Normal Coversations--Mazungumzo ya Kawaida

Habari za asubuhi / za mchana ? ---Good morning/Good Afternoon.
Nzuri ! / Njema ! / Salama ! -----I am fine

Habari za jioni / za usiku ? -----Good Evening/How's your evening?
Nzuri ! / Njema ! / Salama !-----It's good/Fine

Jina lako nani ? -----What's your name?
Jina langu ni B... ----My name is.....B

Vipi Bwana ? -------How are things?
Sina la kusema ! ----I have nothing to say.

Nikujulishe Bwana ----I introduce you to Mr....
Ninafurahi kukuona !-------I am glad to see you

Hodi !---------Hello(when you are visiting someone's house/shop)
Karibu ! / Karibuni ! ----Welcome.

Kalia kiti tafadhali !----Sit down please
Starehe ! ------Feel at home

Kwa heri !------Goodbye you answer kwaheri too meaning goodbye.

Tutaonana kesho !----we'll see each other tomorrow
Haya, tutaonana ! ---Ok,we'll meet tomorrow.


Uje kutuamkia !----Please,come and visit us.
Haya, ahsante ! ----Ok,I'll,Thank You.

Lala salama !---sleep well
Ahsante, na wewe pia !-----Thanks,and you too.

Beautiful Tanzania Photos

Lesson 15--Somo la Kumi Na Tano.

SUBJECT PREFIX + ME + VERB RADICAL

MODEL 1 : KUFANYA = to do


NI-ME-FANYA -----nimefanya I have done
U-ME-FANYA ------ umefanya you have done
A-ME-FANYA ---- amefanya he / she has done
TU-ME-FANYA ---- tumefanya we have done
M-ME-FANYA ---- mmefanya you have done
WA-ME-FANYA ----- wamefanya they have done


MODEL 2 : KWENDA = to go

NI-ME-KWENDA ----- nimekwenda I have gone / been
U-ME-KWENDA ----umekwenda you have gone / been
A-ME-KWENDA ----amekwenda he / she has gone / been
TU-ME-KWENDA --- tumekwenda we have gone / been
M-ME-KWENDA --- mmekwenda you have gone / been
WA-ME-KWENDA ---- wamekwenda they have gone / been

EXAMPLES : Nimeshakwenda Tanzania.
I have already been to Tanzania.
Wameshafanya mtihani wao.
They have already done their exam.

MAASAI IN A DANCE!

Lesson 14:Somo la Kumi na Nne!

Have been a bit busy with school and I got less time during the weekdays to blog but we can still learn.Today we will learn
Short and Useful phrases.These are in addition to what we previously read,given their importance in learning Swahili,I'll keep on teaching them,together with others.Karibu darasani sasa:Remember to revise the vowels!

Again------ Tena
As soon as possible------ Haraka iwezekanavyo
Bad ,worse than…. ------ Mbaya mbaya kuliko
Can you help me ? ------ Unaweza kunisaidia
Can you tell me? ------ Unaweza kuniambia ?
Do you speak English?------- Unasema kiingereza ?
Do you know English? ------ Unajua kiingereza
Where are you from? ------ Umetokea wapi
Am from America. ------- Nimetokea America
Am Italian. -------- Mimi ni muitaliano
I was born in 19982------ Nilizaliwa mwaka 1982
Am female ------ Mimi ni mwanamke
Am male ------- Mimi ni mwanaume
Whats your gender? ------ Wewe ni jinsia gani ?
Whats your first name? ------ Jina lako la kwanza ni ?
Whats you last name? ------- Jina lako la mwisho ni ?
Whats your fathers name? ----- Jina la baba yako ni nani / baba yako anaitwa nani ?
Are you married ? ------ Umeowa / umeolewa ( for female )
Do you want ? ----- Unataka ?
What do you want? ------ Unataka nini ?
I don’t have -------- Sina
I don’t have it here------ Sinacho hapa
Here -------- Hapa
There ------------- Pale
Excuse me -------------- Pole , nisamehe , samahani
Good better than …. -------- Njema , njema zaidi kuliko …
She/he is from -------- Anatoka ….
Help fire !!!! ------ Saidia moto !!
Thief -------- Mwizi
How | How long---------- Namna gani | muda gani
How do you say -------- Unasemaje
How do u spell jamaa ------ Unaandikaje jamaa
How much -------- Kiasi gani
Am busy --------- Nina kazi
Am hungry -------- Nina njaa
Hungry ------------ Njaa
Thirsty --------- Kiu
Sleepy ---------- Usingizi
Am ill --------- Nina umwa
I cant ------- Siwezi
Am in a hurry -------- Nina haraka
Am looking for --------- Ninatafuta
Am not in a hurry ------- Sina haraka
Am sorry --------- Samahani
Am tied ------------ Nimechoka
Am very glad -------- Nina furaha sana
I will be glad -------- Nitakuwa na furaha
Happy / glad -------- Furaha
Am warm -------- Nina joto
Cold --------- Baridi
Hot ------------ Ya moto
That is hot -------- Hiyo ni ya moto
I don’t think so-------- Sidhani
I don’t understand ------- Sielewi
I know -------- Najua
I know you --------- Nina kujua
I know Tanzania -------- Ninaijua Tanzania
I want to visit bagamoyo-------- Nataka kutembelea bagamoyo
I would like -------- Ningependelea
I speak only English -------- Ninazungumza kiingereza tu
Its alright --------- Ni sawa
Its early --------- Ni mapema

A photo from the Sound of Wisdom traditional gathering in Zanzibar.
Wisdom-----Busara or Hekima.
Photo---Picha.

Lesson 13-Somo la Kumi na Tatu

A Dhow in Zanzibar ---Dhow----mtumbwi( pronounced as mh-two-mbwih)



A.SWAHILI ALPHABET

THE swahili alphabet includes:
1.23 single letters,a, b, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, p, r, s, t, u, v, w, y, z.

2.The letters q and x are not used.The letter c though present is never used alone.

3.9 digraphs : ch, dh, gh, kh, ng', ny, sh, th, ts.



B.SIMPLE CONSONANTS

Spelling Phoneme Example
B, b [b] baba (father)
D, d [d] dada (sister)
F, f [f] kufaa (to suit)
G, g [g] gari (car)
H, h [h] haya ! (O.K. !)
J, j [ʤ] juu (on top)
K, k [k] kuku (chicken)
L, l [l] lala ! (sleep !)
M, m [m] Mama (mother)
N, n [n] na (and, with)
P, p [p] papa (shark)
R, r [r] rangi (colour)
S, s [s] saa (clock, time)
T, t [t] taa (lamp)
V, v [v] kuvaa (to wear)
Z, z [z] -zuri (nice, good)

Most of the consonants in Swahili are similar to English and do offer much difficulty,special attention must be paid to the following:

a) "f":it always has the sound of "f" in "fat" never that of the "f" in "of".
b)"g" is always hard like in "got".Don't pronounce it soft like "g" in "gin"
c)"s" has the sound of the "s" in "sad",not that of the "s" in "easy"