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#deck:LinguaCommons::Swahili (from English)
habari news / how are you? (lit. what's the news?)
habari gani? how are you? (what news?)
nzuri fine / good
asante thank you
asante sana thank you very much
tafadhali please
samahani sorry / excuse me
ndio yes
hapana / la no
karibu welcome / you're welcome / come in
karibu sana very welcome
hujambo? hello (to one person — lit. you have no trouble?)
sijambo I'm fine (reply — lit. I have no trouble)
hamjambo? hello (to a group)
hatujambo we're fine (group reply)
kwaheri goodbye (to one)
kwa heri ya kuonana goodbye — see you again
mimi I / me
wewe you (singular)
yeye he / she
sisi we / us
ninyi you (plural)
wao they / them
mama mother
baba father
ndugu sibling / relative / comrade
rafiki friend
familia family
mtoto child
watoto children
mtu person
watu people
mwanaume man
mwanamke woman
mzee elder / old person
daktari doctor
maji water
chakula food
ugali stiff porridge (staple food, like nsima)
wali cooked rice
mchele uncooked rice
mkate bread
nyama meat
samaki fish
kuku chicken
mboga vegetables
sukari sugar
chumvi salt
mafuta oil / fat
maziwa milk
chai tea
kahawa coffee
ndizi banana
embe mango
machungwa orange
pombe beer / alcoholic drink
ng'ombe cow / cattle
mbuzi goat
nguruwe pig
farasi horse
simba lion
tembo elephant
twiga giraffe
kiboko hippopotamus
chui leopard
nyoka snake
ndege bird
mbwa dog
paka cat
nyumbani at home / domestic
jua sun
mwezi moon / month
nyota star
upepo wind
mvua rain
wingu cloud
moto fire
mchanga sand
mawe rocks / stones
mto river
bahari sea / ocean
ziwa lake
mlima mountain
mwitu forest
kichwa head
macho eyes
masikio ears
pua nose
mdomo mouth
meno teeth
mkono hand / arm
mguu leg / foot
tumbo stomach
moyo heart
mwili body
shingo neck
mgongo back
leo today
kesho tomorrow
jana yesterday
siku day
usiku night
asubuhi morning
jioni evening
mchana noon / midday
mwaka year
wiki week
Jumapili Sunday
Jumatatu Monday
Jumanne Tuesday
Jumatano Wednesday
Alhamisi Thursday (from Arabic al-khamis)
Ijumaa Friday (from Arabic al-Jumu'ah — day of congregation)
Jumamosi Saturday
moja one
mbili two
tatu three
nne four
tano five
sita six (from Arabic sitta)
saba seven (from Arabic sab'a)
nane eight
tisa nine (from Arabic tis'a)
kumi ten
kumi na moja eleven
ishirini twenty
thelathini thirty
mia one hundred
elfu one thousand
nyekundu red
nyeupe white
nyeusi black
kijani green
bluu / samawati blue
njano yellow
kahawia brown
kwenda to go
kuja to come
kula to eat
kunywa to drink
kulala to sleep
kuona to see
kusikia to hear
kusema to say / to speak
kuuliza to ask
kuambia to tell
kusaidia to help
kutaka to want
kupenda to love / to like
kuchukia to hate
kukaa to stay / to sit
kuimba to sing
kucheza to play
kufanya kazi to work
kuomba to ask for / to pray
kujibu to answer / to reply
kutoa to give / to take out
kuchukua to take
kufika to arrive
kutoka to come from / to leave
kuingia to enter
kununua to buy
kuuza to sell
kujifunza to learn
kufundisha to teach
kulia to cry
kucheka to laugh
nyumba house / home
mji city / town
kijiji village
barabara road / street
gari car
treni train
kazi work / job
pesa / fedha money
soko market
hospitali hospital
shule school
kanisa church
serikali government
lugha language
Kiswahili the Swahili language
Kingereza English
Kifaransa French
maneno words
sentensi sentence
kitabu book
Sijui I don't know
Naomba… I would like… / Please…
Ninaenda… I am going to…
Habari za asubuhi Good morning (morning news)
Lala salama Good night / sleep well
Pole Sorry (sympathy) / I'm sorry
Pole pole slowly / take it easy
Hakuna matata no problem / no worries
Inshallah / Mungu akipenda God willing
karibu Afrika Mashariki welcome to East Africa
nyinyi / ninyi you (plural)
huyu this (person)
hawa these (people)
yule that (person)
hii this
hizi these
ile that
zile those
hapa here
pale there
huko over there / that place
nani? who?
nini? what?
lini? when?
wapi? where?
vipi? how? / what's up?
kwa nini? why?
ngapi? how many? / how much?
gani? which? / what kind?
