Mwangi Swahili
Mwangi Swahili
Mwangi Swahili
Lugha na Utamaduni
Peter Mwangi
ISBN:
DOI:
Evanston, IL 60208
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ELEMENTARY SWAHILI
Contents
1. Introduction to Swahili ................................................................................................................................................ 5
Swahili Alphabets ............................................................................................................................................... 6
Vowels ................................................................................................................................................................. 6
Consonants....................................................................................................................................................... 6
Important Words/Prases in Swahili ........................................................................................................... 7
2. Salamu za Kiswahili/Swahili Greetings.............................................................................................................. 9
Msamiati/Vocabulary ........................................................................................................................................ 9
Salamu I: Hujambo ......................................................................................................................................... 10
Mazungumzo I: Hujambo ............................................................................................................................ 10
Mazungumzo II: Hamjambo ....................................................................................................................... 11
Sarufi/Grammar: Swahili Pronouns ........................................................................................................ 11
Mazungumzo III ................................................................................................................................................ 12
Salamu II: Habari Gani?/What is the News? ..................................................................................... 12
Mazungumzo IV ............................................................................................................................................... 12
Salamu III: Hujambo?/Habari gani?/Shikamoo?.............................................................................. 13
Mazungumzo V: Mwanafunzi na Mwalimu ......................................................................................... 13
Mazungumzo VI: Mwalimu na Wanafunzi ........................................................................................... 14
Salamu IV: Mambo?/Mambo vipi?/Sasa?/Niaje?............................................................................ 14
Mazungumzo VII: Mazungumzo ya vijana .......................................................................................... 14
3. Shughuli za Kila Siku/Daily Activities................................................................................................................ 16
Msamiati/Vocabulary ..................................................................................................................................... 16
Mazungumzo I: Shughuli za Asubuhi .................................................................................................... 17
Shughuli za Mchana.................................................................................................................................. 18
Shughuli za Jioni ......................................................................................................................................... 18
Shughuli za Usiku....................................................................................................................................... 19
Note on Sarufi/Grammar.............................................................................................................................. 19
4. Nyakati za Kiswahili/Swahili Tenses ................................................................................................................. 20
5. Kumkaribisha Mgeni/Welcoming the Visitor.................................................................................................. 23
Msamiati/Vocabulary ..................................................................................................................................... 23
Mazungumzo I .................................................................................................................................................. 24
Mazungmzo II: Fatuma na Erin ................................................................................................................ 24
6. Familia/Family .............................................................................................................................................................. 26
Msamiati/Vocabuary ...................................................................................................................................... 26
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Verbs...................................................................................................................................................................... 26
Possessives ....................................................................................................................................................... 27
Adjectives ............................................................................................................................................................ 27
Mti wa Familia/Family Tree ........................................................................................................................ 28
Mazungumzo I: Kusema kuhusu Familia ............................................................................................ 28
Possessives in Swahili.................................................................................................................................. 29
Mifano/Examples ............................................................................................................................................. 30
Swahili Adjectives ........................................................................................................................................... 30
7. Kazi/Occupation .......................................................................................................................................................... 32
Msamiati ............................................................................................................................................................... 32
Kusema kuhusu familia na kazi................................................................................................................ 33
8. Familia, Nchi, Uraia, na Lugha/Family, Country, Nationality, and Language............................... 34
Unatoka Wapi na Unaishi Wapi?/Where Are You From and Where Do You Live? ...... 36
9. Nina Lakini Sina/I have but I do not have ....................................................................................................... 37
Msamiati/Vocabulary ..................................................................................................................................... 37
Kuuliza/Inquiring .............................................................................................................................................. 37
Mifano katika sentensi: ................................................................................................................................. 38
10. Ninapenda lakini sipendi/I Like but I Do Not Like ....................................................................................... 39
Msamiati/Vocabulary................................................................................................................................. 39
Mifano.................................................................................................................................................................... 40
11. Je, Unasoma Wapi?/Where Do You Study?................................................................................................. 42
Msamiati/Vocabulary ..................................................................................................................................... 42
Mazungumzo I: Neema na Erin wanakutana katika kongamano la masomo ya Kiafrika.
.................................................................................................................................................................................. 43
12. Nambari/Nominal Numbers ................................................................................................................................... 46
Msamiati/Vocabulary ..................................................................................................................................... 46
Ordinal Numbers.............................................................................................................................................. 55
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1. Introduction to Swahili
Swahili or Kiswahili is a bantu language that is spoken in East Africa/Afrika
Mashariki. It is both a national and official language in Kenya and Tanzania and
is the official language of the East African Community member states which
include: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and South Sudan. Swahili
is spoken in other African countries such as Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC), Mozambique, and the Comoros Islands. It is also taught in Ghana, South
Africa, Zimbabwe, and many countries outside Africa. In the U.S. Swahili is the
leading sub-saharan African language that is taught in colleges and universities.
Can you identify the East African countries that use Swahili on the map below?
