![]() “How is it?” This is just about the same phrase as used in certain dialects of English. There is no exact standard response, so you can say whatever you feel, such as mzuri (“good”), niko poa (“I’m cool”), or sina jipya (“I don’t have anything new”). You may also hear sema (“say”) used in the same way as niambie in this case. It’s not a question, but it’s still inquiring about how you are, usually between people who are already on friendly terms with each other. Niambie! (“Tell me!”) This enthusiastic greeting is usually short for sentences like niambie habari yako (“tell me your news”). Standard response: Nipo (“I am” – for one person) or tupo (“we are” – for two or more people) 5. You may also hear -ko replacing -po (resulting in Uko?, etc.), although this is less common. If you are greeting two or more people, you will say Mpo? instead. It may also be used if the speaker hasn’t seen the listener for a bit. It’s now one of my favorites for its simplicity and shortness! However, I quickly realized this is another common greeting to ask how you are. “You are ?” This is a contextual phrase that’s hard to translate literally and threw me off the first time I came across it. There is no particular standard reply, so you can respond with whatever you like from the section “Beyond the Standard Responses” below. For example, you can pair it with mambo to become Mambo vipi? It’s as casual as “How’s it going?” Vipi literally means “how?” and can be used alone or in combination with another word or phrase. Standard response: Mazuri or poa (“cool”) 3. To sound like a local, use mambo instead. It’s one of the most commonly used greetings in casual Swahili speech.Ī quick note: many foreigners will be told to greet people with jambo, which was popularized by the hit song “Jambo Bwana.” However, you will almost never hear a native Swahili-speaking adult greeting other native speakers with jambo. Literally meaning “things” or “affairs,” mambo is the plural form of jambo. Habari will sometimes be used alone (as just Habari?) or may be removed when a phrase trails after it, creating questions like Za kwako? and Za jioni? If you are asking two or more people, you would say Habari yenu/zenu? instead. Similarly Habari yako/zako? (“ your news?”) as well. Habari ya asubuhi?) with no change in meaning. You can add virtually any noun after za, such as kazi (“work”) to ask “How’s work?” or familia (“family”) or kwako (“your place”) to ask “How’s your family?” This expresses how English speakers would say “good morning/afternoon/evening.” Habari can be used in many different sentences, such as Habari za asubuhi/mchana/jioni? (literally “ the news of the morning/afternoon/evening?”). I will give you the most standard response for each set of questions, but also provide a section on words that can be flexibly applied as responses to any of the questions. Nearly all of the colloquial greetings are actually questions that require a certain response from the listener. It’s important to learn the most common colloquial phrases to avoid sounding stiff. Say “Hello” in Swahili to Your Friends: Colloquial Swahili Greetings Example Dialogue 2: Between a Younger and Older Neighbor. ![]() Say “Hello” in Swahili to Your Friends: Colloquial Swahili Greetings.
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