"Swahili for Safari" - AWF's English-Swahili Dictionary
The African Wildlife Foundation is pleased to present "Swahili for Safari,"
a nongrammatical guide for travelers to East Africa. This guide was compiled
by Henry P. McIntosh IV, Trustee, African Wildlife Foundation.
Pronunciation
In Swahili, each letter of the alphabet always has the
same sound. There are only 24 letters in the Swahili alphabet. Q and X are absent.
"A" as in "far" or "ah"
"E" as in "bed" or the "ay" in "may"
"I" as the "ee" in "feel" or "meet"
"O" as in "off" or the "aw" sound of "law"
"U" as in "who" or the "oo" in "fool"
Consonants are pronounced as in English, but note the following:
"F" as in "few", never with the "v"
"G" as in "go", not as in "gin"
"M" is often used as a prefix for nouns and usually means 'a
living being' either human or animal
"S" as in "so", never as in "visit"
Stress is generally on the second-to-last syllable.
Useful Phrases
|
English
|
Swahili
|
English
|
Swahili
|
|
hello, sir
|
jambo, bwana
|
OK
|
sawa / sawa sawa
|
|
how are you (how are things)?
|
habari gani?
|
I want
|
nataka
|
|
how are you, madam?
|
habari, mama?
|
please bring
|
tafadhali leta
|
|
very well, thank you
|
nzuri sana, asante
|
what is the price?
|
bei gani?
|
|
good-bye, we will see each other again
|
kwaheri ya kuonana
|
what is this?
|
nini hii?
|
|
until we meet again
|
hadi tuonane tena
|
it is here
|
ipo hapa
|
|
not even a little
|
hata kidogo
|
it is not here
|
haipo hapa
|
|
no problem
|
hakuna matata
|
good night, sleep well
|
lala salama
|
|
thank you
|
asante
|
good luck
|
bahati njema
|
|
thank you very much
|
asante sana
|
see you tommorow
|
tuonane kesho / nitakuona kesho
|
In Camp
|
English
|
Swahili
|
English
|
Swahili
|
|
binoculars
|
darubini
|
liquor
|
pombe
|
|
camera
|
kamera
|
matches
|
kiberti
|
|
cartridge
|
risasi
|
may I enter?
|
hodi?
|
|
chair
|
kiti
|
meal, food
|
chakula
|
|
clothes
|
nguo
|
pepper
|
pilipili
|
|
coffee
|
kahawa
|
plate
|
sahani
|
|
come in / enter
|
ingia
|
please (if you)
|
tafadhali
|
|
cup
|
kikombe
|
shoot (film)
|
piga
|
|
film
|
filimu
|
shoot (rifle)
|
fyatya / piga risasi
|
|
fork
|
uma
|
spoon
|
kijiko
|
|
glass
|
bilauri
|
tea
|
chai
|
|
gun
|
bunduki
|
tent
|
hema
|
|
hot sauce
|
kachumbari
|
water
|
maji
|
|
ice
|
barafu
|
welcome
|
karibu
|
|
hunt
|
windo
|
wind
|
upepo
|
|
knife
|
kisu
|
|
|
Opposites
|
English
|
Swahili
|
English
|
Swahili
|
|
above / below
|
juu / chini
|
in front / behind
|
mbele / baridi
|
|
before / after
|
kabla ya / baada ya
|
inside / outside
|
ndani / nje
|
|
better / worse
|
bora zaidi / mbaya zaidi
|
in the middle
|
kati kati
|
|
big / small
|
kubwa / dogo
|
long / short
|
ndefu / fupi
|
|
big person / small person
|
mkubwa / dogo
|
morning / evening
|
asubushi / jioni
|
|
cheap / expensive
|
rahisi / ghali
|
near / far, distant
|
karibu / mbali
|
|
clean / dirty
|
safi / chafu
|
north / south
|
kaskazini / kusini
|
|
day / night
|
mchana / usiku
|
now / then
|
sasa / kisha
