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 in-depth, 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.
- a – as in father
- b – as in bat
- ch – as in chop
- d – as in dad
- dh – as in this
- e – halfway between get and gait
- f – as in family
- g – as in game
- gh – halfway between ‘k’ in keep and ‘g’ in get
- h – as in home
- i – as in see
- j – as in jump
- k – as in kennel
- kh- like ‘ch’ in J.S. Bach
- l – as in long
- m – as in mill
- n – as in neat
- ng’ – as in song
- ny – like the Spanish ñ, or the first ‘n’ in onion
- o – as in old
- p – as in pin
- r – as in rabbit
- s – as in small
- sh – as in shallow
- t – as in time
- th – as in thick
- u – as in roof v as in vote
- w – as in women
- y – as in yolk
- z – as in zero
| Greetings | Translation and transliteration |
| May I come in? | Hodi (hoh-dee) |
| Welcome/Come in | Karibu (kah-ree-boo) |
| Hello | Jambo (jah-mboh) |
| Goodbye | Kwaheri (kwah-heh-ree) |
| How are you? | Habari yako? (hah-bah-ree yah-koh) |
| Very well | Mzuri sana |
| …and you? | Na wewe je? |
| Okay | Sawa |
| What’s up? (informal) | Mambo? |
| What’s up with you? Cool | Vipi, Poa |
| Introductions | Translation and transliteration | |
| My name is… | Jina langu ni… (jee-nah lah-ngoo) | |
| What is your name? | Jina lako ni nani? (jee-nah lah-koh nah– | |
| nee) | ||
| What do you call yourself? | Unaitwa nani? | |
| I call myself… | Ninaitwa… | |
| Pleased to meet you. | Nimefurahi kukutana | |
| I am from America. | Ninatoka nchi ya Amerika. | |
| Where are you from? | Unatoka wapi? (wah-pee) | |
| I am a student. | Mimi ni mwanafunzi. | |
| I am doing work for … | Ninafanya kazi kwa… | |
| Etiquette | Translation and transliteration | |
| Thank you | Asante (ah-sah-nteh) | |
| You are welcome | Karibu (kah-ree-boo) | |
| Please | Tafadhali (tah-fah-thah-lee) | |
| My sympathy (Sorry) | Pole (poh-leh) or Samahani | |
| Excuse me | Nisamehe (nee-sa-meh-heh), | |
| Samahani | ||
| Relationships/Titles | Translation and transliteration |
| Me | Mimi |
| You | Wewe |
| Us | Sisi |
| Him/Her | Yeye |
| Them | Wao |
| Friend/Pal | Rafiki (rah-fee-kee) |
| Family | Jamii (jah-mee) |
| Daughter (in Luo) | Nyar |
| Daughter | Binti |
| Son | Mwana (mwah-nah) |
| Relative/Brother | Ndugu (ndoo-goo) |
| Brother | Kaka |
| Sister | Dada (dah-dah) |
| Father | Baba (bah-bah) |
| Mother | Mama |
| Doctor | Daktari (dahk-tah-ree) |
| Teacher | Mwalimu |
| Sir | Bwana (bwah-nah) |
| Man, Men | Mwanaume, Wanaume (wah-nah-oo- meh) |
| Woman, Women | Mwanamke, Wanawake (wah-nah- |
| wah-keh) | |
| A young person | Kijana (kee-jah-nah) |
| Girl, young women | Msichana (msee-chah-nah) |
| Old man (term of respect) | Mzee |
| Drinks | Translation and transliteration |
| I am thirsty | Ninasikia kiu |
| I would like… | Ninaomba… |
| I want… | Nataka… |
| Drinks/Beverages | Kinywaji |
| Coffee | Kahawa (kah-hah-wah) |
| Tea | Chai |
| Water | Maji (mah-jee) |
| Milk | Maziwa |
| Beer | Bia |
| Food | Translation and transliteration |
| I am hungry | Ninasikia njaa |
| Food | Chakula (chah-koo-lah) |
| Bread | Mkate (mkah-teh) |
| Meat | Nyama (nyah-mah) |
| Fish | Samaki (sah-mah-kee) |
| Vegetables | Mboga (mboh-gah) |
| Fruit | Matunda (mah-too-ndah) |
| Chicken | Kuku |
| Corn | Mahindi |
| Locations | Translation and transliteration |
