Swahili I/Greetings
Hello[edit | edit source]
(To one person): Hujambo! (response: Sijambo!)
(To More than one person): Hamjambo! (response: Hatujambo!)
(Formal): Shikamoo. (response: Marahaba.)
(Goodbye: Kwa heri. )
How are you?[edit | edit source]
How are you?: Habari yako? (Habari = News, Yako = Your -> Habari yako? = Your news?)
How are you today?: Habari ya leo? (Ya = of, Leo = Today -> Habari ya leo? = News of today?)
How are you this morning?: Habari ya asubuhi? (Asubuhi = Morning -> Habari ya asubuhi? = News of the morning?)
How are you this afternoon?: Habari ya mchana? (Mchana = Afternoon -> Habari ya mchana? = News of the afternoon?)
How are you this evening?: Habari ya jioni? (Jioni = Evening -> Habari ya jioni? = News of the evening?)
Response: Nzuri, asante. (Nzuri = Good/Fine, Asante = Thank you -> Nzuri, asante = Fine, thanks.)
My name is ___________.[edit | edit source]
My name is ___________.: Jina langu ni ___________. (Jina = Name, -angu = My, ni = am/is/are -> Jina langu ni _____________. = My name is _____________.)
What is your name?: Jina lako ni nani? (-ako = your, nani = who? -> Jina lako ni nani? = Your name is who?)
Excuse me.[edit | edit source]
Excuse me.: Samahani. (for attention)
I am from ___________.[edit | edit source]
I am from ___________.: Ninatoka nchi ya ___________. (Ninatoka = I-(PRES)-come from (IND.), Nchi = Nation, -a = Of -> I come from the nation of _____________.)
Where are you from?: Unatoka wapi? (Unatoka = you-(PRES)-come from (IND.), Wapi? = Where? -> You come from where?)
Question Grammar[edit | edit source]
As you can probably see, Swahili questions are formed differently form English questions. Instead of "What is your name?" they say, "Your name is what?" Instead of "Where do you come from?" they say, "You come from where?" The interrogative pronoun comes last in the sentence, and the other words are arranged to make the sense make sense.