Welcome- Karibu

This is the best place to experience some truly unique and totally free Kiswahili lessons online.You will be able to learn some  basic swahili words and phrases such as greetings and courtesies, numbers, days, months and seasons, question words, weather and time, animals among other things.All words have been made easy to understand since they have been translated from English to Kiswahili.

We hope you Enjoy learning swahili.

Swahili Greetings - Hello in Swahili

Learning to greet people is an essential part of learning a new language. Whether you're planning to continue learning Swahili or just learn a few basics in preparation for a trip, these Swahili greetings can help you on your way.
In most countries it's considered good manners to greet everyone. So, whether you're speaking to a clerk, a waiter, or just bumping into someone on the street, take the time to say a polite hello before you proceed.  The basic Swahili greeting is Habari/ Jambo, which means hello. Below is another basic English - swahili conversation to help you learn more.


ENGLISH_________________________________________KISWAHILI


Hello........Jambo

Welcome ................Karibu

How are you?......Habari yako?

Are you well? (singular.)...........................Uko Salama?

I'm fine ..................................Ndio,niko salama

Are you well? (plural.) ...............................Mko Salama?

We're fine .............................Tuko Salama
 
Good morning................. Habari ya asubuhi

Good afternoon/evening.................. Habari ya jioni

How was the night? ...........................Ulilalaje?

Good/very well ..............Nililala vizuri 

Is everything alright?....... Kila kitu kiko shwari?


Goodbye.............. Kwaheri

Remain well.................Baki salama

What is your name?............... Unaitwa nani

My name is..................Jina langu ni...

Im happy to meet you (sing.) ..................Nifurahia kukutana nawe

We shall meet again ..................Tutaonana tena

I speak a little Kiswahili.................Naongea kiswahili kidigo tu


I don't understand .................Sielewi

We are teaching in ................... Tunafunza …

Thank you ................Asante

Sorry .........Pole


Please……..Tafadhali

I am satisfied................ Nimeridhika


Excuse me................... Nipishe

How to learn swahili fast

There is no magic formula for learning how to speak Swahili - it requires time, energy, and patience. There are, however, some techniques which will make your language study more efficient and thus help you to learn Swahili more quickly.Many people view swahili as one of the most beautiful languages in East Africa because of its preciseness and way in which it can be eloquently spoken. Due to it's fairly complex syntax and deformation of verbs, kiswahili can sometimes be difficult to learn for beginners, but learning any language is a challenge well worth undertaking.The following tips on learning Swahili.

1. Label Items - Label common items around your home with the item name written in Kiswahili. I feel this is one of the easiest and most underused techniques in learning a new language. By by labeling common household items, within a few short days, you will easily learn the names of many commonly used vocabulary terms.

2. Use Swahili Phrases - Use Swahili phrases for normal every day conversations. Learn the most common phrases Such as "Good morning", "Goodbye", and "How are you", so you can open and carry normal conversation topics. When you greet someone during the day think about how you would say the phrase in Swahili. You can do this in many different places, but one of my favorite is the supermarket. People are warm and friendly and it is a great place to learn short and common conversation in a low pressure environment.

This will get you out in the environment learning to think in Swahili as well. You'll probably be surprised that by only learning a few common phrases you can soon begin to have lengthy conversations.

3. Think in Swahili - Practice thinking about things in Swahili. I always recommend to plan out your day in your mind but try doing it using the Swahili language. At first this may be difficult but it will quickly become easier as you get used to it. Learning languages is all about practice, practice, and more practice. The more you practice the better and more efficient you will be at learning the language.

4. Speak Out Loud - I know this one sounds simple but speaking the words out loud is important to learn the correct pronunciation. A simple and fun way to learn pronunciation is to learn a song in Swahili. There are many children's songs that prove to be great tools for learning Swahili pronunciation.

5. Listen Intently - Listen to how the Swahili language is spoken. I always recommend learning to Swahili radio programs and TV channels. If you don't have access to a Swahili radio or TV, you can listen to Swahili radio stations for free on the Internet.

Of course it is always good to mix and match these tips and even combined them to help you learn Swahili quickly. It is important you make it fun to do and don't treat it as a chore. By using these tips in conjunction with Swahili classes you can easily pick up great new language.
6.Read Swahili -  Read Swahili newspapers and magazines. For each article, make a list of the words you don't know, look them all up after you finish the article, and then read it again while referring to the list.

Have fun with Swahili - Enjoy yourself - learning doesn't have to be a chore. Make a language scrapbook to keep all of your notes and related information in one place.

Swahili Phrases

In this section you will find Swahili phrases for use across a wide range of everyday situations. The phrases have been chosen to reflect modern, colloquial Swahili usage.

Basic phrases and greetings
People
Food
Health and Body
Shopping
Animals
Numbers
Days and times
Names of objects
Verbs
Months

Numbers in Swahili

ENGLISH__________________KISWAHILI

one....... Moja

two.........Mbili

three........... Tatu

four........... Nne

five ...........Tano

six....... Sita

seven.......Saba

eight ...........Nane

nine.......... Tisa

ten ...........Kumi

eleven ………Kumi na moja

twelve........... Kumi na mbili

twenty.............. Ishilini

twenty-one ..............Ishilini na moja

Animals in Swahili

ENGLISH_____________________ KISWAHILI

Lion.................Simba

 Giraffe.....Twiga

Hen.............. Kuku

Cock.............. Jogoo

Chicks............... Vifaranga

Cow............. Ng’ombe

Dog........... Mbwa

Cat........... Paka

Rat........... Panya

Fish............ Samaki

Donkey............ Punda

Goat............... Mbuzi

Sheep.............. Kondoo

Flies........ Inzi

Health and body in Swahili

ENGLISH_____________ KISWAHILI
How are you feeling?............. Unaskiaje?

