How to say hello in Swahili
How to say hello in Swahili: Our top 25 useful words. In Swahili, how do you say “hello”? This is one of the first things our clients ask our expert tour guides at Tanzania Zanzibar Safari when they get to Tanzania. One easy way to have a more real travel experience in Tanzania is to be able to talk to someone from the area. You can talk to people from a different culture if you learn how to say hello in Swahili, even if the words are very simple.
Swahili, which is also called Kiswahili, is the first language of most people in Tanzania. Even though all of your Tanzania Zanzibar Safari guides speak perfect English, and most people who work in the tourist industry do too! Still, it’s a good idea to learn a few words of the language. Here are some of the most important Swahili words and terms you should learn before you go to Tanzania.
How to say “hello” in Swahili
Thank you, Tanzania! This is one of the first things you will likely hear in Swahili when you get to Tanzania. It means “welcome.” But what do you say?
Habari – Hello
Thank you, or asante.
It’s easy to learn how to say many words in Swahili because phrasebooks like the one from Lonely Planet figure out any words that are hard to understand. It doesn’t take much work to understand these everyday conversations between friendly people in Tanzania. Anyone who tries to speak the local language will always be seen as interested in and respectful of the culture, even if they say half of the words wrong.
1. Use Swahili to say hello
Learn how to say hello, please, and thank you in Swahili! Being polite always goes a long way.
| Hello | Habari |
| How are you? | Habari yako / Habari gani? |
| (Very) fine thank you/Cool | Nzuri (sana) / Poa / Safi |
| Please | Tafadhali |
| Thank you (very much) | Asante (sana) |
| Welcome | Karibu |
| Goodbye | Kwaheri |
| Good night | Lala salama |
| Ok | Sawa |
2. What to do and important words
These words will help you get around Tanzania and find your way.
| Left | Kushoto |
| Right | Kulia |
| Front | Mbele |
| Behind | Nyuma |
| Up | Juu |
| Down | Chini |
| Let’s go! | Twende! |
| Hotel | Hoteli |
| Car | Gari |
| Where is the shop/supermarket? | Kiosk/supermarket iko wapi? |
3. Animals
The five most famous wild animals in East Africa are known as the “Big Five.” A trip to Tanzania isn’t complete until you go on a tour to see the beautiful animals that live in the wild.
| Elephant | Tembo |
| Buffalo | Mbogo |
| Rhino | Kifaru |
| Lion | Simba |
| Leopard | Chui |
Congratulations, you now know a lot more words in Kiswahili. You should also be able to say “hello” in Shona. Are you ready to start making plans for your unique Tanzania vacation? Prepare your Swahili language skills by getting in touch with Tanzania Zanzibar Safari right away.
