Tanzanians are a big fan of people who try to speak their language, and you’ll often hear things like ‘woow you speak really good Swahili’ if you know as little as ‘hello’ or ‘thank you’. Many people in the tourist areas speak English so you probably won’t need a lot of Swahili, but they like to at least greet new people in Swahili, so it’s good to know some basics. No idea where to start? Hakuna matata, we’ve got you covered!
You don’t have to worry a lot about pronunciation, as letters in Swahili are mostly pronounced as in English. If you want to make sure you get it absolutely right, we recommend checking out this website.
Of course we realize you won’t always have access to internet during your trip, so we’ve included a pdf-version of this page for you to print out or save on your phone and bring along. Scroll to the bottom to download it.
Tanzanians LOVE their greetings and Swahili is definitely one of the languages with the most possible greetings we’ve ever heard! Have a look at the options below, and remember to always use at least 2 or 3 before starting the actual conversation, or you might be considered rude!
How are you/things?
Jambo?
Hujambo? (singular)
Hamjambo? (plural)
Fine
I’m fine
We are fine
Jambo
Sijambo
Hatujambo
What’s your news?
Habari?
Fine
Peaceful
Nzuri / safi
Salama
What’s up?
Mambo?
Vipi?
(only between people of the same age)
Cool
Fine
Peaceful
Poa
Nzuri / safi
Salama
Greeting an older person
Shikamoo (always use this to be polite)
Response from older person
Marahaba
Are you healthy?
Mzima?
I’m healthy
Mzima
What’s your name?
Unaitwa nani?
Jina lako nani?
My name is…
Ninaitwa …
Jina langu ni …
Where are you from?
Unatokea wapi?
I come from…
Ninatokea …
How old are you?
Una miaka mingapi?
I’m … years old
Nina miaka … (see below for numbers)
Nice to meet you
Ninafuraha kukutana nawe
Goodbye
Kwaheri
(See you) later!
(Tutaonana) baadaye
Good day (as goodbye)
Siku njema
Good evening (as goodbye)
Jioni njema
Good night (as goodbye)
Usiku mwema
Sleep well
Lala salama
Yes
Ndiyo
No
Hapana
OK
Sawa
Thank you
Ahsante (to 1 person)
Ahsanteni (to more than 1 person)
No, thank you
Hapana ahsante
(You’re) welcome
Karibu (to 1 person)
Karibuni (to more than 1 person)
Please
Tafadhali
Can I please get …
Naomba … (this literally means ‘I beg’ and it’s used more often than ‘tafadhali’)
Excuse me
Samahani
Sorry
Pole (pole is used a lot, in hundreds of situations, from saying ‘sorry it’s raining’ to ‘sorry your mother passed away’)
… very much
… sana (eg. ahsante sana, pole sana, …)
No worries
Hakuna matata (usually only used for tourists)
No problem
Hamna shida
Do you understand?
Unaelewa?
I understand
Naelewa
I don’t understand
Sielewi
I don’t speak Swahili
Siongei Kiswahili
Do you speak English?
Unaongea Kiingereza?
A little bit
Kidogo
Could you repeat?
Sema tena
Slowly
Pole pole
Please write it down for me
Naomba uniandikie …
Do you like …?
Unapenda …?
I like …
Napenda …
I don’t like …
Sipendi …
Do you know …?
Unajua …?
I know …
Najua …
I don’t know
Sijui …
Me
Mimi
You
Wewe
He/she
Yeye
We
Sisi
You (plural)
Ninyi
They
Wao
Woman
Mwanamke (pl. wanawake)
Mother
Mama
Madam, miss, misses
Mama
Grandmother
Bibi
Sister
Dada – also for a sister from another mister
Man
Mwanaume (pl. wanaume)
Father
Baba
Sir, mister
Bwana
Grandfather
Babu
Brother
Kaka – also for a brother from another mother
Friend
Rafiki
Child
Mtoto
What?
Nini?
Where?
Wapi?
Who?
Nani?
When?
Lini?
Why?
Kwa nini?
How many?
Ngapi?
Because …
Kwa sababu
Which? / What kind of?
Gani?
