Quick Swahili Guide

You will receive a Swahili quick reference travel dictionary before you start your clinical experience. It is a basic dictionary so you may want to purchase a dictionary or phrase book before you leave the US. Two available dictionaries in the US are Swahili Dictionary and Phrasebook by Nicholas Awade, Hippocrene publisher or The rough guide to Swahili published by Rough Guides. Check your local bookstores such as Barns and Nobel and Boarders.

Pronunciation:
Vowels A as in far E between the e in bed and the e in caf I as in Lima O as in orange U as in flute Consonants Ch as in church Dh like the th in that G as in got Gh pronounced from the back of the throat, almost as an r, like the Spanish pronunciation of j in jamon H as in home K as in kiosk Kh like ch as in the Scots pronunciation of loch ng as in finger ny as in canyon, or like the ni in onion s as in sit th as in thin In Swahili each vowel is sounded example watch saa + sa a

Civilities
Yes = Ndiyo No = Hapana Thank you = Asante Thank you very much = Asante sana Please = Tafadhali OK = Sawa Excuse me = Samahani You're Welcome = Starehe Can you help me? = Tafadhali, naomba msaada What is your name? = Jina lako nani? My name is = Jina langu ni ... Where are you from? = Unatoka wapi? I'm from .. = Natokea ... May I take a picture? = Naomba kupiga picha Do you speak English? = Unasema kiingereza? Do you speak Swahili? = Unasema Kiswahili? Just a little bit = Kidogo tu! How do you say in Swahili? = Unasemaje ... kwa Kiswahili I don't understand = Sielewi Friend = Rafiki

Greetings
Greetings are important in East Africa and you don't launch into a conversation or even ask a question without first saying "hello, how are you?". Hello = Jambo / hujambo / Salama How are you? = Habari gani Fine (response) = Nzuri Goodbye = Kwa heri / Kwa herini (more than one peson) See You Later = Tutaonana Nice to meet you = Nafurahi kukuona Goodnight = Lala salama

Getting Around
Where is the ... = ni wapi ... Airport = uwanja wa ndege Bus station = stesheni ya basi Bus stop = bas stendi Taxi stand = stendi ya teksi Train Station = stesheni ya treni Bank = benki Market = soko Police station = kituo cha polisi Post Office = posta Tourist Office = ofisi ya watali Toilet/bathroom = choo What time is the ... leaving? = inaondoka saa ... ngapi? Bus = basi Minibus = matatu (Kenya); dalla dalla (Tanzania) Plane = ndege Train = treni/gari la moshi Is there a bus going to ...? = Kuna basi ya ...?

I'd like to buy a ticket = Nataka kununua tikiti Is it near = Ni karibu? Is it far = Ni mbali There = huko Over there = pale Ticket = tikiti Where are you going? = Unakwenda wapi? How much is the fare? = Nauli ni kiasi gani? Hotel = hoteli Room = chumba Reservation = akiba Are there any vacancies for tonight? = Mna nafasi leo usiko? (Kenya: Iko nafasi leo usiku?) No vacancies = Hamna nafasi. (Kenya: Hakuna nafasi) How much is it per night? = ni bei gani kwa usiku? Mosquito net = chandalua

70 = sabini 80 = themanini 90 = tisini 100 = mia 200 = mia mbili 1000 = elfu 100,000 = laki

Food and Drinks

I'd like = nataka ... Food = chakula Hot/cold = ya moto/baridi Water = maji Hot water = maji ya moto Drinking water = maji ya kunywa Soda (soft drinks) = soda Beer = bia Milk = maziwa Meat = nyama Chicken = nyama kuku Fish = sumaki Beef = nyama ng'ombe Fruit = matunda Vegetables = mboga

Days and Numbers

Today = leo Tomorrow = kesho Yesterday = jana Now = sasa Later = baadaye Every day = kila siku Monday = Jumatatu Tuesday = Jumanne Wednesday = Jumatano Thursday = Alhamisi Friday = Ijumaa Saturday = Jumamosi Sunday = Jumapili 1 = moja 2 = mbili 3 = tatu 4 = nne 5 = tano 6 = sita 7 = saba 8 = nane 9 = tisa 10 = kumi 11 = kumi na moja (ten and one) 12 = kumi na mbili (ten and two) 20 = ishirini 21 = ishirni na moja (twenty and one) 30 = thelathini 40 = arobaini 50 = hamsini 60 = sitini

Health
Where can I find a ... = Naweza kupata ... wapi? Doctor = daktari/mganga Hospital = hospitali Medical Center = matibabu I'm sick = mimi ni mgonjwa I need a doctor = nataka kuona daktari It hurts here = naumwa hapa Fever = homa Malaria = melaria Headache = umwa kichwa Diarrhoea = harisha/endesha Vomiting = tapika Medicine = dawa

Animals
Animal = wanyama Buffalo = Nyati / Mbogo Cheetah = Duma / Chita Cow = N'gombe Elephant = Tembo / Ndovuh Giraffe = Twiga Goat = Mbuzi

Hippo = Kiboko Hyena = Fisi Leopard = Chui Lion = Simba Rhino = Kifaru Warthog = Ngiri Wildebeest = Nyumbu Zebra = Punda milia

Wrist Womb Umbilicu

kiganja fuko la uzazi kitovu

Terminology used for instructions

Pill Pills Once Twice Three times Four times Day In the Morning In the Afternoon In the Evening Teaspoon One half kidonge vidonge mara moja mara mbili Mara tatu mara nne siku asubuhi mchana usiku kijiko cha chai bnusu

Body Parts:
Ankle Arm Back Bone Buttock Breasts Chest Chin Ear Elbow Eyes Face Finger Foot Genitals Hair Head Heart Heel Hip Jaw Kidneys Knee Leg Lip Liver Lung Mouth Neck Nose Shin Shoulder Stomach Teeth Thigh Throat Thumb Toe Tongue Tooth Vein kifundo (ya mguu) mkono mgongo mfupa matako maziwa kifua kidevu shikio kisugudi macho uso kidole mguu sehemu myeti nywele kichwa moyo kisigino Nyonga taya mafigo goti mguu mdomo ini pafu mdomo shingo pua muundi bega tumbo meno paja roho dole gumba kidole cha mguu ulimi jino mishipa ya damu

Swahili Time
Swahili time starts at 6am not midnight. So if a Tanzanian tells you the bus leaves at 1 in the morning, he probably means 7am. If he says the train leaves at 3 in the morning that would mean 9am. It's wise to double check. Interestingly, Ethiopians use the same clock, but they don't speak Swahili.

Online Swahili Courses and Dictionaries

Kamusi Project is an excellent resource for those wanting to learn more advanced Swahili, it's a living Swahili dictionary with audio. Swahili Dictionary is useful if you quickly want to know the meaning of a single word. Travlang lists basic Swahili phrases along with audio. Swahili online exercises from Penn State includes quizzes, audio, and songs. Teach Yourself Swahili CD is an interactive Swahili course designed to use on a computer. It inlcudes basic reading, writing and conversational Swahili.