1
Q
Continue! Go on!
A
Endelea!
2
Q
File/s
A
Faili/mafaili
3
Q
Situation, condition, status
A
Hali
4
Q
Free
A
Huru
5
Q
Tool/s, accessory/ies
A
Kifaa/vifaa
6
Q
Laptop computer/s
A
Kompyuta ya/za mkononi
7
Q
To watch, to look at
A
Kuangalia
8
Q
To check your e-mail
A
Kuangalia e-mail
9
Q
To print
A
Kuchapisha
10
Q
To open a file
A
Kufungua faili
11
Q
To save a file
A
Kuhifadhi faili
12
Q
Abour
A
Kuhusu
13
Q
To log on to a website
A
Kuingia katika tovuti
14
Q
To be available
A
Kupatikana
15
Q
To visit
A
Kutembelea
16
Q
To manufacture, to fix
A
Kutengeneza
17
Q
To send
A
Kutuma
18
Q
To send a message
A
Kutuma ujumbe
19
Q
To put, to place
A
Kuweka
20
Q
To be used to
A
Kuzoea
21
Q
Printer/s (2)
A
Mashine ya/za kuchapisha
Printa
22
Q
Communication
A
Mawasiliano
23
Q
Password
A
Neno la siri
24
Q
Overseas
A
Ng’ambo
25
Picture/s, photograph/s
Picha
26
Excuse me. I'm sorry
Samahani
27
Screen/s (2)
Skrini
| Kioo cha kompyuta / Vioo vya kompyuta
28
Problem/s, hardship/s (3)
Tabu
Shaka/mashaka
Shida
29
Website
Tovuti
30
Freedom
Uhuru
31
Document/s (2)
Waraka/nyaraka
| Dokyumenti
32
Healthy, whole, complete
-zima
33
I'd like to send an e-mail
Ningependa kutuma e-mail
34
What's your e-mail address?
Anuani yako ya e-mail ni ipi?
35
Where can i get onto the internet?
Wapi nitaweza kupata mtandao
36
Internet
Mtandao
37
Always (3)
Milele
Kila wakati
Siku zote
38
Never (2)
Kamwe
| Asili
39
Congratulations! (2)
Hongera!
| Pongezi!
40
To push
Kuumba
| -umba! (Obstetrikk)
41
Good luck
Kwa bahati nzuri
42
Pregnancy, conception
Mimba
43
Delivery, childbirth
Uzalishaji
44
To give birth
Kuzaa
45
Almost
Takriban, takribani
46
Page/s, leaflet/s
Ukurasa/kurasa
47
Company/ies
Kampuni/makampuni
48
Does your company have a website?
Kampuni yako ina tovuti?
49
Does the hotel have internet access?
Hoteli ina huduma za mtandao?
50
Please send (it) as an attachment
Tafadhali tuma kwa kiambatisho
51
I'd like to print a document
Ningependa kuchapisha waraka
52
Certificate, diploma, degree
Shahada
53
I use a PC at work and an Apple at home
Ninatumia PC kazini na Apple nyumbani
54
No problem (2)
Hakuna tabu
| Hamna tabu
55
It's true / That's right
Ni kweli
56
Welcome, have a seat
Karibu ukae
57
How much do i owe ("will i pay")?
Nitalipa bei gani?
58
To switch on the computer
Kufungua Kompyuta
59
They're available
Zinapatikana
60
It depends
Inategemea
61
Another time, sometimes
Mara nyengine
62
I'm at work
Nipo kazini
63
Let me visit
Acha nitembelee
| Commands (verb root in sg.) + verb --> Conjugate second verb in subjunctive
64
Let me read
Acha nisome
| Commands (verb root in sg.) + verb --> Conjugate second verb in subjunctive
65
They're imported
Vinaagizwa
| Zinaagizwa..
66
Where do you get them?
Vinapatikana wapi?
67
I'm good, and you? (More elaborate response to hujambo?)
Mimi sijambo, na wewe?
