| |
|
God |
Mungu |
|
Jesus Christ |
Yesu Kristo |
|
Praise the Lord |
Bwana Asifiwe |
|
Jambo! |
Hello! / Hi! / G'day! / Howdy!
[all-purpose greeting] |
|
Habari yako / |
How are you today or What are your news ? |
|
Habari? |
How's it going? |
|
Nzuri |
Good |
|
Nzuri sana |
Very Good |
|
Nzuri sana sana |
Excellent! |
|
Kwaheri |
Goodbye |
|
Mambo! |
Hey man! / 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 |
|
tafadhalini |
please (plural) |
|
asante |
thank you |
|
asante sana |
thank you very much |
|
mzungu |
white person / European person (also: "baffling thing", "clever device") |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
gretting |
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 sana very (fine) |
|
hello, sir |
hujambo, bwana |
|
I'm fine, madam |
sijambo, bibi |
|
hello, gentlemen |
hamjambo, mabwana |
|
were fine, madam |
hatujambo, bibi |
|
goodbye |
kwa heri |
|
goodbye |
(plural) kwa herini |
|
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. |
|
father |
baba |
|
son |
mwana |
|
daughter |
dada |
|
mother |
mama |
|
friend |
rafiki |
|
|
|
