Swahili is the lingua franca of East Africa — around 100 million people speak it. The grammar is logical, the pronunciation is phonetic (you speak as you write). Even a "Jambo!" (Hello!) or "Asante sana!" (Thank you very much!) brings a wide smile to any Tanzanian's face.
Greetings & Politeness
| German | Swahili | Pronunciation |
|---|
| Hello! | Jambo! / Mambo! | Jambo / Mambo (Response: Poa! = Cool!) |
| How are you? | Habari? | Ha-ba-ri (Response: Nzuri! = Good!) |
| I'm fine | Nzuri sana | N-su-ri sa-na |
| Welcome | Karibu! | Ka-ri-bu (Plural: Karibuni!) |
| Thank you | Asante | A-san-te (Thank you very much: Asante sana) |
| Please | Tafadhali | Ta-fa-dha-li |
| Yes / No | Ndiyo / Hapana | Ndi-yo / Ha-pa-na |
| Sorry | Pole | Po-le (also: "I'm sorry" / "Slowly!") |
| No problem | Hakuna matata | Ha-ku-na ma-ta-ta (Yes, like in the movie!) |
| Goodbye | Kwaheri | Kwa-he-ri |
| Good morning | Habari ya asubuhi | Asubuhi = Morning |
| Good night | Usiku mwema | U-si-ku mwe-ma |
Useful Phrases
| German | Swahili |
|---|
| How much does it cost? | Bei ngapi? |
| Too expensive! | Ghali sana! |
| Where is...? | Wapi...? |
| I don't understand | Sielewi |
| Do you speak English? | Unasema Kiingereza? |
| My name is... | Jina langu ni... |
| Beautiful! | Nzuri! |
| Delicious! | Tamu! |
| Slowly! | Pole pole! |
| Quickly! | Haraka! |
| Let's go! | Twende! |
| I love Tanzania! | Napenda Tanzania! |
Safari Vocabulary (Animals)
| German | Swahili | German | Swahili |
|---|
| Lion | Simba | Leopard | Chui |
| Elephant | Tembo / Ndovu | Buffalo | Nyati / Mbogo |
| Rhinoceros | Kifaru | Giraffe | Twiga |
| Zebra | Punda milia | Wildebeest | Nyumbu |
| Hippopotamus | Kiboko | Crocodile | Mamba |
| Cheetah | Duma | Wild dog | Mbwa mwitu |
| Hyena | Fisi | Monkey | Tumbili / Nyani |
| Warthog | Ngiri | Eagle | Tai |
| Snake | Nyoka | Turtle | Kasa / Kobe |
| Chimpanzee | Sokwe | Flamingo | Heroe |
Nature & Landscape
| German | Swahili | German | Swahili |
|---|
| Mountain | Mlima | River | Mto |
| Lake | Ziwa | Sea | Bahari |
| Island | Kisiwa | Forest | Msitu |
| Savannah | Uwanda | Sunset | Machweo |
| Rain | Mvua | Sun | Jua |
| Star | Nyota | Moon | Mwezi |
Numbers
| Number | Swahili | Number | Swahili |
|---|
| 1 | Moja | 6 | Sita |
| 2 | Mbili | 7 | Saba |
| 3 | Tatu | 8 | Nane |
| 4 | Nne | 9 | Tisa |
| 5 | Tano | 10 | Kumi |
| 20 | Ishirini | 100 | Mia |
| 50 | Hamsini | 1,000 | Elfu |
💡 Tipp
"Pole pole" (slowly, slowly) is THE motto of life in Tanzania — and the most important phrase on Kilimanjaro. The guides will tell you it hundreds of times. On Kilimanjaro summit day, "Pole pole!" is the difference between success and giving up. Internalize it!