| Market | Soko (soh-koh) |
| Mosque | Msikiti |
| Church | Kanisa (kah-nee-sah) |
| Shop | Duka |
| School | Shule (shoo-leh) |
| Hospital | Hospitali (hoh-spee-tah-lee) |
| Home | Nyumba – Nyumbani |
| Bathroom/Toilet | Choo (choo) |
| Shower | Kioga (kee-oh-gah) |
| Kitchen | Jiko (jee-koh) |
| Garden | Shamba (shah-mbah) |
| Cost | Translation and transliteration |
| How much? | Pesa ngapi (peh-sahn gah-pee) |
| How many? | Ngapi (ngah-pee) |
| Money | Pesa (peh-sah) |
| Price | Bei (beh-ee) |
| Expensive | Ghali (ghah-lee) |
| Cheap | Rahisi (rah-hee-see) |
| Translation and transliteration | |||||||||
| Morning | Asubuhi (ah-soo-boo-hee) | ||||||||
| Afternoon | Mchana (mchah-nah) | ||||||||
| Evening | Jioni (jee-oh-nee) | ||||||||
| Night | Usiku (oo-see-koo) | ||||||||
| Numbers | Translation and transliteration | ||||||||
| Sufiri | 11 | Kumi na moja | 30 | Thelathini | 1000 | elfu | |||
| 1 | Moja | 12 | Kumi na mbili | 40 | Arobaini | ||||
| 2 | Mbili | 13 | Kumi na tatu | 50 | Hamsini | ||||
| 3 | Tatu | 14 | Kumi na nne | 60 | Sitini | ||||
| 4 | Nne | 15 | Kumi na tano | 70 | Sabini | ||||
| 5 | Tano | 16 | Kumi na sita | 80 | Themanini | ||||
| 6 | Sita | 17 | Kumi na saba | 90 | Tisini | ||||
| 7 | Saba | 18 | Kumi na nane | 100 | Mia | ||||
| 8 | Nane | 19 | Kumi na tisa | 102 | Mia na mbili | ||||
| 9 | Tisa | 20 | Ishirini | 200 | Mia mbili | ||||
| 10 | Kumi | 23 | Ishirini na tatu | 250 | Mia mbili na hamsini | ||||
| Useful Words/Phrases | Translation and transliteration |
| Yes | Ndiyo |
| No | Hapana |
| Maybe | Labda |
| Now | Sasa |
| Later | Baadaye |
| Long life | Maisha marefu |
| No worries/problems | Hakuna matata |
| I am satisfied (by this meal) | Nimeshiba. |
| I want… | Nataka… (nah-tah-kah) |
| I want to go… | Nataka kwenda…(nah-tah-kah kweh- |
| ndah) | |
| I want to buy… | Nataka kununua… |
| I am tired. | Nimechoka. |
| I am lost. | Nimepotea | |
| I don’t know. | Sijui. | |
| I don’t understand. | Sifahamu. | |
| How do you say…in Swahili? | Unasemaje… kwa Kiswahili? | |
| Can you repeat that please? | Sema tena tafadhali. | |
| Repeat that slowly | Sema tena pole pole | |
| Who? | Nani? | |
| What? | Nini? | |
| Why? | Kwa nini? | |
| Where? | Wapi? | |
| When? | Lini? | |
| Swahili Proverb/Phrases | Translation and transliteration | |
| Together for one goal. | Pamoja kwa lengo moja. | |
| A proverb that has a similar | Haba na haba hujaza. | |
| meaning to: “a journey of thousand miles | ||
| starts with one step.” | ||
| Slowly is the best course | Pole pole ndiyo mwendo | |
| Hurry has no blessing | Haraka haraka haina baraka | |
| He who praises rain has been rained | Asifuye mvuwa imemnyeshea | |
| on | ||
| To live long is to see much | Kuishi kwingi ni kuona mengi | |
| To get lost is to learn the way | Kupoteya njia ndiyo kujua njia | |
| Miscelaneous | Translation and transliteration | |
| Peace | Amani (ah-mah-nee) | |
| Love | Upendo (oo-peh-ndoh) | |
| Work | Kazi (kah-zee) | |
| Enough | Inatosha/basi | |
| Beautiful | Mrembo (mreh-mboh) | |
| Slowly | Pole pole (poh-leh) | |
| Strength | Nguvo | |
| Bad | Mbaya (mbah-yah) | |
| Long life | Maisha marefu | |
| Cool | Poa | |
| Beautiful | Nzuri/Mzuri |
| Sick | Gonjwa (goh-njwah) |
| Good | Nzuri |
| Piece of cloth worn by a woman | Kanga |