When I got off the plane two months ago, the only Swahili I knew was "Jambo!" My TZ friends are quite impressed with how far it has come in such a short time and I have found that certain words and phrases and snuck their way into my speech. I figured I would give ya'll a quick dictionary lesson so that when I get home and I still have TZ on the brain, you can understand what I'm trying to say.
GREETINGS:
Jambo (Response: Jambo)- Hello!
Mambo (Response: Poa)- a casual hello!
Habari- How are you?
... za asubuhi- How is your morning? (Response: nzuri- good)
... za mchana- How is your afternoon? (Response: safi- literally means clean... you would understand the importance of being clean if you rode the dala dala or washed your feet after a day of tromping through mud/dust)
... za jioni- How is your evening? (Response: salama- peaceful)
Usiku mwema- Good night!
Lala salama- Sleep well! (literally "peaceful sleep")
Kwaheri- bye!
Shikamuu (Response: Marahaba) - literally "I lie at your feet" is said as a greeting to elders as a sign of respect.
Hamna shida- No problem (the equivalent of Kenya's "hakunah matata" which I'm sure you all know from The Lion King)
Other words:
dala dala- bus
asante- thank you
sana- very
pole- sorry
karibu- welcome
who- nani
what- nini
when- lini
where- wapi
why- kwahili
really- kweli
ndizi- bananas... mmmmm
embe- mango... mmmmm
That should enable you to understand my Southern Swahili when I get home.
Kwaheri!!!
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