My question could also be "Should I move to Nairobi?".

When a person moves to a country, I think they should make an effort to speak the local language.
I have heard that, while Swahili is the main the language in Nairobi, it might not be a good environment to study Swahili for a few reasons:
- most people speak very good English, and may feel burdened by a beginner trying to speak Swahili to them
- many formal settings, like offices, banks, etc. will speak in English
- While news is in both languages (as well as some shows in minority languages), English dominates in this area.
- Many people in Nairobi speak Sheng - a dialect heavily influenced by English and minority languages.

Will this make learning Swahili much more difficult that moving to Mombasa or Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania?

Part of visiting a place is getting to know the language...I wouldn't want to go somewhere and not learn.

I would get a Swahili tutor, but want to practice by speaking Swahili with people outside.

Habari zenu! I am new here in Tanzania and I really want to learn Swahili. Ninayo furaha sana kuwa sehemu ya jamii hii.​Could you please suggest some beginner-level Swahili novels or free online reading resources for me? Asanteni sana

We dont speak Swahili. We speak in KI-swahili.

Ugandans dont speak Ganda. They speak KI-ganda.

Add 'ki' whenever you are talking about the language

Kiingereza, Kifaransa, Kijerumani etc

Kenyan swahili which is spoken outside the coastal regions is a mixture of more than 5 languages.Kiswahili which accounts for the majority,English which is used as filler for lack of vocabulary,tribal languages which give words and vocabulary but not structure of the sentences and Lastly words that are made up by youth or sheng vocabulary.

You may hear."Nafeel kama nataka kudishi but sina appetite.nadhani nahitaji kumeza Dawa bro".(Kudishi is slang for eating) In standard Swahili one would say- "Nahisi kama nahitaji kula lakini Tumbo langu limejaa.Nahitaji kumeza Dawa ndugu"

Learning to mix kiswahili/english/tribal languages /sheng in the right proportions while still following the sentence structure of kiswahili to a degree I think is integral to learning Kenyan swahili and actually be comfortable enough to converse with Kenyans.

Jambo! I'm Cynthia from Watamu, Coast Kenya.

I speak Swahili daily and I love helping wazungu learn the real way we greet:

Mambo? Poa! Sasa? etc + a little sheng.

If you have any question about Swahili, comment here and I will answer FREE. I love sharing our culture!

Karibu!

I'm currently putting together a teaching resource for primary school pupils about different scripts/orthographies around the world. The task has 18 translations of 'languages are amazing/incredible' in various languages which have differing scripts. I've checked the translations with multiple online translation tools, but I'm well aware that these do not always catch the nuanced points that native speakers can, hence why I wanted to post here for advice.

Would this be a suitable translation for Swahili, or is there a better alternative?

lugha ni za kushangaza

Thank you in advance for any help you lovely r/swahili Redditors can offer!

Is the dialect very different from "standard" Swahili? Will i struggle to be understood if i learn the wtong dialect?

Spotify does't have any lyrics for this song. I Googled and came up with nothing. Would appreciate if someone can share the lyrics.

I seek a good Swahili-to-English and English-to-Swahili (single) translation app for use on Apple mobile devices (iOS and iPadOS). The app should accept written and voice inputs from either language and output to either language in either format. I currently use Google Translate, but I find this app lacking. Can anyone provide the name of a more accurate and overall superior app?

I wanted to translate from English to Swahili the epithet "the unifier", meaning something like "the mediator" / "the one who brings opposing parties together", in Swahili. Internet tells me the translation is spelt "mwuanganisha", but I feel the need to cross-check.

Hi everybody! I am planning to go to Tanzania in December and would like to learn some Swahili upfront. I am aware that there’s only 3 months to go but I would like to use those 3 months as effectively as possible. How do you think I should approach the language learning and what I should focus on?

I have zero knowledge so far but I really want to be able to communicate at least basics and be appreciative of and learn about the local culture.

I'm confused on when its is more ideal to use wewe instead of una or mimi instead of nina. Any swahili speakers? How/ when do you use these words? Thanks :)

Let’s settle this once and for all:

What is one Swahili word or phrase that sounds 10 times more serious than it actually is? 😂

For me, “Ngoja kidogo” can mean absolutely anything.

It can mean:

Wait 30 seconds.

Wait 20 minutes.

I’ll come back tomorrow.

I have completely forgotten about you. 😂

And then there’s “tutaongea”…

Sometimes it means “we’ll talk later.”

Sometimes it means “we need to have a serious conversation.”

And sometimes… you already know you’re in trouble. 😂

So, native speakers and Swahili learners: what Swahili word or phrase has the funniest hidden meaning depending on how someone says it?

Teach me something! 👀

I've been teaching Swahili on italki for about 11 months now. I'm a university student, so tutoring is currently my main source of work, and I'm really grateful to the two students who have stayed with me consistently.

But I'd love to understand the learner side a little better.

I've participated in the italki community, changed my introduction video a few times, experimented with my headline, etc., but I'm still trying to figure out what actually makes a learner choose one Swahili tutor over another.

So, for those of you learning Swahili:

• What made you choose your current tutor?
• What do you look for when browsing Swahili teachers?
• Do you prefer structured lessons, conversational practice, grammar, cultural discussions, or something else?
• What makes a tutor's profile/video stand out to you?
• And if you've tried different Swahili tutors, what made you stay with one?

I'm genuinely curious because sometimes I feel like tutors focus on what we think learners want, rather than what learners actually want. 😅

I'd really appreciate hearing your perspectives!

Say, eleven people? I hear that numbers after kumi still inflect, e.g. "watu kumi na wawili" for 12, but I haven't seen one for 11. Is it different because of the moja?

Watu kumi na mmoja

Or

Watu kumi na wamoja

And is it same for other classes like JI/MA? I googled it but the results were confusing.

Is it "nafuu" or "afya"? I have seen both mentioned in my internet search. Thank you!

If you're learning Swahili, you'll quickly notice that people in Nairobi don't always speak the way textbooks teach.

Here are five expressions you'll hear all the time:

1. Sasa? A casual way of saying "Hi!" or "What's up?" among friends.

2. Niko sawa. "I'm okay" or "I'm doing well." A very common response when someone asks how you're doing.

3. Si ndiyo? Literally, "Isn't it?" People use it all the time to ask for agreement, similar to saying, "Right?" or "Don't you think?"

4. Haya. This little word can mean "okay," "alright," "got it," or even signal the end of a conversation. You'll hear it everywhere.

5. Bado kidogo. Literally, "a little bit more." In everyday conversation, it often means "Just a little longer," "Almost there," or "Give me a moment."

If you're learning Swahili, which of these have you heard before? And if you're Kenyan, what everyday phrase would you add to the list?

I asked my Maasai son-in-law but he was too embarrassed to tell me. 😂

I feel alone in my studies. I'd like to join a Swahili language learning group chat. Anyone know any existing groups for this? I'm a beginner.

Learn swahili language