68
I'm all right
Mimi mzima (pia)
69
Is that possible?
Inawezekana?
| -Ningependa kutuma e-mail, inawezekana?
70
If that's okay (If conditions allow)
Ok, i'd also like to chat, if that's okay ("if conditions allow")
... kama hali inaruhusu
| Sawa, nataka kuchati pia kama hali inaruhusu
71
To communicate
Kuwasiliana
72
To be/get used to
Kuzoea
| -Nimezoea sana PC - I'm really used to PCs
73
Ass (Vulgar)
Kitako/vitako
74
To begin, to start, to originate
Kuanza
75
Mbona
Why? For what reason? How?
| -Samahani, mbona hii kompyuta haifanyi kazi? (Excuse me, why does this computer not work?)
76
Halafu
Afterwards, subsequently, then, next
77
Modern, new, up-to-date (Adverb)
Kisasa
| -Kompyuta za kisasa
78
Long ago, earlier, before
Zamani
79
Quickly, speedily
Kasi
-Na vipi kasi ya mtandao? (And how fast is the internet? ('And how fast/speed of internet)
(Can also be used as noun meaning speed)
80
Kwa hivyo
Therefore
81
To enter, to go in
Kuingia
82
Perfect tense - What, use
Expressed with "have" as in "have done", "have gone" etc. It expresses a completed or accomplished action. It may also be used in Swahili to express a state of being, such as being late or being tired.
83
Perfect tense - How to form
Subject prefix + -me- + verb root
- Mwalimu amefika (The teacher has (just) arrived)
- Wanafunzi wameondoka (The students have (just) left)
- Mpishi amepika (The cook has (just) cooked)
- Mwanafunzi amejifunza Kiswahili (The student has learned Swahili)
- Lucy ameenda darasani (Lucy has gone to class)
- Wageni wamefika (The guests have arrived)
(Expressed with "have" as in "have done", "have gone" etc. It expresses a completed or accomplished action. It may also be used in Swahili to express a state of being, such as being late or being tired.)
(Can use -mesha- instead of -me-. There is no great difference, the latter simply adds emphasis that the action has already taken place.)
(Mwalimu ameshaondoka (The teacher has already left). Watoto wameshakula chakula cha jioni (The children have already eaten dinner). Kitabu kimeshapotea (The book has already been lost). Umeshachelewa (You're already late). Mwalimu hajaondoka (The teacher hasn't left yet). Watoto hawajala chakula cha ioni (The children haven't eaten dinner yet)
84
Cook/s
Mpishi/Wapishi
85
Perfect tense - How to form negative
1. Replace the perfect infix -me- with -ja-
2. Add the appropriate negative prefix before the subject marker
- Nimezoa sana PC / Bado sijazoea sana PC (I'm really used to PCs / I'm not really used to PCs yet)
- Nimechelewa / Sijachelewa (I'm late / I'm not late)
- Wanafunzi wameondoka / Wanafunzi hawajaondoka (The students have left / The students haven't left yet)
- Wageni wamefika / Wageni hawajafika (The guests haven't arrived yet)
- Kiti kimevunjika / Kiti hakijavunjika (The chair is broken / The chair is not broken)
- Basi limeondoka / Basi halijaondoka (The bus has left / The bus hasn't left)
(This construction can often be translated with "not ... yet" in English)
86
Kuisha
To end, to finish
87
To steal
Kumgondi
88
Active vs passive voice/sentence
In an English active sentence such as "The professor wrote the article", the subject (the professor) is the doer of the action. In a passive sentence, though, the direct object (the article) becomes the subject, and the former subject, if it is expressed at all, is introduced by the preposition "by": "The article was written by the professor".
= Sentences with The + .... (object) + to be-variant + by + doer
89
How to express the passive voice in Swahili
It is expressed with a verb extension (suffix) which is -wa
(= Replace final -a with -wa)
(Kusema -> Kusemwa (To speak -> to be spoken by), Kuimba -> Kuimbwa (To sing -> to be sung by), kufundisha -> kufundishwa (To teach -> to be taught (by), kuwasha -> kuwashwa (To switch on/burn -> To be switched on/burned (by)).
