Greetings, courtesy, numbers, and safari vocabulary, with pronunciation built for English speakers who've never studied the language.
Swahili is the lingua franca across East Africa, understood by somewhere between roughly sixty and two hundred million people depending on how second language speakers are counted, stretching from the Indian Ocean coast to the Great Lakes.
English works fine in most tourist settings. But greeting a lodge server, thanking your guide, or attempting a market exchange in Swahili tends to shift the whole tone of an interaction, and mispronunciation is met with warmth far more often than judgment.
Five pure vowel sounds, each pronounced the same way every time. No swallowed syllables, no silent letters.
| Letter | Sound | Example | English Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| a | "ah" | baba (father) | as in "father" |
| e | "eh" | sema (speak) | as in "bed" |
| i | "ee" | simba (lion) | as in "see" |
| o | "oh" | moja (one) | as in "go" |
| u | "oo" | kuku (chicken) | as in "food" |
"ng'" at the start of a word is a nasal sound, like the "ng" in "sing" but placed at the front (ng'ombe means cow). "dh" sounds like the "th" in "this" (dhahabu, gold). "ny" sounds like the "ny" in "canyon" (nyumba, house). "gh" is a soft, guttural sound, something like a gentle gargle.
Swahili almost always stresses the second to last syllable of a word. Once that pattern clicks, pronouncing unfamiliar words becomes far more predictable than it looks on the page.
Greetings carry more social weight here than in most Western contexts. Take the exchange seriously and let it run its course before moving on to business.
| Swahili | Pronunciation | English | When to Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jambo | JAHM·boh | Hello (to tourists) | The universal tourist greeting |
| Habari | hah·BAH·ree | Hello / How are you? | Common, slightly more local |
| Habari yako? | hah·BAH·ree YAH·koh | How are you? (one person) | Addressing an individual |
| Habari zenu? | hah·BAH·ree ZEH·noo | How are you? (group) | Addressing several people |
| Mambo | MAHM·boh | What's up? | Casual, especially with younger people |
| Shikamoo | shee·kah·MOH | A respectful greeting | To visibly older individuals |
| Swahili | Pronunciation | English | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nzuri | n·ZOO·ree | Good / Fine | The standard positive response |
| Nzuri sana | n·ZOO·ree SAH·nah | Very good | An enthusiastic response |
| Poa | POH·ah | Cool / Good | Casual, especially answering "Mambo" |
| Marahaba | mah·rah·HAH·bah | The response to Shikamoo | Required after someone says Shikamoo to you |
| Swahili | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Kwaheri | kwah·HEH·ree | Goodbye (one person) |
| Kwaherini | kwah·heh·REE·nee | Goodbye (group) |
| Tutaonana | too·tah·oh·NAH·nah | See you later |
| Safari njema | sah·FAH·ree n·JEH·mah | Have a good journey |
| Swahili | Pronunciation | English | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tafadhali | tah·fah·DAH·lee | Please | Add to any request |
| Asante | ah·SAHN·teh | Thank you | Standard thanks |
| Asante sana | ah·SAHN·teh SAH·nah | Thank you very much | Enthusiastic gratitude |
| Karibu | kah·REE·boo | You're welcome / Welcome | Both a response to thanks and a welcome to your space |
| Pole | POH·leh | Sorry | Minor troubles or sympathy |
| Samahani | sah·mah·HAH·nee | Excuse me / I'm sorry | Apologizing or getting attention |
| Swahili | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ndiyo | n·DEE·yoh | Yes |
| Hapana | hah·PAH·nah | No |
| Sawa | SAH·wah | Okay / Alright |
| Hakuna matata | hah·KOO·nah mah·TAH·tah | No problem, no worries |
| Number | Swahili | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | moja | MOH·jah |
| 2 | mbili | m·BEE·lee |
| 3 | tatu | TAH·too |
| 4 | nne | n·NEH |
| 5 | tano | TAH·noh |
| 6 | sita | SEE·tah |
| 7 | saba | SAH·bah |
| 8 | nane | NAH·neh |
| 9 | tisa | TEE·sah |
| 10 | kumi | KOO·mee |
| Number | Swahili | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | ishirini | ee·shee·REE·nee |
| 30 | thelathini | theh·lah·THEE·nee |
| 50 | hamsini | hahm·SEE·nee |
| 100 | mia | MEE·ah |
| 1,000 | elfu | EL·foo |
Number combinations follow a simple pattern: 23 becomes "ishirini na tatu," literally twenty and three.
