Communicating during your trip in East Africa
In East Africa everything revolves around connection. A friendly greeting, a simple question or even just one Swahili word can be enough to earn a smile and spark a conversation during your trip. You do not need to be a language expert but knowing a few words of Kiswahili helps you connect more easily with the people you meet along the way. It breaks the ice shows that you are curious about their culture and adds some of that extra warmth that makes East Africa so special.A bit of history
Swahili is the Arabic word for coast and that already tells you a lot. The language was born centuries ago along the East African shoreline where traders fishermen sultans and travellers from all over the world crossed paths. Swahili is originally a Bantu language but over the years it absorbed influences from everyone who set foot there. Arabs brought their vocabulary Persian influences slipped in and later Portuguese English and German colonisers added their own flavour. Many numbers for example come from Arabic especially the tens. Chai means tea thanks to the Persians and words like baiskeli and familia are easy to guess when you say them out loud. And shule sounds a lot like the German Schule. Swahili is a true cultural melting pot and it sounds just as colourful as the coast it comes from.Where is Kiswahili spoken
Kiswahili is the official language in Kenya and Tanzania but you also hear it in parts of Uganda Rwanda Burundi the DRC Zambia and Mozambique. You have probably heard both Swahili and Kiswahili before but the difference is simple. In Swahili you add the prefix ki when you talk about a language. Kichina is Chinese Kiingereza is English and Kiholanzi is Dutch. As simple as that.Lion King Swahili
Do not be surprised if you are greeted on arrival in Kenya with jambo hakuna matata or habari gani. It is correct Swahili but in Nairobi it is mainly something shouted at tourists. Along the coast and in Tanzania you will hear it more in everyday speech but in the capital locals usually say something else. So how do you greet someone in a real local way? Easy. Say mambo. The response is poa which means good. Simple and much closer to how people actually speak here.
Time for the basics
Swahili / English
| Ndio | Yes |
| Hapana | No |
| Karibu | Welcome |
| Asante | Thank you |
| Pole | Sorry |
| Na | And/with |
| Hatari | Danger |
| Sawa | Okay |
Questions for the road
| Swahili | English |
| Nani? | Who? |
| Nini? | What? |
| Wapi? | Where? |
| Gani? | Which one? |
| Mbona/Kwa Nini? | Why? |
| Pole pole | Calm down |
| Haraka haraka | Quick |
| Saa ngapi? | At what time? |
Making friends
| Ninaitwa… | My name is… |
| Nimefurahi kukujua | Nice to meet you |
| Tafadhali | Please |
| Naomba piga picha? | Can I take a picture? |
| Nakupenda | I love you |
Safari vocabulary
| Simba | Lion |
| Mamba | Crocodile |
| Twiga | Giraffe |
| Kifaru | Rhino |
| Ndovu | Elephant |
| Chui | Leopard |
| Nyati | Buffalo |
