After studies/lessons/classes
Baada ya masomo
Of course (“Without doubt!”)
Bila shaka!
Break/s (I.e. school break), vacation/s, holiday/s
Likizo
How was the break?
Habari za likizo?
If you like
Kama unapenda
To finish studies
Kumaliza masomo
Printing paper (Paper for printing)
Karatasi ya kuchapishia
(During the) time of break/vacation
Wakati wa likizo
Why?
Kwa nini?
Because
Kwa sababu
Maybe, perhaps
Labda
Language studies
Masomo ya lugha
Secondary school
Shule ya sekondari
We would like to buy …
Tungependa kununua …
School items/, school suppy/lies
Kifaa cha shule/Vifaa vya shule
Where did you go?
Ulienda wapi?
What did you do?
Ulifanya nini?
To see parents
Kuwaona wazazi
For (the purpose of), Because of, For the sake of
Kwa ajili ya
Ajili - Reason, cause, sake
Biology
Bayolojia
Notebook/s
Daftari/madaftari
Classroom/s
Darasa/madarasa
Physics
Fizika
Foreign
-geni
Hard, difficult
-gumu
Mathematics (2)
Hesabu, hesabati
Geography
Jiografi
Pen/s
Kalamu
If, when
Kama
Chemistry
Kemia
Jaribio
Test, attempt, experiment, trial
To take a test
Kufanya jaribio
Kufanya mtihani
(Jaribio: Test, attempt, experiment, trial)
To need
Kuhitaji
To remember
Kukumbuka
To finish
Kumaliza
To rest/relax
Kupumzika
Language
Lugha
Exam/s, test/s
Mtihani/mitihani
Pencil/s
Penseli
Color/s, paint/s
Rangi
Subject/s
Somo/masomo
Economics
Uchumi
Period/s, Time/s
Wakati/nyakati
More
Zaidi
Less
Kasoro
I’m a student at the university
Mimi ni mwanafunzi katika chuo kikuu
To graduate
Kuhitimu
I will graduate this year (2)
Nitahitimu mwaka huu
Nitamaliza masomo mwaka huu
(Kumaliza: To finish, to complete, to end)
My sister is in primary/elementary school
Dada yangu yuko shule ya msingi
Primary/elementary school
Shule ya msingi
Msingi: Foundation, basis, essence
What kind? What type?
Gani?
What’ your favourite subject?
Unapenda somo gani zaidi?
Language studies are important
Masomo ya lugha ni muhimo
Important
Muhimo
I need a new computer
Ninahitaji kompyuta mpya
Which exam are you taking?
Unafanya mtihani gani?
I have to study for my exam
Lazima nisome kwa ajili ya mtihani
Imperative (noun) (= have to)
Lazima
-Lazima nisome kwa ajili ya mtihani - I have to study for my exam
To pass (I.e. exam)
Kufaulu
To pas (i.e. to transit)
Kupita
I passed my exam!
Nimefaulu mtihani!
Just fine
Nzuri tu
And you?
Na wewe?
Where did you go for break?
Ulienda wapi kwa likizo?
To become
Kuwa
-Kwa sababu ninataka kuwa daktari - Because i wan’t to become a doctor
Which subjects/classes do you like?
Wewe unapenda masomo gani?
I like …
Mimi ninapenda …
-Mimi ninapenda historia, jiografia
Which language do you like?
Unapenda lugha gani? (‘You like language which?’)
To converse
Kuzungumza
Later
Baadaye
-Baadaye Ali anazungumza na mwenyeduka - Later Ali talk with the bookstore salesperson
Shopowner/shopkeeper
Mwenyeduka
Writing pad/s
Karatasi ya kuandikia/Karatasi za kuandikia
Bag/s
Mfuko
Baggage
Mzigio
School bag/s
Mkoba wa shule
Do you need anything else?
Unahitaji nini zaidi?
Sare (2)
Free, for nothing
Uniform
-Sare za shule - School uniform
To want, to ask for, to request
Kutaka
To teach, to educate
Kufundisha
Haya (3)
- These
- OK, alright, come on
- Shame, disgrace, humility, respect
Education, knowledge
Elimu
National
Kitaifa
International
Kimataifa
To apply
Kuomba
Present tense infix
-na-
Past tense infix
-li-
Future tense infix
-ta-
I study swahili
I studied swahili
I will study swahili
Mimi ninasoma Kiswahili
Mimi nilisoma Kiswahili
Mimi nitasoma Kiswahili
Subject marker of Ki-Vi class
3rd sg: ki-
3rd pl: vi-
Subject marker of N class
3rd sg: i-
3rd pl: zi-
If a noun refers to an animate being, how are it conjugated
The M-Wa subject prefixes will be used, regardless of which class it belongs to
Radio
Redio
To break down, to be ruined/damaged
Kuharibikia
To ruin, to damage, to destroy
Kuharibu
To get lost, to disappear
Kupotea
To sell
Kuuza
Past tense of ‘to be’ with examples
- I was a student
- The food was good
Use kuwa (As opposed to present tense where you only use si)
- Mimi nilikuwa mwanafunzi
- Chakula kilikuwa kizuri
Past tense of ‘to have’ with examples
- I had money
- The city had many people
Kuwa na (As opposed to only -na in present tense)
- Mimi nilikuwa na pesa
- Mji ulikuwa na watu wengi
Meeting/s
Mkutano
During the
Wakati wa
Far from …
Mbali na …
-Mbali na benki - Far from the bank
In the …
Ndani na …
-Ndani ya mfuko - In the bag
Near the …
Karibu na
-Karibu na nyumba
To call a doctor
Kuita daktari
Lake/s
Ziwa/maziwa
Desert/s (geography)
Jangwa/majangwa
From Monday through Friday
Kuanzia Jumatatu hadi Ijumaa
On Sundays
Siku za Jumapili
On the, Above, over
Juu ya
-Juu ya meza - On the table
Outside the
Nje ya nyumba
-Nje ya nyumba
Year/s
Mwaka/miaka
Week/s
Juma/majuma
Kipindi
Season
- Kipindi cha baridi - Cold season
- Kipindi cha joto - Hot season
- Kipindi cha mvua - Rainy season
Noon
Adhuhuri
To pass
Kupita
To drive, to conduct
Kuendesha
To consent, to approve, to receive
Kupokea
Clerk/s, secretary/s
Karani/makarani
Science
Sayansi
Feminine
Masculine
kike, kiume
- Mhudume wa kike - Waitress
- Mhudume wa kume - Waiter
Law, regulation, constitution
Sheria
-Mwanasheria - Lawyer, jurist
Nurse (Male, female)
Mwuguzi wa kiume (Male) / kike ( Female)
-Wawuguzi wa kiume/kike - Nurses
Bahari
Sea
Without
Bila
To volunteer
Kujitolea
Asili
Origin, source, ancestor
Basic, foundation
Volunteer/s
Mtu wa kujitolea/watu wa kujitolea
How to form negative past tense
Negation marker (ha-) + subject prefix + infinitive form (ku-). Use hu- and ha- for you and he/she/it. For mimi it’s si- instead of ha-.
