1. Kansas African Studies Center
Kiswahili Basics
Mackenzie Jones
Outreach Coordinator
Kansas African Studies Center

4. Why learn Kiswahili? Over 50 million speakers
Official language of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda
Spoken throughout much of East Africa as a native language, and spoken by millions more as a second language (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, DRC, Mozambique, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, Malawi)
Used in film, music and media (BBC, VOA, Deutsche Welle, The Lion King, Miriam Makeba)
Taught in institutions all over the world
Lingua franca!

5. Kiswahili Bantu language
9 noun classes (the equivalent of having 9 genders in a romance language!)
Kiswahili = the language; Swahili = the people
“Language of the coast”
Includes words borrowed from Arabic, Portuguese, and German
Sahel = coast, ki = language

6. Words you may already know:
Simba
(Lion)
Rafiki
(Friend)
Hakuna Matata
(No Problems)

7. Greetings! Habari gani? U hali gani? Nzuri! Njema. Salama Sawa Poa
How are things?
What is the news?
U hali gani?
How are you?
What’s your condition?
Nzuri!
Good
Njema.
Nice
Salama
Peaceful
Sawa
Fine
Poa
Cool

8. Simple Phrases: Mimi ninaitwa ________ Kwaheri! Mwalimu Asante
Asante sana
My name is_________
I am called _________
Goodbye!
Teacher
Thank you
Thank you very much

9. Colors - Rangi

10. Eusi - Black

11. Eupe - White

12. Ekundu - Red

13. Kijani - Green

14. Rangi ya machungwa- Orange

15. Rangi ya manjano - Yellow

16. Rangi ya zambarau - Purple

17. Rangi ya kahawa - Brown

18. Bluu - Blue

19. Let’s Review

20. Eusi - Black

21. Eupe - White

22. Ekundu - Red

23. Kijani - Green

24. Rangi ya machungwa- Orange

25. Rangi ya manjano - Yellow

26. Rangi ya zambarau - Purple

27. Rangi ya kahawa - Brown

28. Bluu - Blue

30. Animals - Wanyama

31. Mbwa - Dog

32. Paka - Cat

33. Tembo - Elephant

34. Farasi - Horse

35. Simba - Lion

36. Bata - Duck

37. Kuku - chicken

38. Nyoka - snake

39. Papa - shark

40. Let’s Review

41. Mbwa - Dog

42. Paka - Cat

43. Tembo - Elephant

44. Farasi - Horse

45. Simba - Lion

46. Bata - Duck

47. Kuku - chicken

48. Nyoka - snake

49. Papa - shark

50. What have we learned?
Greetings/Simple Phrases
Colors
Animals

51. Resources: KU Kiswahili online textbook KASC website
KASC website
World Wednesday site
Boston University African Studies Center/African Languages Program’s 200 Word Project
Mango Languages, UC Berkley

52. Asante sana! Kwaheri!