132 essential Swahili phrases with pronunciation written out for English speakers. Everything below is what a beginner actually needs first: greetings, polite words, numbers, family, food, time and getting around. The stressed syllable is in capitals so you can say it out loud without guessing.
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First words
Greet someone and be polite
HabariHello/ha-BA-ree/
AsanteThank you/ah-SAN-teh/
KaribuWelcome/ka-REE-boo/
KwaheriGoodbye/kwa-HEH-ree/
NdiyoYes/n-DEE-yo/
HapanaNo/ha-PA-na/
TafadhaliPlease/ta-fa-DHA-lee/
PoleSorry/PO-leh/
Meeting people
Introduce yourself and ask how someone is
Jina langu ni AmaraMy name is Amara/JEE-na LAN-goo nee a-MA-ra/
Jina lako ni nani?What is your name?/JEE-na LA-ko nee NA-nee/
Habari ya asubuhiGood morning/ha-BA-ree ya a-soo-BOO-hee/
Niko mzuriI am fine/NEE-ko m-ZOO-ree/
MajiWater/MA-jee/
ChakulaFood/cha-KOO-la/
RafikiFriend/ra-FEE-kee/
SokoMarket/SO-ko/
Getting around
Ask for directions and prices
Soko liko wapi?Where is the market?/SO-ko LEE-ko WA-pee/
Hii ni bei gani?How much is this?/HEE nee bay GA-nee/
Nataka majiI want water/na-TA-ka MA-jee/
SielewiI don't understand/see-eh-LEH-wee/
Counting
Numbers one to ten
MojaOne/MO-ja/
MbiliTwo/m-BEE-lee/
TatuThree/TA-too/
TanoFive/TA-no/
SitaSix/SEE-ta/
SabaSeven/SA-ba/
NaneEight/NA-neh/
KumiTen/KOO-mee/
At the market
Buy food and talk about price
MkateBread/m-KA-teh/
WaliRice/WA-lee/
SamakiFish/sa-MA-kee/
NyamaMeat/NYA-ma/
PesaMoney/PEH-sa/
GhaliExpensive/GHA-lee/
RahisiCheap/ra-HEE-see/
Nataka kununuaI want to buy/na-TA-ka koo-noo-NOO-a/
Family
The people closest to you
MamaMother/MA-ma/
BabaFather/BA-ba/
KakaBrother/KA-ka/
DadaSister/DA-da/
MtotoChild/m-TOH-toh/
FamiliaFamily/fa-MEE-lee-a/
MkeWife/m-KEH/
MumeHusband/MOO-meh/
Days and times
Say when something happens
LeoToday/LEH-oh/
KeshoTomorrow/KEH-shoh/
JanaYesterday/JA-na/
SasaNow/SA-sa/
AsubuhiMorning/a-soo-BOO-hee/
JioniEvening/jee-OH-nee/
UsikuNight/oo-SEE-koo/
SikuDay/SEE-koo/
Food and drink
Order and share a meal
MkateBread/m-KA-teh/
WaliRice/WA-lee/
NyamaMeat/NYA-ma/
MaziwaMilk/ma-ZEE-wa/
ChaiTea/CHA-ee/
KahawaCoffee/ka-HA-wa/
SukariSugar/soo-KA-ree/
Nina njaaI am hungry/NEE-na n-JAA/
Getting around town
Directions and travel words
BasiBus/BA-see/
NjiaRoad/n-JEE-a/
HoteliHotel/ho-TEH-lee/
NyumbaHouse/NYOOM-ba/
KushotoLeft/koo-SHOH-toh/
KuliaRight/koo-LEE-a/
Moja kwa mojaStraight ahead/MOH-ja kwa MOH-ja/
Simama hapaStop here/see-MA-ma HA-pa/
Colours and describing
Say what something looks like
NyekunduRed/nyeh-KOON-doo/
NyeusiBlack/nyeh-OO-see/
NyeupeWhite/nyeh-OO-peh/
RangiColour/RAN-ghee/
KubwaBig/KOOB-wa/
NdogoSmall/n-DOH-goh/
NzuriGood/n-ZOO-ree/
MbayaBad/m-BA-ya/
At home
Name the things around you
NyumbaHouse/NYOOM-ba/
MlangoDoor/m-LAN-goh/
KitandaBed/kee-TAN-da/
KitiChair/KEE-tee/
MezaTable/MEH-za/
DirishaWindow/dee-REE-sha/
UfunguoKey/oo-foon-GOO-oh/