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Swahili Alphabets
Vowels
A amka get up
E embe mango
I ita call
O oga shower
U uma bite
Consonants
B baba father
Ch chai tea
D dada sister
Dh dhahabu gold
F familia family
G gauni gown
Gh ghali expensive
Nj njaa hunger
K kaka brother
L lala sleep
M mama mother
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Mb mbaya bad
N nani? who?
Nd ndani inside
Ng ngamia camel
Nz nzito heavy
P papa shark
R rais president
S sasa now
Sh shamba farm
T tamu sweet
Th thamani value
V vaa wear
W watu people
Y yaya babysitter
Z zawadi gift
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Samahani, naomba kwenda msalani, nje ... Excuse me, I would like to go to the bathroom
outside, etc
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Msamiati/Vocabulary
Habari news Nzuri, salama, safi, fine
njema
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Salamu I: Hujambo
Hujambo is one of the most common greetings in Swahili. It is usually used
among agemates. However, if someone who is older than you greets you using
hujambo, you respond to the greeting word and greet them back using an age
appropriate greeting that we shall learn.
Mazungumzo I: Hujambo
Asha: Hujambo, Ali?
Zoezi I: Hujambo
In pairs, practice to greet in Swahili using jambo
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Singular
Plural
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Mazungumzo III
Baraka: Hujambo rafiki?
Pili: Sijambo rafiki. Mimi ninaitwa Pili. Na wewe je, unaitwa nani?
Mazungumzo IV
Bahati: Habari gani rafiki yangu?
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Bahati: Hawajambo.
Bahati: Asante.
Asubuhi
Mchana
Jioni
Usiku
How would you bid one goodbye in Swahili at the different times of the
day shown below?
Asubuhi
Mchana
Jioni
Usiku
Mwanafunzi: Hawajambo.
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Juma: Baadaye.
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Pendo: Pole kwa kuchoka. Je, wewe hufanya nini kabla ya darasa?
With a friend, fill out the venn diagrams below with what each of you does
at the different times of the day shown below and what both of you do in
common in the intersection.
Shughuli za Mchana
Shughuli za Jioni
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Shughuli za Usiku
Note on Sarufi/Grammar
You might have noticed that we have attached a prefix hu- to the verbs
describing the activities that we perform at different times of the day. Prefix hu-
indicates the habitual tense. In the next topic, we shall explore how different
tenses in Swahili are marked.
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Your potential host family in East Africa would like to have an idea of how
your normal weekday looks like. Please use the table below to provide
them with the information they have requested from you.
Saa/Time Shughuli/Activity
Asubuhi
Mchana
Jioni
Usiku
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The different markers that are used for different tense markers are as follows.
1st
2nd
3rd
Mimi ____amka
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Sisi ______oga
Wewe _____nawa
Nyinyi ______sugua
meno
Yeye _____kula
kiamsha
kinywa
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Msamiati/Vocabulary
Hodi! May I come in? Karibu welcome
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Mazungumzo I
Mgeni: Hodi! Hodi!
Erin: Hawajambo.
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Fatuma: Nzuri kabisa lakini nina wasiwasi wa mitihani wiki kesho. Habari za
familia?
Fatuma: Bila shaka. Kesho sina madarasa, kwa hiyo tunaweza kwenda
mjini.
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6. Familia/Family
In many African families, the grandparents live together with one of their children.
For this reason, we shall include them in the family tree of a typical immediate
family in East Africa shown below.
Msamiati/Vocabuary
Babu grandfather bibi (Tanzania) grandmother
au nyanya
(Kenya)
ndugu sibling
Verbs
-penda like or love sipendi I do not like
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Possessives
-angu mine -ako yours
Adjectives
-kubwa big or elder -dogo small or younger
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1. Huyu ni babu yangu, baba wa baba, yeye anaitwa Juma. Yeye anatoka
Kenya na anaishi katika mji wa Naivasha Kenya. Yeye anapenda
kutembea na kulima, lakini hapendi kusafiri.
2. Huyu ni bibi yangu, mama wa baba, yeye anaitwa Tatu. Yeye anatoka
Kenya na anaishi katika mji wa Naivasha pia. Yeye anapenda kupika na
kufuma, lakini hapendi kulima.
3. Huyu ni babu, baba wa mama, yeye anaitwa Yohana lakini aliaga. Yeye
alitoka Kenya katika mji wa Kisumu. Alipenda kusoma gazeti sana.
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8. Dadangu anaitwa Tatu, kama bibi yangu. Yeye anasoma katika Chuo
Kikuu cha Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Yeye anapenda muziki na sanaa,
lakini hapendi kupika.
10. Mimi ninaitwa Yohana, kama babu yangu. Ninatoka katika mji wa Nakuru,
Kenya, lakini sasa ninaishi katika Mji wa Evanston, IL. Ninapenda
kutazama filamu na kuendesha baiskeli, lakini sipendi kuogelea.