je? (question marker)
na and / with / by
au or
lakini but
kwa sababu because
kwa to / for / by / with
katika in / at / on
ndani ya inside
nje ya outside
juu ya on top of / about
chini ya under / below
mbele ya in front of
nyuma ya behind
karibu na near
mbali na far from
kati ya between / among
baada ya after
kabla ya before
pamoja na together with
bila without
kuhusu about / concerning
kama if / like / as
ili so that / in order to
basi so / then / well
pia also / too
tena again / moreover
bado still / not yet
tu only / just
sana very / a lot
kidogo a little / a bit
zaidi more
sasa now
halafu then / afterwards
kufanya to do / to make
kuwa to be / to become
kuwa na to have
kupata to get / to obtain
kujua to know
kufikiri to think
kuelewa to understand
kuangalia to look at / to watch
kusoma to read / to study
kuandika to write
kuamka to wake up
kusimama to stand / to stop
kutembea to walk
kukimbia to run
kuruka to jump / to fly
kuondoka to leave / to depart
kurudi to return
kupanda to climb / to board / to plant
kushuka to descend / to get off
kuleta to bring
kupeleka to send / to take to
kulipa to pay
kufungua to open
kufunga to close / to tie / to fast
kupika to cook
kuosha to wash (things)
kuoga to bathe
kusafisha to clean
kuvaa to wear / to put on
kungoja / kusubiri to wait
kuita to call
kuanza to begin
kumaliza to finish
kuacha to stop / to leave / to quit
kusahau to forget
kukumbuka to remember
kufurahi to be happy
kuogopa to fear / to be afraid
kuhitaji to need
kuweza to be able / can
kujaribu to try
kushinda to win / to overcome
kushindwa to fail / to be unable
kufa to die
kuzaa to give birth / to bear fruit
kuishi to live
kuondoa to remove
kuweka to put / to place / to keep
kupanga to arrange / to plan
kubadilisha to change
kuonyesha to show
kuficha to hide
kupiga to hit / to strike
kupiga simu to make a phone call
kupiga picha to take a photo
kuvuta to pull / to smoke
kusukuma to push
kushika to hold / to grab
kutupa to throw
kukata to cut
kujenga to build
kuvunja to break
kutengeneza to make / to fix
kubwa big / large
dogo small
refu tall / long
fupi short
zuri good / beautiful
baya bad
pya / mpya new
zee / kuukuu old (things)
zima whole / healthy / alive
gumu hard / difficult
rahisi easy / cheap
nzito heavy
epesi light (weight) / easy
tamu sweet / tasty
chungu bitter
baridi cold
safi clean / pure / cool
chafu dirty
kavu dry
maji maji / -bichi wet / raw / unripe
tele plenty / abundant
chache few
nyingi many / much
-ote all / whole
-ingine other / another
sawa same / equal / okay
tofauti different
tayari ready / already
kweli true / real
uongo lie / false
rangi colour
arobaini forty
hamsini fifty
sitini sixty
sabini seventy
themanini eighty
tisini ninety
nusu half
robo quarter
kwanza first
pili second
mwisho last
saa hour / clock / time / watch
dakika minute
sekunde second (time)
adhuhuri noon
alfajiri dawn
wakati time / period
mara time(s) / once
mara nyingi often
mara moja at once / immediately
daima / siku zote always
kamwe / kabisa never / completely
juzi the day before yesterday
kesho kutwa the day after tomorrow
Januari January
Disemba December
mwanamume man
mvulana boy
msichana girl
kijana youth / young person
bibi grandmother / lady
babu grandfather
mume husband
mke wife
mtoto wa kiume son
mtoto wa kike daughter
jirani neighbour
mgeni guest / stranger / visitor
mwalimu teacher
mwanafunzi student
mganga healer / doctor
polisi police
dereva driver
mfanyakazi worker / employee
mkulima farmer
mfanyabiashara trader / businessperson
rais president
jina name
taifa nation
uso face
jicho / macho eye / eyes
sikio / masikio ear / ears
jino / meno tooth / teeth
ulimi tongue
kidole finger / toe
damu blood
nywele hair
ngozi skin
mlango door
dirisha window
chumba room
meza table
kiti chair
kitanda bed
jiko kitchen / stove
choo toilet
sakafu floor
ukuta wall
paa roof
kikombe cup
sahani plate
kijiko spoon
uma fork
kisu knife
sufuria pot
chupa bottle
mkoba / begi bag
kalamu pen
karatasi paper
simu phone
televisheni / runinga television
redio radio
taa lamp / light
nguo clothes
shati shirt
suruali trousers
viatu shoes
kofia hat / cap
saa ya mkono wristwatch
matunda fruit
chungwa orange
nanasi pineapple
nazi coconut
yai / mayai egg / eggs
viazi potatoes
nyanya tomato
kitunguu onion
dunia world / earth
njia path / way
duka shop
msikiti mosque
benki bank
shamba farm / field
mawingu clouds
anga / mbingu sky
ardhi land / ground
mti / miti tree / trees
ua / maua flower / flowers
jiwe / mawe stone / stones
mwamba rock
theluji snow
mnyama / wanyama animal / animals
kondoo sheep
punda donkey
nyani baboon
sokwe chimpanzee / ape
panya rat / mouse
mbu mosquito
nzi fly
nyuki bee
jambo / mambo matter / thing / affair
kitu / vitu thing / things
swali / maswali question / questions
jibu / majibu answer / answers
neno / maneno word / words
maisha life
kifo death
upendo / mapenzi love
amani peace
vita war
nguvu strength / power
uhuru freedom
haki right / justice
sheria law
dini religion
Mungu God
furaha joy / happiness
huzuni sadness
hofu / woga fear
hasira anger
maumivu pain
afya health
ugonjwa illness / disease
dawa medicine
elimu education
bei price
faida profit / benefit
hasara loss
safari journey / trip
meli ship
baiskeli bicycle
pikipiki motorcycle
abiria passenger
tikiti ticket
ndiyo yes (that's right)
labda maybe / perhaps
haraka quickly / fast