All Things Kenyan

Swahili Archive

Jeanne Kenya, Swahili, Tanzania, Uganda

Here is a list of Swahili words that have been used on this website. Click on them to hear how to pronounce them.

 

Swahili Word Phonetic Pronunciation Definition
asante ah SAWN tay Thank you
asante sana ah SAWN tay 
SAW na		 Thank you very much
askari ah SCAR ee a guard
baridi bah REE dee cold
bwana BWAH nah mister
chai ch EYE tea or a bribe
chang’aa shung GAH an illegally brewed alcoholic beverage
choo choh pit latrine
fiti FEE tee response to Sasa? meaning I’m fit
habari hah BAR ee news
hakuna matata hah KOO nah 
mah TAH tah		 there are no worries
hapana hah PAH nah no
harambee hah rah BAY  let’s pull together
hela HAY lah German coin
hoteli hoe TELL ee hotel or restaurant
jambo JAHM bow Hi
jambo sana JAHM bow 
SAH nah		 Response to Jambo
kahawa kah HAH wah coffee
karamu kah RAH moo party
karibu kah REE boo welcome
kiswahili kee swah HEE lee Swahili
kitabu kee TAH boo book
Krismas KREES mahs Christmas
kunuka koo NOO kah to smell bad
kunukia koo noo KEE ah to smell good
kwaheri kwah HAIR ee goodbye
maji MAH gee water
mama MAH mah mother
matatu mah TAH too a form of transportation
mdudu MDOO doo bug or insect
meza MAY zah table
moja MOW jah one
mbili MBEE lee two
mtoto MTOE toe child
mwamerika mwa MARE ee kah American
mviringo mvee REEN go circle
mzungu MZOON goo foreigner/white person
mzuri MZOO ree good
ndiyo NDEE yo yes
nyanya NEE AH nee ah tomato or grandmother
penseli pain SAY lee pencil
pesa PAY sah money
Pesa ngapi? PAY sah 
NGAH pee		 How much money?
pole POE lay sorry
pombe POE M bay beer
pumbaa poom BAH fool, idiot
rafiki rah FEE kee friend
saba SAH bah seven
Sasa? SAW saw How?
serikali say ree KAH lee government
Shilingi ngapi? shee LEEN gee 
NGAH pee		 How many shillings?
shule SHOO lay school
simba SEEM bah lion
sita SEE tah six
tafadhali tah fah DAH lee please
tohara toe HAH rah circumcision
touts TOWTS the men who run matatus
uhuru oo HOO roo freedom
Wapi? WAH pee Where?
Wapi posta? WAH pee 
POE stah		 Where is the post office?

 
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