Useful Words & Phrases
Here are some words and phrases you might find rather useful, either as a tourist or just as a beginner.
Most of these are from my video that is in the earlier pages (included here as well).
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I have taken some of them from a book called 'Tourist Guide to Tanzania - by Gratian Luhikula' and published by 'Travel Promotion Services Ltd.'
| Hallo | Jambo | ||
| Good Morning | Habari za Asubuhi? | ||
| Good Afternoon | Habari za Mchana? | ||
| Good Evening | Habari za Jioni? | ||
| How are you? | Habari gani? | ||
| Very well / fine | Nzuri | ||
| Thank you (very much) | Ahsante (sana) | ||
| Welcome | Karibu | ||
| Please | Tafadhali | ||
| Sorry / Excuse me | Pole / Samahani, nisamehe | ||
| Do you speak Kiswahili? | Unazungumza Kiswahili?? | ||
| Yes (No) | Ndiyo (Hapana) | ||
| Just a little | Kidogo tu | ||
| What is your name? | Jina lako nani? | ||
| My name is _____ | Jina langu ni _____ | ||
| Meet my wife (husband) | Huyu ni mke (mume) wangu | ||
| Meet | MY Friend | Huyu ni | Rafiki YANGU |
| MY Teacher | Mwalimu WANGU | ||
| MY Driver | Dereva WANGU | ||
| MY Brother | Kaka YANGU | ||
| MY Sister | Dada YANGU | ||
| MY Uncle | Mjomba WANGU | ||
| Can you show me the | post office | Unaweza kunionyesha | posta |
| way | njia | ||
| bank | benki | ||
| hotel | hoteli | ||
| restaurant / café | mkahawa | ||
| church | kanisa | ||
| mosque | msikiti | ||
| way (of going) to the airport | njia ya kwenda uwanja wa ndege | ||
| school | shule / skuli | ||
| road (Rd.) | barabara (Br.) | ||
| street (St.) | mtaa (Mt.) | ||
| car | gari | ||
| room number | chumba nabari | ||
| toilet | msala / choo | ||
| Slowly | Polepole | ||
| Stop / Stand up | Simama | ||
| Let us (go) | Twende | ||
| Go | Nenda | ||
| Sit (down) | Kaa (chini) | ||
| Come (here) | Njoo (hapa) | ||
| Drive | Endesha | ||
| Rain | Mvua | ||
| Thunder | Radi | ||
| Wind | Upepo | ||
| Mud | Matope | ||
| Sun | Jua | ||
| Star | Nyota | ||
| Moon | Mwezi | ||
| Dark / darkness | Kiza / Giza | ||
| Cold | Baridi | ||
| Heat | Joto | ||
| Sea | Bahari | ||
| Sand | Mchanga | ||
| Burn (burning) | Choma (ungua) | ||
| Say (Talk) | Sema (zungumza) | ||
| Write | Andika | ||
| Letter | Barua | ||
| Envelope | Bahasha | ||
| Paper | Karatasi | ||
| Pen | Peni / Kalamu | ||
| River / Pillow | Mto | ||
| Lake | Ziwa | ||
| Plains | Mbuga | ||
| Forest | Msitu | ||
| Please give me | water | Tafadhali nipe | maji |
| milk | maziwa | ||
| egg / eggs | yai / mayai | ||
| tea | chai | ||
| coffee | kahawa | ||
| sugar | sukari | ||
| salt | chumvi | ||
| fruit / fruits | tunda / matunda | ||
| fish | samaki | ||
| pepper / chili | pilipili | ||
| chicken | kuku | ||
| onions | vitunguu(maji) | ||
| garlic (bulb) | kitunguu thomu | ||
| potato(es) | mbatata / kiazi (viazi) | ||
| rice (cooked rice) | mchele (wali) | ||
| spoon(s) | kijiko (vijiko) | ||
| fork | uma (nyuma) | ||
| knife (knives) | kisu (visu) | ||
| bread | mkate | ||
| butter | siagi | ||
| What time is it? | Saa ngapi? | ||
| At what time is | DINNER | CHAKULA CHA USIKU | kitakuwa saa ngapi? |
| LUNCH | CHAKULA CHA MCHANA | ||
| BREAKFAST | CHAKULA CHA ASUBUHI (or) KIFUNGUA KINYWA |
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| When will you come again? | Utakuja lini tena? | ||
| I will come tomorrow | (in the) morning | Nitakuja kesho | asubuhi |
| (in the) after noon | mchana | ||
| (in the) evening | jioni | ||
| (at) night | usiku | ||
| later | baadae | ||
| today | leo | ||
| I will come on | Monday | Nitakuja | Jumatatu |
| Tuesday | Jumanne | ||
| Wednesday | Jumatano | ||
| Thursday | Alkhamisi | ||
| Friday | Ijumaa | ||
| Saturday | Jumamosi | ||
| Sunday | Jumapili | ||
| next week | juma lijalo / wiki ijayo | ||
| next month | mwezi ujao | ||
| next year | mwaka ujao | ||
| What do you drink? | Unakunywa nini? | ||
| I will have beer | Nitakunywa bia | ||
| Where are you going? | Unakwenda wapi? | ||
| I am going to | the shop | Ninakwenda | dukani |
| the market | sokoni / marikiti | ||
| Money | Pesa / Fedha | ||
| How much? | Bei gani? / kiasi gani? | ||
| How many? | Ngapi? | ||
| Expensive | Ghali | ||
| Cheap | Rahisi | ||
| Please give me discount | Tafadhali nipunguzie | ||
| May I see? | Naomba nione | ||
| Try (try on) | Jaribu | ||
| Put on | Vaa | ||
| Put off | Vua / Zima | ||
| Take off | Vua / Toa | ||
| Buy / Purchase | Nunua | ||
| Pay | Lipa | ||
| Choose | Chagua | ||
| Cash | Taslimu / keshi | ||
| Check | Hundi / cheki | ||
| Credit | Mkopo | ||
| Basket | Kikapu | ||
| Proverbs | Mithali | ||
| Let sleeping dogs lie | Usimuamshe alie lala | ||
| Haste makes waste | Haraka haraka haina baraka | ||
| Where there is a will, there is a way | Penye nia pana njia | ||
| Slow and steady wins the race | Polepole ni mwendo wa sawa | ||
| Have a good safari (journey / trip) | Safari njema | ||
| What is that animal? | Yule ni mnyama gani? | ||
| How far is the hotel? | Hoteli iko umbali gani? | ||
| How big is the Serengeti? | Serengeti ina ukubwa gani? | ||
| Where can I buy | fuel | Wapi ninaweza kununua | petroli |
| a tooth brush | mswaki | ||
| carving(s) | kinyago (vinyago) | ||
| shoes | viatu | ||
| cigarettes | sigara | ||
| a match box | kibiriti | ||
| Good night | Usiku mwema | ||
| Sleep well | Lala salama | ||
| I hope that now you can speak a little Kiswahili | Natumai sasa unaweza kuzungumza Kiswahili kidogo. |
