Continue! Go on!
Endelea!
File/s
Faili/mafaili
Situation, condition, status
Hali
Free
Huru
Tool/s, accessory/ies
Kifaa/vifaa
Laptop computer/s
Kompyuta ya/za mkononi
To watch, to look at
Kuangalia
To check your e-mail
Kuangalia e-mail
To print
Kuchapisha
To open a file
Kufungua faili
To save a file
Kuhifadhi faili
Abour
Kuhusu
To log on to a website
Kuingia katika tovuti
To be available
Kupatikana
To visit
Kutembelea
To manufacture, to fix
Kutengeneza
To send
Kutuma
To send a message
Kutuma ujumbe
To put, to place
Kuweka
To be used to
Kuzoea
Printer/s (2)
Mashine ya/za kuchapisha
Printa
Communication
Mawasiliano
Password
Neno la siri
Overseas
Ng’ambo
Picture/s, photograph/s
Picha
Excuse me. I’m sorry
Samahani
Screen/s (2)
Skrini
Kioo cha kompyuta / Vioo vya kompyuta
Problem/s, hardship/s (3)
Tabu
Shaka/mashaka
Shida
Website
Tovuti
Freedom
Uhuru
Document/s (2)
Waraka/nyaraka
Dokyumenti
Healthy, whole, complete
-zima
I’d like to send an e-mail
Ningependa kutuma e-mail
What’s your e-mail address?
Anuani yako ya e-mail ni ipi?
Where can i get onto the internet?
Wapi nitaweza kupata mtandao
Internet
Mtandao
Always (3)
Milele
Kila wakati
Siku zote
Never (2)
Kamwe
Asili
Congratulations! (2)
Hongera!
Pongezi!
To push
Kuumba
-umba! (Obstetrikk)
Good luck
Kwa bahati nzuri
Pregnancy, conception
Mimba
Delivery, childbirth
Uzalishaji
To give birth
Kuzaa
Almost
Takriban, takribani
Page/s, leaflet/s
Ukurasa/kurasa
Company/ies
Kampuni/makampuni
Does your company have a website?
Kampuni yako ina tovuti?
Does the hotel have internet access?
Hoteli ina huduma za mtandao?
Please send (it) as an attachment
Tafadhali tuma kwa kiambatisho
I’d like to print a document
Ningependa kuchapisha waraka
Certificate, diploma, degree
Shahada
I use a PC at work and an Apple at home
Ninatumia PC kazini na Apple nyumbani
No problem (2)
Hakuna tabu
Hamna tabu
It’s true / That’s right
Ni kweli
Welcome, have a seat
Karibu ukae
How much do i owe (“will i pay”)?
Nitalipa bei gani?
To switch on the computer
Kufungua Kompyuta
They’re available
Zinapatikana
It depends
Inategemea
Another time, sometimes
Mara nyengine
I’m at work
Nipo kazini
Let me visit
Acha nitembelee
Commands (verb root in sg.) + verb –> Conjugate second verb in subjunctive
Let me read
Acha nisome
Commands (verb root in sg.) + verb –> Conjugate second verb in subjunctive
They’re imported
Vinaagizwa
Zinaagizwa..
Where do you get them?
Vinapatikana wapi?
I’m good, and you? (More elaborate response to hujambo?)
Mimi sijambo, na wewe?
I’m all right
Mimi mzima (pia)
Is that possible?
Inawezekana?
-Ningependa kutuma e-mail, inawezekana?
If that’s okay (If conditions allow)
Ok, i’d also like to chat, if that’s okay (“if conditions allow”)
… kama hali inaruhusu
Sawa, nataka kuchati pia kama hali inaruhusu
To communicate
Kuwasiliana
To be/get used to
Kuzoea
-Nimezoea sana PC - I’m really used to PCs
Ass (Vulgar)
Kitako/vitako
To begin, to start, to originate
Kuanza
Mbona
Why? For what reason? How?
-Samahani, mbona hii kompyuta haifanyi kazi? (Excuse me, why does this computer not work?)
Halafu
Afterwards, subsequently, then, next
Modern, new, up-to-date (Adverb)
Kisasa
-Kompyuta za kisasa
Long ago, earlier, before
Zamani
Quickly, speedily
Kasi
-Na vipi kasi ya mtandao? (And how fast is the internet? (‘And how fast/speed of internet)
(Can also be used as noun meaning speed)
Kwa hivyo
Therefore
To enter, to go in
Kuingia
Perfect tense - What, use
Expressed with “have” as in “have done”, “have gone” etc. It expresses a completed or accomplished action. It may also be used in Swahili to express a state of being, such as being late or being tired.