- Mimi sikusoma Kiswahii - I did’nt study Swahili
- Wewe hukusoma Kiswahili
- Yeye hakusoma Kiswahili
- Mimi sikuwa mwanafunzi - I was not a student
- Chakula hakikuwa kizuri - The food wasn’t good
- Nyumba haikuwa ndogo - The house wasn’t small
Alternative name for N noun class, why
I-Zi class
- Subject prefixes are i- and zi-
- Possessives and of prefixes are y- and z-
- Demonstratives are hii, hizi (this, these) and ile, zile (that, those)
N noun class - Subject prefixes
i- for sg., zi- for plural.
N noun class prefix of possessives and ‘of’
y- and z- (YoungZ)
N noun class: this, these
Hii, hizi
N noun class: that, those
Ile, zile
Kalamu yanu, kalamu zangu
My pen, my pens (The singular and plural forms of the nouns in the N-class are identical, the agreement markers on other elements of the sentence - verbs, possessives, demonstratives etc. will clearly show the number)
This dream (N-class), these dreams
Ndoto hii, ndoto hizi
Motokaa yangu iliharibika, translate
Form the same sentence in plural
My car broke down
(i- = it subject prefix for N-class, -li- = past tense, kuharibika = to break down)
Motokaa zangu ziliharibika - My cars broke down
N-noun class - How to form adjectives (6)
Always the same in singular and plural, as with nouns in N-class.
- If an adjective stem begins with -d, -z or -g, it takes the prefix n- to agree with the N-class nouns
- Kalamu ndogo, nyumba nzuri, , kazi ngumu - If -b or -pya –> m-
- Kahawa mbaya (bad coffee), meza mpya - If -vowel –> ny- or y-
-Safari nyingi (many trips), chaki nyeupe (white chalk), sukari yote (all the sugar), mvua njema (good rain)
(Most important exception is -ema (good), which becomes njema) - Animate nouns will always take M-Wa agreement on the adjective
- Tembo mkubwa, tembo wakubwa. Rafiki wawil (Two friends) - Change stem: -r –> nd- and -w –> mb-
(-refu (long, tall), -wili (two))
-Ndizi ndefu (a long banana/s)
-Lugha mbili (two languages) - For the rest of the adjective stems, there is no prefix at all
- n, -m, -ng, -p (except -pya), -f, -t, -s, -sh, -ch, -k..
- Shule kubwa, redio konge (old radio), stoo chafu (dirty storeroom/s), njia pana
All
-ote
Dirty
-chafu
Wide
-pana
Short
-fupi
Fourty
Arobaini
Eighty
Themathini
22 people
Watu ishirini na wawili
1-5 and 8 agree when used after a tens-place number, just as they do on their own
35 chairs
Viti thelathini na vitano
1-5 and 8 agree when used after a tens-place number, just as they do on their own
How to say 200-900 - Write 101, 125, 200, 300, 587
Mia (hundred) + number of hundreds
- 101: mia na moja
- 125: mia na ishirini na tano
- 200: mia mbili
- 300: mia tatu
- 587: mia tano na themathini na saba
Thousand
Elfu
22
Ishirini na mbili
35
Thelathini na tano
49
Arobaini na tisa
56
Hamsini na sita
60
Sitini
70
Sabini
95
Tisini na tano
Kindergarten
Shule za chekechea (‘little things (
Elementary school
Shule ya msingi
Msingi - Foundation, primary, basic
White/European person/people
Mzungu/wazungu
Kusoma (2)
To study, to receive education
-Watoto wa Kenya husoma shule ya msingi mikae minane - Children from Kenya go to/attend primary school for 8 years
To sell
Kuuza
To get lost, to disappear
Kupotea
To fail (business, exam), to fall (down), to crash
Kuanguka
To wake up
Kuamka
Noun/s
Nomino/uwingi
Adjective/s
Kivumishi/vivumishi
Adverb/s
Kielezi/vielezi
Cold
Baridi
Warm, hot
Moto
Dinner
Chakula cha jioni
Spicy
-enye viungo vingi
-enye: possessing, viungo: spices. having. vingi: lots, a lot
Spice/s
Kiungo/viungo
Kilometer/s
Kilometa
Metre/s
Mita
Mile/s
Maili
To save
Kuokoa
Fedha vs pesa
Fedha: Money, cash, funds, currency
Pesa: Money
Whole
-zima
Day
Siku