Learning Swahili

After being in Nairobi for a full week now, I’ve come to realize that while Swahili is certainly not necessary for everyday life here (at least downtown), it is definitely appreciated. You should see the grins people get when you greet them in Swahili, especially when you get beyond just ‘jambo’ (the formal word for ‘hello’). I haven’t been nearly as good as Chris has about learning the language, but here are some of the useful phrases I’ve picked up.

Jambo ­– This word means ‘hello’, and I think it marks you as a foreigner a little bit, because it’s very formal and maybe a bit old fashioned. Still, with people in authority, it seems like a good word to use.

Sasa – Literally, this word means ‘now’, but it’s also used a very casual greeting among friends. I don’t really use this one, as I’m rarely that casual even in English, but it’s definitely useful to know!

Habari asabuhi – Good morning!

Habari mchana – Good afternoon!

Habari yako?– How are you?

Nzuri – Fine

Asante (sana) ­– Thank you (very much)

Kwaheri (ni) – Goodbye (to more than one person)

This is pretty much the extent of the conversations we have in Swahili these days…. ‘Hi, how are you?” “Good, thank you, how are you?” “Fine!” Not exactly riveting conversation, but a good starting point.

I’ve also discovered that the Disney movie the Lion King is full of dribs and drabs of Swahili. Rafiki (like the wise old baboon!) means ‘friend’, and hakuna matata really does mean ‘no problems’. When planning our safari, our potential guide told us we could see simba (lions)!

Other useful phrases:

Tafadhali – Please

Samahani  - Excuse me/sorry (a must-have piece of vocabulary for any Canadian!)

Kwa afyi yako – Cheers! (This one I might not have exactly right… I learned it the other night from a friend, but didn’t write it down, and the internet is not being helpful with this piece of casual vocabulary.)

So obviously, I am no master of Swahili yet. I’m learning one or two key phrases every day, and hopefully by the end of my time here, I’ll be able to have a miniature conversation that goes slightly more in depth than ‘hi, how are you?’

One more thing: I’ve heard the phrase Karibu Kenya (pronounced ‘kah-REE-boo’, not ‘caribou’ like the Canadian animal) more times than I can count… it means ‘welcome to Kenya.’ 

Karibu Kenya! Asante sana!