku
Midnight (12 o'clock AM)
saa sita usiku
Duration
dakika_____ minute(s)
saa (masaa)_____ hour(s)
siku_____ day(s)
wiki_____ week(s)
mwezi (miezi)_____ month(s)
mwaka (miaka)_____ year(s)
duration ____ muda
how long ____ muda gani
Days
In Swahili, the first day of the week is Saturday. The name of Saturday combines juma (week) and mosi (one/first). You can think of it as meaning roughly "the first of the week". The other days are the same, with the exception of Thursday and Friday, which do not follow the pattern.
Saturday
Jumamosi
Sunday
Jumapili
Monday
Jumatatu
Tuesday
Jumanne
Wednesday
Jumatano
Thursday
Alhamisi
Friday
Ijumaa
Months
Month
mwezi
In Tanzania, the names of the months in parenthesis are rarely used. Instead, they refer to them as first month, second month, etc.
January
Mwezi wa kwanza (Januari)
February
Mwezi wa pili (Februari)
March
Mwezi wa tatu (Machi)
April
Mwezi wa nne (Aprili)
May
Mwezi wa tano (Mei)
June
Mwezi wa sita (Juni)
July
Mwezi wa saba (Julai)
August
Mwezi wa nane (Agosti)
September
Mwezi wa tisa (Septemba)
October
Mwezi wa kumi (Oktoba)
November
Mwezi wa kumi na moja (Novemba)
December
Mwezi wa kumi na mbili (Desemba)
Seasons
Swahili speaking countries generally experience 2 seasons: rainy/hot and cold/dry. Swahili does not have words for "autumn" or "spring", etc.
Kahawa (this will usually be instant coffee. It's rare to find real coffee except in specialist establishments or those frequented by tourists)
tea (drink)
Chai
spiced tea
Chai ya masala (tea is often spiced with masala mix or ginger
Tea with milk
Chai ya maziwa
Tea without milk
Chai ya rangi (literally, 'tea with color')
juice
juici
(bubbly) water
water
Maji
beer
Pombe, Bia (Pombe often refers to a local brew and many of these are unsafe to drink. Better to ask for a beer by brand name or ask 'Bia gani ipo?', 'What beers do you have?'
red/white wine
Mvinyo/wini nyekundu/nyeupi
May I have some _____?
Ninaomba
salt
Chumvi
black pepper
pilipili manga
butter
Siagi (But you are likely to get margarine, at best. You will probably need to ask for margarine by a brand name, such as 'Blue Band')
Excuse me, waiter? (getting attention of server)
Samahani/ebu (the latter is less formal)
Excuse me, waiter? (to a waiter, 'Kaka', to a waitress, 'Dada')
I'm finished.
Nimemaliza
It was delicious.
Chakula ni kitamu
Please clear the plates.
Uondoe masahani tafadhali
The check, please.
Naomba bili, tafadhali
Bars
Do you serve alcohol?
Is there table service?
A beer/two beers, please.
A glass of red/white wine, please.
A pint, please.
A bottle, please.
Chupa moja, tafadhali.
_____ (hard liquor) and _____ (mixer), please.
whiskey
vodka
rum
water
Maji
club soda
tonic water
orange juice
Coke (soda)
Do you have any bar snacks?
One more, please.
Moja nyingine,tafadhali
Another round, please.
When is closing time?
Saa ya kufunga ni lini?
Cheers!
Maisha marefu
Shopping
Do you have this in my size?
Kuna hii ya kunitosha?
How much is this?
Bei gani?
That's too expensive.
Ni Ghali Sana.
Would you take _____?
Utakubali-----
expensive
Ghali
cheap
Rahisi
I can't afford it.
Sina pesa za kutosha
I don't want it.
Sitaki
You're cheating me.
I'm not interested.
OK, I'll take it.
Sawa, nitachukua.
Can I have a bag?
Nipe mfuko mmoja tafadhali.
Do you ship (overseas)?
I need...
Ninahitaji
...toothpaste.
Dawa ya meno
...a toothbrush.
Mswaki
...tampons.
...soap.
Sabuni
...shampoo.
shampoo ya nywele
...pain reliever. (e.g., aspirin or ibuprofen)
...cold medicine.
Dawa ya mafua
...stomach medicine.
Dawa ya tumbo
...a razor.
wembe
...an umbrella.
Mwavuli
...sunblock lotion.
...a postcard.
...postage stamps.
stempu
...batteries.
makaa
...writing paper.
Karatasi ya kuandika
...a pen.
Kalamu
...English-language books.
Kitabu cha Kiingereza (singular) / Vitabu vya Kiingereza (plural)
...English-language magazines.
...an English-language newspaper.
Gazeti la Kiingereza
...an English-English dictionary.
Kamusi ya Kiingereza
Driving
I want to rent a car.
Can I get insurance?
stop (on a street sign)
one way
yield
no parking
speed limit
gas (petrol) station
petrol
diesel
Authority
I haven't done anything wrong.
sijafanya kitu kibaya
It was a misunderstanding.
Where are you taking me?
Am I under arrest?
Je, mimi chini ya kukamatwa?
I am an American/Australian/British/Canadian citizen.
I want to talk to the American/Australian/British/Canadian embassy/consulate.
This is a usable phrasebook. It explains pronunciation and the bare essentials of travel communication. An adventurous person could use it to get by, but please plunge forward and help it grow!
