3 January 2022
Do you know how to say hello in Swahili? This is one of the first questions our expert travel guides at Tanzania Specialist get asked by our clients upon arrival to Tanzania. Being able to greet local people during a trip to Tanzania is one of the simplest ways to gain a more authentic travel experience. No matter how basic the words are, learning how to say hello in Swahili allows you to communicate with a new culture.
In Tanzania, Swahili (also known as Kiswahili) is the first language of most locals. Although your Tanzania Specialist guides always speak fluent English – and the majority in the tourism business also speak English extremely well! It is still well worth learning a few words of the local language. Here we take a look at some of the most important phrases to learn in Swahili before your trip to Tanzania.
How to say hello in Swahili
Karibu Tanzania! This means welcome to Tanzania and is probably one of the very first Swahili phrases you will hear upon arrival in Tanzania. But how do you reply?
Habari – Hello
Asante – Thank You
A lot of words in Swahili are pronounced phonetically – and guide books like the Swahili phrasebook from Lonely Planet spell out any tricky words in an easy to digest way! Just a bit of effort can go a long way in understanding these casual exchanges from the friendly people of Tanzania. Making the effort to speak the local language will always be viewed as a sign of interest and respect towards the culture, even if half the words are completely mispronounced.
1. Say hello in Swahili
How to say hello in Swahili, as well as how to say please and thank you in Swahili! A few manners always go 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. Directions & useful words
Useful local phrases when it comes to directions and getting around Tanzania.
| 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 Big Five are the five emblematic wild animals of the East African environment. What trip to Tanzania is complete without a Tanzania safari adventure to see the magnificent animals of the wilderness?
| Elephant | Tembo |
| Buffalo | Mbogo |
| Rhino | Kifaru |
| Lion | Simba |
| Leopard | Chui |
Congratulations, you now have that much more Kiswahili vocabulary in your pocket – and you should now know how to say hello in Swahili! Ready to start planning your custom vacation in Tanzania? Get in touch with Tanzania Specialists and begin brushing up on your Swahili now!
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