I'm not feeling well ...........Siskii vizuri

I have a cold.............. Nina homa

My head aches.......... Naumwa na kichwa

Is this drinking water?.................... Hii ni maji ya kunywa?


Give me water……………………….Nisaidie na maji ya kunywa

What happened?.............. Nini ilifanyika

I was bitten by a mosquito............... Niliumwa na mbu


Head ............Kichwa

Ear ..............Maskio

Mouth.............. Mdomo

Eye............. Jicho

Shoulder.............. Mabega

Heart..............Roho

Chest............... Kifua

Stomach............ Tumbo

Back .............Mgongo

Leg............. Mguu

Names of Objects in Swahili

OBJECTS
Below is a list of some common objects translated from English to Kiswahili

ENGLISH______________ KISWAHILI

Table......... Meza

Chair......... Kiti

Door ..............Mlango

Window ...............Dirisha

Wall............. Ukuta

Book............ Kitabu

Pen........... Kalamu


Paper...........Karatasi

Keys........... Funguo

Bed............ Kitanda

Shoes........... Viatu

Trousers........... Longi

Shirt............. Shati

Skirt............. Sketi

Food in Swahili languge

Below is a list of common foods and drinks in Kenya translated from English to Swahili.
ENGLISH______________ KISWAHILI

Food .............Chakula

Ugali (maize staple) .............Ugali

Vegetable............... Mboga

Meat............. Nyama

Bread............. Mkate

Tea......... Chai

Water .......Maji

Milk................ Maziwa

Maize ..................Mahindi

Sweet potatoes.................. Viazi vitamu

Rice............... Mchele

Sugar ............Sukari

Salt.............Omony

Shoping in Swahili

Below is a list of swahili words that you might encounter when shopping.

ENGLISH________________________ Kisii

Money.......... Pesa

Coin .........Shillingi

Notes................... Noti

One shilling............... Shillingi moja

Five shillings ..................Shillingi tano

Ten shillings................. Shillingi kumi

How much does it cost?........................ Ni pesa ngapi?

How much are those?......... Hizo ni pesa ngapi?

Do you have____?......... Una_____?

I would like______...... Ningependa ______.

I like_______........ Nimependezwa________.

I don't like______..........Sipendi ______.

Very expensive........... Ni ghali mno

I want to buy______.......... Nataka kununua________.

People in swahili

Below is a list in regard to people translated from English to Kiswahili
ENGLISH_______________________ KISWAHILI

People........ Watu

Person ..........Mtu

Man............. Mwanaume

Woman ..................Mvulana

Boy ....................Msichana

Girl...................Msicana

Father ...............Baba

Mother.............. Mama

Brother ...............Kaka 


My Brother……………Kaka yangu/Kakangu

Sister................ Dada


My Sister………….Dada yangu/Dadangu

Child........... Mtoto


 My Child………..Mtoto wangu

My friend ............Rafiki yangu

Days and Times in Swahili

Learning the days and timebis important for anybody visiting Kenya.Below is a list of words that refer to days and time

ENGLISH_______________________KISWAHILI
Today............... Leo

Yesterday............ Jana

Tomorrow.................... Kesho

This week......................... Wiki hii

Last week.................... Wiki iliyopita

Next week...................Wiki ijayo


Monday........Jumatatu


 Tuesday..........Tumanne


Wednesday..............Tumatano


 Thursday..........Alhamisi


Friday.............Ijumaa


Saturday..........Jumamosi


 Sunday.............Jumapili

Sunrise.......................Alfajiri

Sunset............................... Alasiri

See you later........................................... Tuonane baadae

Months in Swahili

Whether your staying in Kenya for a month or an year it is important to know how to express this periods and months in Swahili.

ENGLISH –KISWAHILI

We are....................Tuko


 in the ...............Katika


month...........Mwezi


 of Januari..........wa Januari


We are in the month of Januari.............Tuko katika mwezi wa Januari


We are staying for one month...........Tunakaa mwezi mmoja


We are staying for 2months....... Tunakaa miezi mbili


Last Month.............. Mwezi uliopita


Next month.............Mwezi ujao


January....... Januari


February.....Februari 


March........Mechi 


April........Aprili 


May..........Mei 


June.......Juni 


July........Julai 


August......Agosti 


September......Septemba


 October......Octoba


November........Novemba 


December......Decemba

Verbs in Swahili

Verbs are used in.every day life hence it is important.that you learn some verbs because you will surely need them.
ENGLISH_____________________________KISWAHILI
Come................. Kuja

Go...... Enda

Walk......Tembea

Run.......Kimbia

Talk..........Ongea

Greet.......... Salimia

Write.......... Andika

Listen ..........Skiza

Look......... Angalia