JikoniKitchen/jee-KOH-nee/
Body and health
Say what hurts and ask for help
KichwaHead/KEECH-wa/
MkonoHand/m-KOH-noh/
JichoEye/JEE-choh/
TumboStomach/TOOM-boh/
Mimi ni mgonjwaI am sick/MEE-mee nee m-GONJ-wa/
DaktariDoctor/dak-TA-ree/
HospitaliHospital/hos-pee-TA-lee/
DawaMedicine/DA-wa/
Work and school
Talk about what you do
KaziWork/KA-zee/
ShuleSchool/SHOO-leh/
MwalimuTeacher/mwa-LEE-moo/
MwanafunziStudent/mwa-na-FOON-zee/
KitabuBook/kee-TA-boo/
KalamuPen/ka-LA-moo/
Ninajifunza KiswahiliI am learning Swahili/nee-na-jee-FOON-za kee-swa-HEE-lee/
SwaliQuestion/SWA-lee/
Feelings
Say how you feel
Nina furahaI am happy/NEE-na foo-RA-ha/
NimechokaI am tired/nee-meh-CHOH-ka/
NakupendaI love you/na-koo-PEN-da/
RafikiFriend/ra-FEE-kee/
Nina njaaI am hungry/NEE-na n-JAA/
Nina kiuI am thirsty/NEE-na KEE-oo/
HongeraCongratulations/hon-GEH-ra/
Hakuna shidaNo problem/ha-KOO-na SHEE-da/
Money and shopping
Buy something and talk about price
PesaMoney/PEH-sa/
BeiPrice/BAY/
GhaliExpensive/GHA-lee/
RahisiCheap/ra-HEE-see/
DukaShop/DOO-ka/
SokoMarket/SOH-koh/
Nataka kununuaI want to buy/na-TA-ka koo-noo-NOO-a/
Ni ghali sanaIt is too expensive/nee GHA-lee SA-na/
Small talk
Keep a short conversation going
Unatoka wapi?Where are you from?/oo-na-TOH-ka WA-pee/
Natoka AmerikaI am from America/na-TOH-ka a-meh-REE-ka/
Unasema Kiingereza?Do you speak English?/oo-na-SEH-ma kee-een-geh-REH-za/
KidogoA little/kee-DOH-goh/
Tutaonana keshoSee you tomorrow/too-ta-oh-NA-na KEH-shoh/
Usiku mwemaGood night/oo-SEE-koo MWEH-ma/
Safari njemaSafe journey/sa-FA-ree n-JEH-ma/
Asante sanaThank you very much/ah-SAN-teh SA-na/
Weather and the week
Talk about the day and the weather
MvuaRain/m-VOO-a/
JuaSun/JOO-a/
UpepoWind/oo-PEH-poh/
Leo ni jotoIt is hot today/LEH-oh nee JOH-toh/
WikiWeek/WEE-kee/
JumatatuMonday/joo-ma-TA-too/
IjumaaFriday/ee-joo-MAA/
JumapiliSunday/joo-ma-PEE-lee/
Questions people ask about Swahili
How do you say "hello" in Swahili?
"Hello" in Swahili is Habari, pronounced /ha-BA-ree/ (stressed syllables in capitals).
How do you say "thank you" in Swahili?
"Thank you" in Swahili is Asante, pronounced /ah-SAN-teh/ (stressed syllables in capitals).
Is Swahili hard to learn?
Nouns fall into classes, and the class changes the start of related words — mtu (person) becomes watu (people).
Stress almost always lands on the second-to-last syllable, which makes reading aloud predictable.
Greetings are a small ritual: habari expects a reply of nzuri before anything else happens.
Where is Swahili spoken?
Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, DR Congo — around 200 million, mostly as a second language. Writing system: Latin alphabet, spelled close to how it sounds.
Can I learn Swahili for free?
Yes. This phrasebook is free to read, and SemaSoma gives you the first three units of the course plus 15 translations a day before anything is paid.