Swahili Language
Swahili is a typical trade language; you will find a mixture of Arab, Bantu and English words in it. The pronunciation is phonetic, that makes it easier to speak. Many words have just been taken from another language and have been given a Swahili sound to it. For example Dariva meaning Driver, Gari meaning Car, Manispa meaning Municipal etc. etc. There are not so many irregularities in the language but if anybody tells you that Swahili is an easy language DO NOT BELIEVE IT!! There are many ways to say the same thing and a word can have many meanings.If you want to study Swahili you can do so on Zanzibar at the Taasisi School for Languages, the official name is SUZA but here everybody still calls it Taasisi. You can hire a private teacher or you can do a course.
A good website to help you is the Kamusi Project http://www.yale.edu/swahili/ with a dictionary and a learning guide.
If you just want to be able to communicate a little bit than these following words may help you:
Greeting
Greetings in Africa are very important and should not be rushed.The Tourist way to greet is Jambo but it is not good Swahili.
The proper way to greet is:
Hujambo answer Sijambo (it means do you have any problems and the answer is I don’t have any problems)
For more people the question is Hamjambo and the answer should be Hatujambo.
Then the long questions start:
How is your morning/afternoon/evening? Habari za Asubuhi/Jioni/Usiku
How is your day? Habari za Leo
How is your trip? Habari ya safari
How is home? Habari ya nyumbani
And so on and so on… (family, land, health, children, business, work etc.)
Habari means what is the news of…… and the answer should always be Nzuri (good) or Salama (peaceful) No matter how bad you may feel.
So remember Habari za……..Nzuri!
The formal greeting is Shikamoo to one person and the answer should be Marahaba.
It is very impolite not to answer a Shikamoo.
To a group you will say Shikamoni, the answer is Marahaba.
The “Cool”way of greeting is also very important:
Mambo? / Mambo vipi? Means Hey, what’s up! You can answer in three different ways:
1. Poa! (cool)
2. Freshi! (fresh)
3. Bomba! (fantastic)
Some other important words:
Asante (sana) – Thanks (very much), plural is Asanteni
Karibu – You are welcome, plural is Karibuni
Kwaheri – Bye, plural is Kwaherini
Lala salama – Goodnight
Pole Pole – Take it Easy
Hakuna Matata – No problems
Nakupenda - I love you?
Sikupendi - I don't love you.
Ninapenda (or Napenda) - I like it
Sipendi - I don't like it
Ninataka (or nataka)- I want
Sitaki - I don't want
Inroducing yourself
The Easiest way is:Mimi ni Peter, na wewe? I am Peter and you?
A nicer way is:
Gina lako Nani? What is your name?
Gina langu ni Peter? My name is Peter.
Unatoka wapi? Where do you come from?
Ninatoka ulaya. I come from Europe.
Ordering a drink
There are different ways of ordering:1.Naomba coke moja (tafadhali) I am asking for a coke (please)
2.Nataka fanta moja na bia mbili(tafadhali) I want one fanta and two bears please.
3.Lete chai rangi – bring black tea.
Bia – Beer
Soda – Softdrink
Kahawa – Coffee
..bila maziwa –without milk
..na sukari- with sugar
Nataka kulipa – I want to pay
Shin’Gapi – How much is it?
To get the waiters attention say: Samahani (excuse me) or a soft tsss tsss between your teeth.
Buying things and negotiating prices
It will help you a lot to be able to negotiate in Swahili. The price will drop down immediately.Bei Gani? What is the price?
Elfu tatu – three thousand
Aaaaaaahhhhhh Ghali sana!!!!– aaah very expensive!!!
Punguza bei (tafadhali) – Lower the price (please)
Sawa alfu Mbili – OK two thousand
Sawa- OK
Counting
The only difficult part in counting is 20, 30 etc, the rest is quite simple, please try your best to remember 1- 10 and the rest will come.2 Mbili
3 Tatu
4 Nne
5 Tanu
6 Sita
7 Saba
8 Nane
9 Tisa
10 Kumi
30 Thelathini
40 Arubaini
50 Hamsini
60 Sitini
70 Sabini
80 Themanini
90 Tisini
100 Mia (moja)
200 Mia Mbili
300 Mia tatu
And so on….
2000 Alfu Mbili
5000 Alfu Tatu
And so on…
10000 Alfu Kumi
30000 Alfu Thelathini
And so on…
100000= Laki moja
600000= Laki sita
And so on…