Exceptions:
1. If the basic verb ends in -aa or -ua --> remove a and use -liwa
- Kuzaa -> Kuzaliwa (To have a child, to be born (by)
- Kununua -> Kununuliwa (To buy, to be bought (by)
2. -oa/-owa --> -lewa
- Kuondoa -> kuondolewa (To remove, to be removed (by)
- Kutoa -> Kutolewa (To take/put out, to be taken or put out (by)
3. Foreign verbs: change the final vowel to -i if it doesn't already end in -i, and then add -wa
- Kuharibu -> Kuharibiwa
- Kuhitaji -> Kuhitajiwa
4. Monosyllabic verbs are irregular, and must be learnt on a case-by-case basis
90
To build
| To be built (by)
Kujenga
| Kujengwa (na)
91
To manufacture/fix
| To be manufactured / fixed by
Kutengeneza
| Kutengenezwa (na)
92
To like/love
| To be liked/loved (by)
Kupenda
| Kupendwa (na)
93
To help
| To be helped (by)
Kusaidia
| Kusaidiwa (na)
94
To use
| To be used (by)
Kutumia
| Kutumiwa (na)
95
To eat
| To be eaten (by)
Kula
| Kuliwa (na)
96
To give
| To be given (by)
Kupa
| Kupewa (na)
97
To drink
| To be drunk (by)
Kunywa
| Kunywewa (na)
98
To destroy
| To be destroyed (by)
Kuharibu
| Kuharibiwa (na)
99
To try/test
| To be tried/tested (by)
Kujaribu
| Kujaribiwa (na)
100
To greet
| To be greeted (by)
Kusalimu
| Kusalimiwa (na)
101
To need
| To be needed (by)
Kuhitaji
| Kuhitajiwa (na)
102
To accept
| To be accepted (by)
Kukubali
| Kukubaliwa (na)
103
To forgive
| To be forgiven (by)
Kusamehe
Kusamehewa (na)
(One of the two exceptions to forming passive voice of verbs ending in -e/-i/-u)
104
To forget
| To be forgotten (by)
Kusahau
Kusamehewa (na)
(One of the two exceptions to forming passive voice of verbs ending in -e/-i/-u)
105
Passive voice
- The teacher is teaching Swahili
- Swahili is taught by the teacher
- Mwalimu anafundisha Kiswahili
- Kiswahili kinafundishwa na mwalimu
(The subject marker on the passive verb agrees with what would have been the object of the active sentence)
106
Passive voice
- A student destroyed the chair
- The chair was destroyed by the student
- Mwanafunzi aliharibu kiti
- Kiti kiliharibiwa na mwanafunzi
(The subject marker on the passive verb agrees with what would have been the object of the active sentence)
107
President
Rais
108
Passive voice
- The president will appoint the minister
- The minister will be appointed by the president
- Rais atateua waziri
- Waziri atateuliwa na rais
(The subject marker on the passive verb agrees with what would have been the object of the active sentence)
109
Minister/s
Waziri/mawaziri
110
How to negative passive verbs
Same rules as for active verbs
- Kiswahili kinafundishwa na mwalimu - Kiswahili hakifundishwi na mwalimu (Swahili is taught by the teacher - Is not ..)
- Maji jananywew na wanyama - Maji hayanywewi na wanyama (The water is being drunk by the animals - Is not ..)
- Kiti kiliharibiwa na mwanafunzi - Kiti hakikuharibiwa na mwanafunzi
111
Police officer/s
Askari
112
Many/A lot of/Much (-ingi) and other/another (-ingine) - Form for M-Wa class
Singular: Not used for ingi, mwengine
Plural: Wengi (Instead of wa + ingi it is contracted to wengi), wengine
(There are no singular non-count nouns, so there is no form of -ingi in singular, like in English where you can't say "many child", in other classes, you can only use -ingi with non-count singulars, or of course with all plurals.)