| Swahili | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Bei gani? | BEH gah·NEE | How much (price)? |
| Ghali sana | GAH·lee SAH·nah | Too expensive |
| Punguza bei | poon·GOO·zah BEH | Reduce the price |
| Saa ngapi? | SAH n·GAH·pee | What time? |
| Swahili | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| chakula | chah·KOO·lah | food |
| maji | MAH·jee | water |
| chai | CHAI | tea |
| kahawa | kah·HAH·wah | coffee |
| nyama | NYAH·mah | meat |
| kuku | KOO·koo | chicken |
| samaki | sah·MAH·kee | fish |
| mboga | m·BOH·gah | vegetables |
| matunda | mah·TOON·dah | fruit |
| ugali | oo·GAH·lee | maize porridge, a staple dish |
| Swahili | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Nina njaa | NEE·nah n·JAH | I am hungry |
| Nina kiu | NEE·nah KEE·oo | I am thirsty |
| Chakula kitamu | chah·KOO·lah kee·TAH·moo | Delicious food |
| Nimeshiba | nee·meh·SHEE·bah | I am full |
| Bili tafadhali | BEE·lee tah·fah·DAH·lee | Bill please |
| Bila nyama | BEE·lah NYAH·mah | Without meat |
These words show up constantly, on park signage, on your guide's lips, and in the running commentary of a good game drive.
| Swahili | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| simba | SEEM·bah | lion |
| chui | CHOO·ee | leopard |
| tembo / ndovu | TEM·boh / n·DOH·voo | elephant |
| kifaru | kee·FAH·roo | rhinoceros |
| nyati | NYAH·tee | buffalo |
| Swahili | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| twiga | TWEE·gah | giraffe |
| punda milia | POON·dah MEE·lee·ah | zebra |
| kiboko | kee·BOH·koh | hippopotamus |
| nyumbu | NYOOM·boo | wildebeest |
| duma | DOO·mah | cheetah |
| fisi | FEE·see | hyena |
| nyani | NYAH·nee | baboon |
| ndege | n·DEH·geh | bird |
| Swahili | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Tazama! | tah·ZAH·mah | Look! |
| Pole pole | POH·leh POH·leh | Slowly, slowly |
| Wapi? | WAH·pee | Where? |
| Simba wapi? | SEEM·bah WAH·pee | Where is the lion? |
| Swahili | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| kulia | koo·LEE·ah | right |
| kushoto | koo·SHOH·toh | left |
| karibu | kah·REE·boo | near |
| mbali | m·BAH·lee | far |
| Swahili | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| hoteli | hoh·TEH·lee | hotel / restaurant |
| soko | SOH·koh | market |
| ziwa | ZEE·wah | lake |
| mlima | m·LEE·mah | mountain |
| pwani | PWAH·nee | coast / beach |
| mbuga | m·BOO·gah | savanna / plains |
| Swahili | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Msaada! | m·sah·AH·dah | Help! |
| Daktari | dahk·TAH·ree | Doctor |
| Hospitali | hoh·spee·TAH·lee | Hospital |
| Mimi ni mgonjwa | MEE·mee nee m·GOHN·jwah | I am sick |
| Naomba msaada | nah·OHM·bah m·sah·AH·dah | I need help |
| Ni dharura | nee dah·ROO·rah | It's urgent |
Initiate a greeting whenever you enter a space, a shop, a lodge, a vehicle, and let the exchange finish naturally before moving on to whatever you actually came to ask.
Use "Shikamoo" with anyone visibly older than you. It literally translates to something like "I hold your feet" and carries real weight. Wait for "Marahaba" before continuing.
Mispronunciation tends to draw a friendly correction, not judgment. Attempting Swahili, however imperfectly, consistently produces warmer interactions than defaulting straight to English.
Handshakes are common between people of the same gender. Right hands are used for greeting and for passing objects. Pointing with a finger reads as rude; an open palm gesture is the better habit.
Very unlikely. Attempts at Swahili are almost always met with appreciation, and most people find tourist efforts endearing rather than something to judge.
English works well in tourist settings, but a Swahili greeting still tends to earn a warmer response, and some rural markets and communities rely on it far more than English.
Yes, arguably more so. Swahili as a language has deep roots on the Swahili Coast, including Zanzibar, and Stone Town's cultural experiences feel richer when you can meet that heritage even partway.
Greetings, thank you, and a handful of animal names cover most of what you'll need. Numbers help if you plan to visit a market.
A phrasebook only helps if it's actually with you. Print a copy for your bag, or ask your consultant which phrases matter most for your specific itinerary.