One
Moja
Two
Mbili
Three
Tatu
Four
Nne
Five
Tano
Seven
Saba
Eight
Nane
Nine
Tisa
Ten
Kumi
Eleven
Kumi na moja
Twelve
Kumi na mbili
…
…
Twenty
Ishirini
Thirty
Thelathini
Fourty
Arobaini
Fifty
Hamsini
Sixty
Sitini
Seventy
Sabini
Eighty
Themanini
Ninety
Tisini
One hundred
Mia moja
Two hundred
Mia mbili
…
…
One thousand
Elfu moja
Two thousand
Elfu mbili
…
…
Ten thousand
Elfu kumi
Twenty thousand
Elfu ishirini
…
…
One hundred thousand
Laki moja
Two hundred thousand
Laki mbili
…
…
One million
Millioni moja
Two million
Millioni mbili
…
…
Half
Nusu
Quarter
Robo
Minus
Kasoro
Plus / and
Na
Precisely
Kamili
To speak about time in Swahili, you use ‘saa’ (hour) and then combine the numbers above. The only difficulty is that Swahili time is counted differently than time in most other places in the world, as it’s based on sunrise and sunset and not on noon and midnight. Being located close to the equator, of course sunrise and sunset in Tanzania occur around the same time every day of the year. There’s a difference of 6 hours, so 0 hours isn’t at midnight, but at 6 am. 5.45 pm would be saa kumi na mbili kasoro robo jioni (12 hours (6 + 6) minus a quarter in the evening).
Please realize that Tanzanians are generally less strict about time than Europeans or Americans. This isn’t considered rude, especially in situations that aren’t work-related but even in those, it’s normal. Our guides and staff members are of course aware that timings need to be respected when dealing with our clients, but other people you meet might not be this precise. If you want to accentuate to somebody that they should be on time, you can use the word ‘kamili’, eg. saa moja asubuhi kamili means 7 am precisely, or use ‘naomba usichelewe’, meaning ‘please don’t be late’.
Hour
Saa
Minute
Dakika
Second
Sekunde
What time is it?
Saa ngapi?
When?
Lini?
Morning
Asubuhi (from 7 am to 11.59 am)
(After)noon
Mchana (from 12 pm to 3.59 pm)
Evening
Jioni (from 4 pm to 6.59 pm)
Night
Usiku (from 7 pm to 6.59 am)
Now
Sasa
Soon
Sasa hivi
Later
Baadaye
Before …
Kabla ya …
After …
Baada ya …
Previous / ago
Iliyopita (eg. last week, wiki iliyopita – 2 weeks ago, wiki mbili zilizopita)
Next
Ijayo (eg. next week, wiki ijayo)
Early
Mapema
Today
Leo
Tomorrow
Kesho
Yesterday
Jana
Day after tomorrow
Kesho kutwa
Day before yesterday
Juzi
Date
Tarahe (eg. tarehe moja Desemba)
Day
Siku
Week
Wiki
Month
Mwezi
Year
Mwaka
Monday
Jumatatu
Tuesday
Jumanne
Wednesday
Jumatano
Thursday
Alhamisi
Friday
Ijumaa
Saturday
Jumamosi
Sunday
Jumapili
Shop
Duka
Market
Soko
Price
Bei
Money
Hela
Cash money
Pesa
Do you sell … ?
Unauza … ?
I want to buy …
Nataka kununua …
More
Zaidi
Less
Kidogo zaidi
How much/many? (general)
Ngapi?
Which?
Gani?
Which price?
Bei gani?
Shi ngapi? (literally: how many shillings?)
Cheap
Rahisi
Expensive
Ghali
That’s a good price
Bei inafaa
Please reduce the price
Naomba upunguze bei
I have a card
Nina kadi
I’m only looking
Naangalia tu
I don’t need …
Sihitaji …
I want to change money
Nataka kubadilisha pesa
I’m looking for…
Ninatafuta…
A (cheap) hotel
Hoteli (rahisi)
A hostel
Hosteli
Where is it?
Iko wapi?
Do you have a room?
Kuna chumba kinapatikana?
What’s the price per night?
Ni bei gani kwa usiku?
What’s the price per person?
Ni bei gani kwa mtu mmoja?
Please show me the room
Naomba nionyeshe chumba
I’ll take the room
Nitachukua chumba
Is breakfast included?
Je, chumba kitakuwa na chakula cha asubuhi?