Possessives in Swahili
Here, we shall learn how to use the possessives in Swahili based on the Swahili
personal pronouns as follows
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Mifano/Examples
1. Mama yangu anapenda kupika.
Swahili Adjectives
All Swahili nouns are categorized into specific groups called noun classes. Each
noun class has both the singular and plural form. The noun class for animate
beings belongs to the M/WA noun class(es). M indicates singular while WA
indicates the plural form. These markers are used to mark the adjectives also.
The verbs in M/WA take the subject marker (noun class marker) a- in singular
and wa- in plural. Look at the examples below.
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WA
wa- baba zao ____refu _________cheza
Note: We have only used examples of family names and pets. Also, we have
only used adjectives that are originally Swahili that take the adjective markers M
in singular and WA in plural. In the subsequent chapters, we shall use diverse
nouns and adjectives but basically, this is how the noun classes work. See the
following examples of sentences using possessives and adjectives.
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7. Kazi/Occupation
Msamiati
Askari police daktari doctor
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Unaweza kusema:
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i.
j.
Kwa hiyo: Mimi ninatoka katika mji wa Nairobi, kaunti ya Nairobi, nchi ya
Kenya.
Lakini sasa, mimi ninaishi katika mji wa Evanston, jimbo la Ilinois, nchi ya
Marekani.
Sarufi: Notice that nchi, kaunti, mji, and jimbo take different forms of -a. This is
because they belong to different noun classes. We shall learn more about the
use of this -a in the later units.
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Mimi nina kompyuta, simu, na gari, lakini sina paka wala mbwa.
Kuuliza/Inquiring
We attach the personal pronoun marker to -na followed by the item you are
inquiring about to form a question, which can elicit either a positive or a negative
response.
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Mifano
Juma: Je, kawaida wewe unapenda kufanya nini jioni?
Juma: Mimi nitasoma maktabani sana kwa sababu nina mtihani wiki
kesho. Pia, nitaenda sokoni kununua chakula.
Juma: Mkazi mwenza wangu anaitwa Tim. Yeye anatoka katika mji wa
Madison, jimbo la Wisconsin. Rafiki yako anaitwa nani na anatoka
wapi?
Karim: Rafiki yangu anaitwa Peris. Yeye anatoka Nairobi, Kenya. Je, rafiki
yako anapenda kufanya nini?
Karim: Ndiyo! Peris ni mpezi wangu. Ninampenda sana! Je, wewe una
mpenzi?
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Juma: Hapana, mimi sina mpenzi, lakini mkazi mwenza wangu ana
mpenzi. Asante rafiki yangu. Ninakutakia wikendi njema.
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mahojiano Interview
Masomo ya Chuoni/Majors
Neema: Mimi ni mwanafunzi katika Chuo Kikuu cha Ohio State. Na wewe
je?
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Erin Mimi ninasoma katika Chuo Kikuu cha Northwestern. Unasoma nini
chuoni?
Erin Kawaida huenda kwa kutembea lakini mara kwa mara ninaenda
kwa basi. Na wewe je?
Neema: Nilienda chuoni kwa kutembea mwaka jana kwa sababu niliishi
katika bweni, lakini mwaka huu ninaenda kwa baiskeli kwa sababu
ninaishi nje ya chuo. Jamani nimefurahi kukufahamu. Ningependa
kuhudhuria wasilisho la mwisho.
Erin Asante.
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VIII. Je, wewe uko katika mwaka gani na uko katika programu gani?
IX. Erin anasoma nini chuoni?
X. Ni nani anafanya kazi za nyumbani na mitihani chuoni?
XI. Je, wewe unapenda kazi ya nyumbani au mitihani zaidi?
XII. Kwa nini Neema anafanya utafiti?
XIII. Je, wewe unafanya utafiti? Kuhusu nini?
XIV. Wewe ni mwanafunzi wa shahada gani?
XV. Je, wewe unaishi katika bweni au nje ya chuo?
XVI. Neema na Erin wanaendaje chuoni?
XVII. Je, wewe huendaje chuoni?
XVIII. xviii. Je, Neema na Erin wamekutana wapi?
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mbili 2 tatu 3
nne 4 tano 5
sita 6 saba 7
nane 8 tisa 9
themanini 80 themanini na 88
nane
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Rafiki: _______________________________________.
Jamila: Nambari yako ya simu ni gani?
Rafiki: _______.Na wewe je?
Jamila: Nambari yangu ni tatu mbili saba – nne tano sita – tisa moja
sufuri nane (327-456-9104).
Rafiki: Asante, nitakupigia jioni.
Jamila: Nitashukuru. Kama sitaweza kuipokea, tafadhali niandikie
ujumbe.
Rafiki: Sawa. Kwaheri.
Jamila: Kwaheri.
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Zoezi IV: Je, watu katika familia yako wana miaka mingapi?
i. Babu yangu ana miaka ______________________.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
vii.
viii.
ix.
x.
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Ordinal Numbers
You can use the numbers to rank nouns such as
i. Mimi ni mtoto wa nne katika familia.
chuo kikuu?
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