Kiswahili is spoken by most Kenyans, and tourists who try to learn a few words or phrases are greatly encouraged with happy smiles and a jolly sense of humour! You’ll find that by making a tiny amount of effort, you will win many friends! It’s well worth trying
Useful Words, Phrases and Numbers:
| No problem! | Hakuna matata! |
| Slowly | Pole pole (pronounced polae) |
| Sorry | Pole (also pronounced polae) |
| Hello | Jambo, salama |
| How are you? | Habari yako or sasa |
| Very good thank you! | Mizuri sana |
| Hello! Anyone in? | hodi |
| Good Morning | Habari ya asubuhi |
| Good Evening | Habari ya jioni |
| OK | sawa |
| Yes | ndio |
| No | hapana |
| Good | mizuri |
| You’re welcome | karibu |
| Please | tafadhali |
| Thank you | Asante (sana) |
| I want | nataka |
| I don’t understand | kuelewa sielewi |
| Who? | Nani? |
| What? | Nini? |
| When? | Lini? |
| Where? | Wapi? |
| Why? | Kwa nini? |
| How much? | Ni bei ngapi |
| Do you speak English? | Unasema kiingereza? |
| Where are you from? | Unatoka wapi |
| To come | kuja |
| See you/goodbye | kwaheri |
| Money | pesa |
| big | kubwa |
| small | kidogo |
| Sugar | Sokari |
| Salt | chumvi |
| Car | gari |
| food | chakula |
| Water | maji |
| Tea | chai |
| Milk | maziwa |
| toilet | choo |
| Airplane | Tayarah |
| 0 Zero | Sifuri |
| 1 One | moja |
| 2 Two | mbili |
| 3 Three | Tatu |
| 4 Four | nne |
| 5 Five | tano |
| 6 Six | Sita |
| 7 Seven | Saba |
| 8 Eight | nane |
| 9 Nine | Tisa |
| 10 Ten | kumi |
| 11 Eleven | Kumi na moja |
| 20 Twenty | ishirini |
| 30 Thirty | thelathini |
| 40 Forty | arobaini |
| 50 Fifty | hamsini |
| 60 Sixty | sitini |
| 70 Seventy | sabini |
| 80 Eighty | themanini |
| 90 Ninety | tisini |
| 100 Hundred | Mia moja |
| 1000 Thousand | Elfu moja |
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