113
Many/A lot of/Much (-ingi) and other/another (-ingine) - Form for Ki-vi class
Singular: Kingi (Contracted ki + ingi), kingine
Plural: Vingi (Contracted ki + ingi), vingine
114
Many/A lot of/Much (-ingi) and other/another (-ingine) - Form for Ji-Ma class
Singular: Jingi, jingine
Plural: Mengi (Contracted ma + ingi), mengine
115
Many/A lot of/Much (-ingi) and other/another (-ingine) - Form for N class
Singular/plural: Nyingi, nyingine
116
Many/A lot of/Much (-ingi) and other/another (-ingine) - Form for M-Mi class
Singular: Mwingi, mwingine
Plural: Mingi, mingine
(For -ingi: The combination m + ingi is modified to produce mwingi. Again that applies only to non-count nouns: mchuzi mwingi (A lot of stew or sauce) or moto mwingi (A lot of fire). In the case of countable plural nouns, the combination of mi + ingi produces mingi: miguu mingi (many legs), mikono mingi (many hands/arms), miti mingi (many trees)..)
117
Ingi: How to say much/a lot of and how to say many
Much/a lot of --> Use singular noun + singular prefix on ingi (For "non-countable nouns")
- Mchuzi mwingi (A lot of stew)
- Chakula kingi (A lot of food)
Many --> Use plural noun + plural prefix
- Mchuzi mwingi (A lot of stew or sauce)
- Moto mwingi (A lot of fire)
118
How to ask which (I.e. "which" among similar or related objects)
a. M-Wa
b. Ki-Vi
c. Ji-Ma
d. N
e. M-Mi
Question suffix -pi + prefix according to noun class
a. M-Wa -> Yupi, wepi
b. Ki-Vi -> Kipi, vipi
c. Ji-Ma -> Lipi, yapi
d. N -> Ipi, zipi
e. M-Mi -> Upi, ipi
(Unapenda kitabu kipi zaidi? - Which book do you like most?)
(Unapenda vitabu vipi? - Which books do you like?)
(Familia yako inaishi nyumba ipi? - Which house does your family live in?)
(Unasema lugha zipi? - Which languages do you speak?)
119
Must/Have to
Lazima + verb in subjunctive
| -Lazima nifanye kazi (I must work)
120
To prepare
Kutayarisha
121
Century
Karne
122
Michache
A couple of years ago
Couple
| -Miaka michache nyuma - A couple of years ago ...
123
To bring
Kuleta
124
Revolution, overturning
Mapinduzi
125
Nowadays
Siku hizi
126
Without
Bila
127
To alter, to change, to modify (2)
```
Kugeuza
Kubadili (Also to exchange, to trade)
```
128
To send
Kutuma
129
To learn, to study, to educate oneself
Kujifunza
130
Art, craft, artistry
Sanaa
131
Culture, civilization
Utumaduni
132
To affect
Kuathiri
133
World, earth
Dunia
134
To spread, to distribute, to disseminate (2)
Kueneza
| Kuenea
135
Instruction/s, teaching/s, doctrine/s, training/s
Funzo/mafunzo
136
Mabaya
Bad actions
| -Ubaya: Badness
137
Friend/s
Rafiki/marafiki
138
Fiance/s, lover/s
Mchumba/Wachumba
- Machumba wa kike (Female)
- Machumwa wa kiume (Male)
139
Kwa hivyo
Therefore
140
To accelerate
Kuharakisha
141
Globalization
Utandawazi
142
Border/s, frontier/s, barrier/s, boundary/ies
Mpaka/mipaka
143
To arrive (2)
Kufika
| Kuwasili
144
To be broken
Kuvunjika
145
To break
Kuvunja
146
Forest, jungle
Mwitu
147
Piece/s
Kipande/vipande
148
To rent
Kukodi
Swahili
flashcards
Decks in class (22)
# Cards
