Make sure to remember the following information:
Your safari trip is planned, your flight is booked, and your bag is packed. You might think you are prepared for your journey, but to get even better prepared, we advise you to learn some Kiswahili words. Swahili is the language spoken in Tanzania, aside from English. Swahili is a Bantu language spoken in several countries throughout East Africa, but none of them is more proud of the language than Tanzania. When you walk on the streets of Dar es Salaam or Arusha, you will hear a mixture of English, Arabic, and Bantu that together form Swahili.
The Sarafika Tours team has created a small list of useful words for you so that you can communicate with the people in Tanzania. Tanzanians love it when foreigners speak a bit of Swahili.
English | Kiswahili |
Hello | Jambo |
Greeting an elderly person | Shikamoo |
Answer from an elderly person | Marahaba |
Goodbye | Kwa heri |
Good morning | Habari za asubuhi |
Good afternoon | Habari za mchana |
Good evening | Habari za jioni |
Nice to meet you | Nafurahi kukuona |
Sleep well | Lala salama |
Welcome | Karibu |
How is it? | Habari? |
How are you? (youth) | Mambo vipi? |
Good | Nzuri |
Good (youth) | Poa |
Yes | Ndiyo |
No | Hapana |
Thank you | Asante |
Thank you so much | Asante sana |
Can I have the bill please? | Naomba bili? |
Please | Tafadhali |
Ok | Sawa |
Where is the..? | Ni wapi..? |
Airport | Uwanja wa ndege |
Bus station | Stesheni ya basi |
Bank | Benki |
Market | Soko |
Police station | Kituo cha polisi |
Post office | Posta |
Tourist office | Ofisi ya watalii |
White people | Mzungu |
Toilet | Choo |
Bus | Basi |
Plane | Ndege |
Ticket | Tiketi |
Hotel | Hoteli |
Room | Chumba |
Reservation | Akiba |
Mosquito net | Chandarua |
Doctor | Daktari |
Today | Leo |
Tomorrow | Kesho |
Yesterday | Jana |
Now | Sasa |
Later | Baadaye |
Every day | Kila siku |
Slowly | Pole Pole |
Child | Mtoto |
Children | Watoto |
Drinking water | Maji ya kunywa |
Ice cubes | Barafu |
Soft drinks | Soda |
Beer | Bia |
Food | Chakula |
Meat | Nyama |
Pork | Nyama nguruwe |
Chicken | Nyama kuku |
Fish | Samaki |
Fruit | Matunda |
Vegetables | Mboga |
Animals |
|
Animal |
Wanyama |
Buffalo | Nyati |
Cheetah | Duma |
Cow | N’gombe |
Elephant | Tembo |
Giraffe | Twiga |
Goat | Mbuzi |
Hippo | Kiboko |
Hyena | Fisi |
Leopard | Chui |
Lion | Simba |
Rhino | Kifaru |
Zebra | Punda Milia |
Warthog | Ngiri |
Numbers |
|
One |
Moja |
Two | Mbili |
Three | Tatu |
Four | Nne |
Five | Tano |
Six | Sita |
Seven | Saba |
Eight | Nane |
Nine | Tisa |
Ten | Kumi |
Danger signs; very useful in case you might face a lion…. | |
Look out for the lion! | Angalie simba! |
Danger! | Hatari! |
Come here, quick! | Njoo hapa haraka! |