Perfect tense - How to form
Subject prefix + -me- + verb root
- Mwalimu amefika (The teacher has (just) arrived)
- Wanafunzi wameondoka (The students have (just) left)
- Mpishi amepika (The cook has (just) cooked)
- Mwanafunzi amejifunza Kiswahili (The student has learned Swahili)
- Lucy ameenda darasani (Lucy has gone to class)
- Wageni wamefika (The guests have arrived)
(Expressed with “have” as in “have done”, “have gone” etc. It expresses a completed or accomplished action. It may also be used in Swahili to express a state of being, such as being late or being tired.)
(Can use -mesha- instead of -me-. There is no great difference, the latter simply adds emphasis that the action has already taken place.)
(Mwalimu ameshaondoka (The teacher has already left). Watoto wameshakula chakula cha jioni (The children have already eaten dinner). Kitabu kimeshapotea (The book has already been lost). Umeshachelewa (You’re already late). Mwalimu hajaondoka (The teacher hasn’t left yet). Watoto hawajala chakula cha ioni (The children haven’t eaten dinner yet)
Cook/s
Mpishi/Wapishi
Perfect tense - How to form negative
- Replace the perfect infix -me- with -ja-
- Add the appropriate negative prefix before the subject marker
- Nimezoa sana PC / Bado sijazoea sana PC (I’m really used to PCs / I’m not really used to PCs yet)
- Nimechelewa / Sijachelewa (I’m late / I’m not late)
- Wanafunzi wameondoka / Wanafunzi hawajaondoka (The students have left / The students haven’t left yet)
- Wageni wamefika / Wageni hawajafika (The guests haven’t arrived yet)
- Kiti kimevunjika / Kiti hakijavunjika (The chair is broken / The chair is not broken)
- Basi limeondoka / Basi halijaondoka (The bus has left / The bus hasn’t left)
(This construction can often be translated with “not … yet” in English)
Kuisha
To end, to finish
To steal
Kumgondi
Active vs passive voice/sentence
In an English active sentence such as “The professor wrote the article”, the subject (the professor) is the doer of the action. In a passive sentence, though, the direct object (the article) becomes the subject, and the former subject, if it is expressed at all, is introduced by the preposition “by”: “The article was written by the professor”.
= Sentences with The + …. (object) + to be-variant + by + doer
How to express the passive voice in Swahili
It is expressed with a verb extension (suffix) which is -wa
(= Replace final -a with -wa)
(Kusema -> Kusemwa (To speak -> to be spoken by), Kuimba -> Kuimbwa (To sing -> to be sung by), kufundisha -> kufundishwa (To teach -> to be taught (by), kuwasha -> kuwashwa (To switch on/burn -> To be switched on/burned (by)).
Exceptions:
- If the basic verb ends in -aa or -ua –> remove a and use -liwa
- Kuzaa -> Kuzaliwa (To have a child, to be born (by)
- Kununua -> Kununuliwa (To buy, to be bought (by) - -oa/-owa –> -lewa
- Kuondoa -> kuondolewa (To remove, to be removed (by)
- Kutoa -> Kutolewa (To take/put out, to be taken or put out (by) - Foreign verbs: change the final vowel to -i if it doesn’t already end in -i, and then add -wa
- Kuharibu -> Kuharibiwa
- Kuhitaji -> Kuhitajiwa - Monosyllabic verbs are irregular, and must be learnt on a case-by-case basis
To build
To be built (by)
Kujenga
Kujengwa (na)
To manufacture/fix
To be manufactured / fixed by
Kutengeneza
Kutengenezwa (na)
To like/love
To be liked/loved (by)
Kupenda
Kupendwa (na)
To help
To be helped (by)
Kusaidia
Kusaidiwa (na)
To use
To be used (by)
Kutumia
Kutumiwa (na)
To eat
To be eaten (by)
Kula
Kuliwa (na)
To give
To be given (by)
Kupa
Kupewa (na)
To drink
To be drunk (by)
Kunywa
Kunywewa (na)
To destroy
To be destroyed (by)
Kuharibu
Kuharibiwa (na)
To try/test
To be tried/tested (by)
Kujaribu
Kujaribiwa (na)
To greet
To be greeted (by)
Kusalimu
Kusalimiwa (na)
To need
To be needed (by)
Kuhitaji
Kuhitajiwa (na)
To accept
To be accepted (by)
Kukubali
Kukubaliwa (na)
To forgive
To be forgiven (by)
Kusamehe
Kusamehewa (na)
(One of the two exceptions to forming passive voice of verbs ending in -e/-i/-u)
To forget
To be forgotten (by)
Kusahau
Kusamehewa (na)
(One of the two exceptions to forming passive voice of verbs ending in -e/-i/-u)
Passive voice
- The teacher is teaching Swahili
- Swahili is taught by the teacher
- Mwalimu anafundisha Kiswahili
- Kiswahili kinafundishwa na mwalimu
(The subject marker on the passive verb agrees with what would have been the object of the active sentence)
Passive voice
- A student destroyed the chair
- The chair was destroyed by the student
- Mwanafunzi aliharibu kiti
- Kiti kiliharibiwa na mwanafunzi
(The subject marker on the passive verb agrees with what would have been the object of the active sentence)
President
Rais
Passive voice
- The president will appoint the minister
- The minister will be appointed by the president
- Rais atateua waziri
- Waziri atateuliwa na rais
(The subject marker on the passive verb agrees with what would have been the object of the active sentence)
Minister/s
Waziri/mawaziri
How to negative passive verbs
Same rules as for active verbs
- Kiswahili kinafundishwa na mwalimu - Kiswahili hakifundishwi na mwalimu (Swahili is taught by the teacher - Is not ..)
