Week 1 Flashcards
Hujambo
Hello
Sijambo
i’m fine (response to hujambo)
Maamkio
greetings
Bwana
Mr.
Ndugu
sibling, comrade (used also as a greeting)
Mwanafunzi (pl. wanafunzi)
student
mwalimu (p. walimu)
teacher
sawa sawa
okay
polepole
slowly
sarufi
grammar
mazungumzo (+ya)
conversation (+ya when adding possession)
mazoezi ya kusoma na kuandika
reading and writing exercises
msamiati
vocabulary
darasa la leo
today’s class
mswahili
(single) member of the swahili community, usually a first language speaker
uswahili
swahili culture and ways of life
uswahilini
land inhabited by swahili speakers
kiti (pl. viti)
chair
jiwe (pl. mawe)
stone
meza (pl. meza)
table
ukuta (pl. kuta)
wall
-penda
love (verb)
ninakupenda
i love you
endelea
to continue
pete
ring
kisu
knife
nyanya
tomato, grandma
ng’ombe
cow
ngamia
camel
dhambi
sin
thelathini
30
ghali
expensive
mzee (pl. wazee)
elder
utalii
tourism
mtalii
tourist
kondoo
sheep
saa
watch, time
ng’ambo
overseas
-ngoja
to wait
nguvu
strength
nyama
meat
nyota
star
-nyang’anya
to snatch/steal
wewe
you
zoezi (+la)
exercise (+la when adding possession)
sema/semeni
say (semeni is usually used for a group)
-rudia
repeat
mnaelewa?
do you (pl.) understand?
ndiyo
yes
hapana
no
nzuri
good
nzuri sana!
very good!
tafadhali
please
haiya basi
ok, then
inamaanisha
it means…
kwa mfano
for example
mna swali?
do you have a question?
sema kwa kiswahili
say in Swahili
ongea Kiswahili
speak Swahili
mtu (pl. watu)
person
mti (pl. miti)
tree
kiko (pl. viko)
pipes
mtoto (pl. watoto)
child
-fundisha
to teach
chakula
food
habari
news
habari za asubuhi/mchana?
how are things (this morning/this afternoon)?
jambo (pl. mambo)
affair, matter, thing
habari gani?
how are things? (lit. what sort of news?)
habari za -
about (lit. news of…)
mama
mother
-soma
to read
-itika
to respond
-sema
to say
ku-
prefix that makes verb infinitive (i.e. to X) or into a gerund (i.e. Xing)
a-
verb prefix indicating subject “s/he”
wa-
verb prefix indicating subject “they”
-na-
verb prefix indicating present tense
somo
lesson
kwanza
first
pili
second
tena
again
-amkia
to greet
mwamkie
greet! (complex imperative form)
au
or
gani?
what kind/sort?
je
used in asking a question; can be glossed as “what about?”
salama
safety, security, peace (used in greetings)
tu
only, just, merely
mmoja
one person
mwingine
another person, other person
na
and (also “by, with” etc)
sana
very, very much, a lot
sasa
now
vizuri
very well, fine (adverb)
yeye
s/he
msingi (+wa)
foundation (+wa when adding possession)
baina ya watu wawili
between two people
zoezi la nyumbani
homework
-tafsiri
to translate
jaza mistari
fill in the blanks/lines
jibu maswali
answer the questions
maneno
words
maalum
special (adjective)
karamu
party
haraka
fast
kijiji
village
jenga
build
chai
tea
marudio
review
insha
essay
mboga
vegetable
ndege
bird or plane
sanifu
standard
-ng’oa
to uproot, to pull out (weeds, veggies, a tooth)
jambazi
gangster
-ng’orota
to snore
-ng’arisha
to shine
-ng’ang’ania
to argue over something
rembo
beautiful
sura
chapter
ukurasa (uk.)
page
wenyeji
locals
mzungu
white person (not derogatory)
ngumi
fist
nyamazeni
be quiet
jaribu
try
nina (e.g. swali)
I have (e.g. a question)
kwaherini
goodbye
habari yako (sg)?
how are you?
njema/nzuri/salama
i’m fine (response to habari yako/gani)
jioni
evening
masomo
studies