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:
papakilonzo@hotmail.com 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!)
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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.)
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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
1 - Moja
40 - Arubaini
2 - Mbili
50 - Hamsini
3 - Tatu
55 - Hamsini na tano4 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
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