|
|
early / late
|
mapena / kuchelewa
|
old / new
|
kizee / kipya
|
|
east / west
|
mashariki / magharibi
|
old (of people) / young
|
mzee / kijana
|
|
easy / difficult
|
rahisi / ngumu
|
open / shut
|
fungua / funga
|
|
father / mother
|
baba / mama
|
quick / slow
|
pesi / pole pole
|
|
full / empty
|
kujaa / tupu
|
right (correct) / wrong
|
sawa / makosa
|
|
good / bad
|
nzuri / mbaya
|
right (direction) / left
|
kulia / kushoto
|
|
healthy, whole / ill
|
mzima / mgonjwa
|
to / from
|
kwa / kutoka
|
|
heavy / light
|
nzito / nyepesi
|
up / down
|
juu / chini
|
|
here / there
|
hapa / kule, pale, huko
|
with / without
|
pamaja / bila
|
|
hot / cold
|
moto / baridi
|
yes / no
|
ndiyo/ hapana, siyo, la
|
Useful Phrases
|
English
|
Swahili
|
English
|
Swahili
|
|
absolutely
|
kabisa
|
men
|
wanaume
|
|
already
|
kwisha
|
more
|
zaidi
|
|
and
|
na
|
not
|
si
|
|
another
|
ingine
|
nothing
|
si kitu
|
|
at
|
kwenye
|
not yet
|
bado
|
|
child
|
mtoto
|
on
|
juu ya
|
|
children
|
watoto
|
or
|
au
|
|
friend
|
rafiki
|
people
|
watu
|
|
gift
|
zawadi
|
person (a)
|
mtu
|
|
go
|
kwenda
|
pretty
|
maridadi
|
|
greeting
|
salamu
|
ready
|
tayari
|
|
husband
|
mume
|
soon
|
hivi karibuni
|
|
in
|
katika
|
tip (gratuity)
|
bakshihi
|
|
insect
|
dudu
|
to
|
kwa
|
|
later
|
baadaye
|
trip / journey
|
safari
|
|
look at
|
angalia
|
wife
|
mke
|
|
many
|
mingi
|
woman
|
mwanamke
|
|
man
|
mwanamume
|
women
|
wanawake
|
Pronouns
|
English
|
SWAHILI
|
English
|
SWAHILI
|
|
I
|
mimi
|
you (pl)
|
hyinyi
|
|
he/she
|
yeye
|
they (people)
|
wao
|
|
my
|
yangu
|
our
|
yetu
|
|
his, hers, its
|
yake
|
your (pl)
|
yenu
|
|
we
|
sisi
|
everyone's
|
ya wole
|
|
you
|
wewe
|
anyone's
|
ya yeyote
|
Demonstratives & Interrogatives
|
English
|
Swahili
|
English
|
Swahili
|
|
this
|
hili, huyu
|
how many?
|
ngapi?
|
|
that
|
ile, yule
|
how much?
|
kiasi gani?
|
|
these
|
hizi, hawa
|
what?
|
nini?
|
|
those
|
zile, wale
|
when?
|
lini?
|
|
who?
|
nani?
|
which?
|
gani?
|
|
where?
|
wapi?
|
|
|
Calendar
|
English
|
Swahili
|
English
|
Swahili
|
|
Sunday
|
Jumapili
|
Friday
|
Ijumaa
|
|
Monday
|
Jumatatu
|
Saturday
|
Jumamosi
|
|
Tuesday
|
Jumanane
|
today
|
leo
|
|
Wednesday
|
Jumatano
|
tommorow
|
kesho
|
|
Thursday
|
Alhamisi
|
yesterday
|
jana
|
Numbers
|
English
|
Swahili
|
English
|
Swahili
|
|
0
|
sifuri
|
71
|
sabini na moja
|
|
1
|
moja
|
81
|
themanini na moja
|
|
2
|
mbili
|
91
|
tisini na moja
|
|
3
|
tatu
|
100
|
mia
|
|
4
|
nne
|
101
|
mia na moja
|
|
5
|
tano
|
110
|
mia na kumi
|
|
6
|
sita
|
111
|
mia na kumi na moja
|
|
7
|
saba
|
151
|
mia na hamsini na moja
|
|
8
|
nane
|
200
|
mia mbili
|
|
9
|
tisa
|
250
|
mia mbili na ham sini
|
|
10
|
kumi
|
1,000
|
elfu moja
|
|
11
|
kumi na moja
|
1,100
|
elfu na mia moja
|
|
21
|
ishrini na moja
|
2,000
|
elfu mbili
|
|
31
|
thelathini na moja
|
2,100
|
elfu mbili na mia moja
|
|
41
|
arobaini na moja
|
100,000
|
laki moja
|
|
51
|
hamsini na moja
|
1,000,000
|
milioni moja
|
|
61
|
sitini na moja
|
|
|
