SWAHILI FOR YOUR TANZANIA ADVENTURE
Simple, useful Swahili for everyday moments during your trip.
You don’t need to speak Swahili to travel around Tanzania, but learning a few useful Swahili words and phrases can make your Tanzania trip a lot more fun. English is widely used in tourism, and your guide, hotel staff and activity providers will usually speak English.
A simple Asante can bring a smile. A friendly Habari? can start a conversation. And being able to say that you’re tired, hungry or desperately looking for a toilet can be surprisingly useful.
This isn’t a complete language course. We’ve put together practical Swahili for travellers, including greetings, safari words and everyday phrases you’ll actually hear and use while travelling in Tanzania.
START WITH THE BASICS
KARIBU TANZANIA
Karibu! – Welcome
Asante – Thank you
Asante sana – Thank you very much
Samahani – Excuse me / Sorry
Ndiyo – Yes
Hapana – No
Sawa – Okay / Alright
Hamna shida – No problem
Swahili, or Kiswahili, is spoken throughout Tanzania. You’ll hear it in cities, villages, markets, national parks, restaurants, on ferries and pretty much everywhere in between.
And don’t worry too much about getting everything right. Even a few words go a long way.
YOU ALREADY SPEAK SOME SWAHILI
You probably know more Swahili than you think.
Safari means journey or trip.
Hakuna matata really does mean “no worries”, although in everyday conversation you’ll also hear Hamna shida.
And pole pole means slowly. You’ll hear this one a lot, especially while hiking.
Then there’s Jambo. It’s probably the most famous Swahili greeting among travellers. Tanzanians will understand you perfectly, but between Tanzanians you’re much more likely to hear greetings such as Habari? or Mambo?
USEFULL SWAHILI FOR YOUR TRIP
GREETINGS & EVERYDAY CONVERSATION
Habari? – How are you?
Nzuri. – Good.
Mambo? – What's up?
Poa! – Fine / Cool!
Asante sana. – Thank you very much.
Samahani. – Excuse me / Sorry.
Pole. – Sorry / expression of sympathy.
Sijui. – I don't know.
Naelewa. – I understand.
Sielewi. – I don't understand.
Ninaongea Kiswahili kidogo. – I speak a little Swahili.
A little tip: Greetings matter in Tanzania. Saying hello before immediately asking for something is a small thing, but it can make an interaction much friendlier.
Simba – Lion
Tembo – Elephant
Twiga – Giraffe
Nyati – Buffalo
Kiboko – Hippo
Mamba – Crocodile
Chui – Leopard
Pundamilia – Zebra
Ngedere – Monkey
Angalia! – Look!
Hapo! – There!
Simba yuko wapi? – Where is the lion?
Simama hapa, tafadhali. – Stop here, please.
Naweza kupiga picha? – Can I take a photo?
Twende pole pole. – Let's go slowly.
ON THE ROAD
Gari – Car
Basi – Bus
Bajaji – Three-wheeled taxi
Pikipiki – Motorbike
Barabara – Road
Kushoto – Left
Kulia – Right
Hapa – Here
Pale – Over there
Karibu – Near
Mbali – Far
Ni mbali? – Is it far?
Ni karibu? – Is it near?
Tunaenda wapi? – Where are we going?
Tutafika saa ngapi? – What time will we arrive?
Subiri kidogo. – Wait a moment.
Ngoja kidogo. – Wait a moment.
Mlima – Mountain
Mto – River
Msitu – Forest
Njia – Path / Way
Maji – Water
Mvua – Rain
Nimechoka. – I'm tired.
Nataka kupumzika. – I want to rest.
Nina kiu. – I'm thirsty.
Nina njaa. – I'm hungry.
Nahitaji maji. – I need water.
Bado mbali? – Is it still far?
Dakika ngapi? – How many minutes?
Don’t be surprised if the answer to that last question turns out to be rather optimistic.
FOOD & DRINKS
Maji – Water
Chai – Tea
Kahawa – Coffee
Chakula – Food
Wali – Rice
Ugali – Ugali
Maharage – Beans
Samaki – Fish
Kuku – Chicken
Nyama – Meat
Mboga – Vegetables
Matunda – Fruit
Naomba maji. – May I have water?
Naomba kahawa. – May I have coffee?
Naomba chai. – May I have tea?
Bila nyama. – Without meat.
Bila pilipili. – Without chilli.
Pilipili kidogo. – A little chilli.
Tamu sana! – Delicious!
Bahari – Sea / Ocean
Pwani – Coast / beach area
Mchanga – Sand
Jua – Sun
Samaki – Fish
Ndala – Flip-flops
Bahari iko wapi? – Where is the sea?
Naweza kuogelea hapa? – Can I swim here?
Tunarudi saa ngapi? – What time are we coming back?
Bei gani? – What price?
Ni shilingi ngapi? – How many shillings?
What you'll actually hear:
Shilingi ngapi? is often said so quickly that it sounds more like Shingapi? Keep an ear out for it in markets and shops.
Nataka hii. – I want this one.
Sitaki. – I don't want it.
Ninaangalia tu. – I'm just looking.
Punguza kidogo. – Reduce it a little.
Gharama sana. – Very expensive.
Bargaining is normal in some markets and souvenir shops, but not everywhere. Keep it friendly. Bargaining is a conversation, not a battle.
TIRED, HUNGRY OR DESPERATELY LOOKING FOR A TOILET?
Nimechoka. – I'm tired.
Nina njaa. – I'm hungry.
Nina kiu. – I'm thirsty.
Nahitaji maji. – I need water.
Nataka kupumzika. – I want to rest.
Nataka kulala. – I want to sleep.
If you only remember one emergency travel phrase, this is next one a strong candidate:
Choo kiko wapi?
Where is the toilet?
HEALTH & EMERGENCY
WHEN YOU NEED HELP
Nahitaji msaada. – I need help.
Sijisikii vizuri. – I don't feel well.
Ninaumwa. – I'm sick / I'm in pain.
Tumbo linauma. – My stomach hurts.
Kichwa kinauma. – My head hurts.
Ninaharisha. – I have diarrhoea.
Nina kidonda. – I have a wound.
Nahitaji daktari. – I need a doctor.
Nahitaji hospitali. – I need a hospital.
Tafadhali nisaidie. – Please help me.
WANT TO UNDERSTAND A LITTLE MORE?
You don't need to study Swahili grammar to enjoy using the language. But recognising a few patterns can help.
Take kulala, “to sleep”:
Ninalala – I am sleeping
Unalala – You are sleeping
Analala – He/she is sleeping
One particularly useful word is nataka, meaning “I want”:
Nataka kulala. – I want to sleep.
Nataka kula. – I want to eat.
Nataka kunywa. – I want to drink.
Nataka kwenda. – I want to go.
Don't worry about speaking perfectly. Use what you know, smile, and try. That's more than enough to start.