Breakfast is included
Chakula cha asubuhi kinapatikana
I want to wash my clothes
Nataka kufua nguo zangu
Please wash my clothes
Naomba unifulie nguo zangu
I want to stay until…
Nataka kukaa mpaka … (see above for dates)
I want to stay … nights
Nataka kukaa usiku … (see above for numbers)
I’m leaving today
Ninaondoka leo
Room
Chumba (pl. vyumba)
Bed
Kitanda (pl. vitanda)
Bathroom
Bafu
Toilet
Choo (pl. vyoo)
Hot/cold water
Maji moto/baridi
Menu
Menu
Bill
Bili
I would like …
Naomba … (eg. naomba pilau, I would like pilau)
The bill, please
Naomba bili
Naomba kulipa (I’d like to pay)
I’m hungry
Nahisi njaa
I’m thirsty
Nina kiu
The food is very good
Chakula kiko kitamu sana
I’m full
Nimeshiba
It’s enough
Inatosha
Please give me more
Naomba niongeze
Food
Chakula
Breakfast
Chakula cha asubuhi
Lunch
Chakula cha mchana
Dinner
Chakula cha jioni
To eat / I eat
Kula / Ninakula
Drink / drinks
Kinywaji / vinwayi
(Drinking) water
Maji (ya kunywa)
Softdrink
Soda
Juice
Juice
Tea
Chai
Coffee
Kahawa
Milk
Maziwa
Soup
Supu
Beer
Bia
Cold
Baridi (be specific if you want a cold drink)
Warm
Moto
Large
Kubwa
Small
Ndogo
Or
Au
Meat
Nyama (often used to describe beef)
Beef
Nyama ya ng’ombe
Chicken
Kuku
Fish
Samaki
Goat
Mbuzi
Grilled
Choma (eg. nyama choma, grilled meat)
Meat skewers
Mishkaki
Sauce
Mchuzi (eg. kuku mchuzi)
Rice
Wali
Ugali
Local dish made from corn flour
Chapati
Local ‘tortilla’ made from corn flour
Vegetables
Mboga mboga
Fruits
Matunda
Avocado
Parachichi
Mango
Embe (pl. maembe)
Pineaple
Nanasi
Orange
Chungwa (pl. machungwa)
Banana
Ndizi
Watermelon
Tikiti maji
Green pepper
Pilipili hoho
Carrot
Karoti
Tomato
Nyanya
Onion
Kitunguu (pl. vitunguu)
Potato
Kiazi (pl. viazi)
Cucumber
Tango (pl. matango)
I don’t eat …
Sili …
… but I do eat …
… lakini nakula …
Without
Bila
Where?
Wapi?
Where is … ?
… iko wapi?
Trip, journey
Safari
Have a safe trip
Safari njema!
I want to go to…
Nataka kwenda …
Road
Barabara
Are you on the way?
Uko njiani?
I’m on the way
Niko njiani
We’ve arrived
Tumefika
Straight forward
Moja kwa moja
A little bit futher (forward)
Mbele
To the right
Kwa kulia
To the left
Kwa kushoto
Backwards
Kwa nyuma
Far
Mbali
Nearby
Karibu
Close to …
Karibu na …
Here
Hapa
There
Pale
Car / vehicle
Gari
Taxi
Teksi
Bus
Basi
Minibus
Daladala
Train
Treni
Tuktuk
Bajaji
Motorbike taxi
Bodaboda
Bicy
Baiskeli
Airplane
Ndege
What time does the … leave?
… itaondoka saa ngapi?
Is there a … going to … ?
Kuna … kwenda … ?
I want to get off here
Nataka kushuka hapa
Fare
Nauli
Ticket
Tikiti
Busstand
Bas stendi
Airport
Uwanja wa ndege
Beach
Pwani
Ocean
Bahari
Hospital
Hospitali
Doctor
Daktari (pl. madaktari)
I’m sick
Mimi ni mgonjwa
This (point to spot) hurts
Hii inaumiza
I have diarrhea
Nina hara
I have a fever
Nina homa
I have a cold
Nina mafua
Pharmacy
Duka la dawa
Medicine
Dawa
Painkiller
Painkiller
Antiseptic
Antiseptiki
I have asthma
Nina pumu
I have epilepsy
Nina kifafa
I have diabetis
Nina ugonjwa wa sukari
I’m allergic to …
Siwezi kutumia …. Nina aleji.
Antibiotics
Antibiotics
Aspirine
Aspirini
Nuts
Karanga
Gluten
Gluten
Diary
Shajara
Help!
Msaada!
Please help me
Naomba msaada
I’ve had an accident
Nimepata ajali
I am lost
Nimepotea
Please call …
Naomba upigie …
I’ve been robbed
Nimeibiwa
I’ve lost my …
Nimepotesa … yangu
My … got stolen
Nimeibiwa …
Police
Polisi
Police station
Kituo cha polisi
Please leave me alone
Naomba niache pekeyangu
Go away (strong)
Toka!
Stop!
Acha!
Passport
Passporti
Cellphone
Simu
Bag
Begi
Key
Ufunguo
Name
Jina
Nationality
Utaifa
Birthday
Siku ya kuzaliwa
Place of birth
Mahali pa kuzaliwa
Gender
Jinsia
Male
Wa kiume
Female
Wa kike
Danger!
Hatari!
The phrases and words in this article are meant to be used by travelers to get by during their stay in Tanzania. It is in no way a full Swahili curriculum and simply combining the mentioned words into sentences will for sure lead to some grammatical and other mistakes but most people should understand what you mean.