- Maji jananywew na wanyama - Maji hayanywewi na wanyama (The water is being drunk by the animals - Is not ..)
- Kiti kiliharibiwa na mwanafunzi - Kiti hakikuharibiwa na mwanafunzi
Police officer/s
Askari
Many/A lot of/Much (-ingi) and other/another (-ingine) - Form for M-Wa class
Singular: Not used for ingi, mwengine
Plural: Wengi (Instead of wa + ingi it is contracted to wengi), wengine
(There are no singular non-count nouns, so there is no form of -ingi in singular, like in English where you can’t say “many child”, in other classes, you can only use -ingi with non-count singulars, or of course with all plurals.)
Many/A lot of/Much (-ingi) and other/another (-ingine) - Form for Ki-vi class
Singular: Kingi (Contracted ki + ingi), kingine
Plural: Vingi (Contracted ki + ingi), vingine
Many/A lot of/Much (-ingi) and other/another (-ingine) - Form for Ji-Ma class
Singular: Jingi, jingine
Plural: Mengi (Contracted ma + ingi), mengine
Many/A lot of/Much (-ingi) and other/another (-ingine) - Form for N class
Singular/plural: Nyingi, nyingine
Many/A lot of/Much (-ingi) and other/another (-ingine) - Form for M-Mi class
Singular: Mwingi, mwingine
Plural: Mingi, mingine
(For -ingi: The combination m + ingi is modified to produce mwingi. Again that applies only to non-count nouns: mchuzi mwingi (A lot of stew or sauce) or moto mwingi (A lot of fire). In the case of countable plural nouns, the combination of mi + ingi produces mingi: miguu mingi (many legs), mikono mingi (many hands/arms), miti mingi (many trees)..)
Ingi: How to say much/a lot of and how to say many
Much/a lot of –> Use singular noun + singular prefix on ingi (For “non-countable nouns”)
- Mchuzi mwingi (A lot of stew)
- Chakula kingi (A lot of food)
Many –> Use plural noun + plural prefix
- Mchuzi mwingi (A lot of stew or sauce)
- Moto mwingi (A lot of fire)
How to ask which (I.e. “which” among similar or related objects)
a. M-Wa
b. Ki-Vi
c. Ji-Ma
d. N
e. M-Mi
Question suffix -pi + prefix according to noun class
a. M-Wa -> Yupi, wepi
b. Ki-Vi -> Kipi, vipi
c. Ji-Ma -> Lipi, yapi
d. N -> Ipi, zipi
e. M-Mi -> Upi, ipi
(Unapenda kitabu kipi zaidi? - Which book do you like most?)
(Unapenda vitabu vipi? - Which books do you like?)
(Familia yako inaishi nyumba ipi? - Which house does your family live in?)
(Unasema lugha zipi? - Which languages do you speak?)
Must/Have to
Lazima + verb in subjunctive
-Lazima nifanye kazi (I must work)
To prepare
Kutayarisha
Century
Karne
Michache
A couple of years ago
Couple
-Miaka michache nyuma - A couple of years ago …
To bring
Kuleta
Revolution, overturning
Mapinduzi
Nowadays
Siku hizi
Without
Bila
To alter, to change, to modify (2)
Kugeuza Kubadili (Also to exchange, to trade)
To send
Kutuma
To learn, to study, to educate oneself
Kujifunza
Art, craft, artistry
Sanaa
Culture, civilization
Utumaduni
To affect
Kuathiri
World, earth
Dunia
To spread, to distribute, to disseminate (2)
Kueneza
Kuenea
Instruction/s, teaching/s, doctrine/s, training/s
Funzo/mafunzo
Mabaya
Bad actions
-Ubaya: Badness
Friend/s
Rafiki/marafiki
Fiance/s, lover/s
Mchumba/Wachumba
- Machumba wa kike (Female)
- Machumwa wa kiume (Male)
Kwa hivyo
Therefore
To accelerate
Kuharakisha
Globalization
Utandawazi
Border/s, frontier/s, barrier/s, boundary/ies
Mpaka/mipaka
To arrive (2)
Kufika
Kuwasili
To be broken
Kuvunjika
To break
Kuvunja
Forest, jungle
Mwitu
Piece/s
Kipande/vipande
To rent
Kukodi