SHORT
AND SWEET SWAHILI LESSON!!
Jambo! (Hello or Hi or
G'day or
Howdy! [all-purpose greeting])
| Jambo! |
Hello!/Hi!/Howzit!/G'day!/Howdy! [all-purpose
greeting] |
| Habari
yako / |
How are you today or What are your news
? |
| Habari? |
How's it going? |
| Nzuri
Good |
sana very/much/a lot |
| Nzuri
sana |
Very Good |
| Nzuri
sana sana |
Excellent! |
| Kwaheri |
Goodbye |
| Mambo! |
Hey man!/Hey homes, how ya' doin'?
[slang/young person's all-purpose greeting] |
| Poa! |
Cool/100%/Couldn't be better [slang/young
person's response to "Mambo!"] |
| Karibu! |
Welcome! |
| Karibu
Kitale |
Welcome to Kitale! |
| Karibu
sana |
Come again soon. |
| tafadhali |
please |
| asante |
thank you |
| asante
sana |
thank you very much |
| mzungu |
white person/European person (also: "baffling
thing", "clever device") |
| Mzungu! |
Hey whitey! ("Hey European person!" ???) |
| pole
pole |
slowly |
| haraka |
fast |
| haraka
haraka |
very fast |
|
|
| Greetings |
Greetings are more important in Swahili than
in English. Most social interactions are prefaced by a
greeting. It is considered rude not to greet someone you
are going to speak to. Women are not required to return
a greeting from a man they are not familiar with. Men
and women seldom hold hands or show signs of affection
in public. Keep this in mind to avoid offending the
locals. |
| Hello |
habari |
| I'm
fine |
mzuri |
| Thank
you |
asante |
| Goodbye |
kwa heri |
|
|
| Forms
of Address |
Bibi is a term of respect used to address
women. Mama is a term of great respect and is usually
used to address older women. Bwana is a term of respect
for men, meaning "sir" or "mister". Mzee means "elder"
or "old person". Generally only older men are referred
to as an mzee, with older women being addressed as mama.
Rafiki means "friend". Use a title or name along with a
greeting whenever possible.
Greetings |
|
The two basic kinds of greeting are based on
habari, "news", and jambo, "matter". |
| hello,
sir |
habari, bwana |
| hello,
madam |
habari, bibi |
| The
standard reply is: |
mzuri |
hello, I'm fine |
| hello,
sir, what's your news? |
habari yako, bwana? |
| Reply |
mzuri fine
mzuri, tu just fine
mzuri
sana very fine |
| Jambo
means |
"matter" or "problem". Jambo greetings
change according to number and person. |
| hello,
sir |
hujambo, bwana |
| I'm
fine, madam |
sijambo, bibi |
| hello,
gentlemen |
hamjambo, mabwana |
| were
fine, madam |
hatujambo, bibi |
| jambo
hello |
For tourist the shortened form is commonly
used. |
| Muslim
greetings |
Peace be upon you. asalaamu alekum |
| (reply) |
And upon you peace. wa alekum salaam |
| Other
civilities |
|
| goodbye |
kwa heri |
| goodbye |
(plural) kwa herini |
| please
(be so kind as to) |
tafadhali |
| please
(plural) |
tafadhalini |
| thank
you |
asante |
| thank
you very much |
asante sana |
| forgive
me |
samahani |
| consolations |
pole |
| consolations
(plural) |
poleni |
| sleep
well |
lala salama |
| sleep
well (plural) |
laleni salama |
| Hodi |
When you approach a house and intend to enter,
loudly say hodi as you approach. The reply to your hodi
is hodi or karibu, meaning "be welcome". Both mean you
are being welcomed in. |
VISION BUILDERS MINISTRIES-
changing lives and impacting generations -Isaiah
58;12
Are YOU Ready For The Harvest?
Father God, work what is
necessary in us that we may be ready for the harvest
fields.
mungu akubariki rafiki
[God bless you friend]
This website was last updated
on:
3/25/2008
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