Looking for practical Arabic (العربية) to Swahili phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Arabic phrase first, then the Swahili translation (Swahili) — so you can scan quickly before a trip, class, or video call.
The phrases are grouped into eight topics: greetings and pleasantries, useful phrases for travellers, everyday conversation, directions and getting around, shopping and dining, emergencies and health, work and business, and time, days and numbers. Use the table of contents to jump straight to greetings, directions, dining, emergencies, or numbers. You do not need perfect grammar to start — short, clear sentences often work better than silence when you are learning Swahili.
Tip: focus on one section per day (travel Monday, dining Tuesday, and so on) if you are preparing for a Swahili-speaking trip in a few weeks.
Bookmark this page for offline review, share it with a travel buddy, or open the Arabic (العربية) to Swahili translator to paste your own messages and get an instant translation.
Greetings and pleasantries
Hello, goodbye, please, thank you, and polite introductions for meeting new people.
مرحبا
Habari(marhaban)
شكرا
Asante(shukran)
صباح الخير
Habari ya asubuhi(sabah alkhayr)
مساء الخير
Habari ya mchana(masa' alkhayr)
مساء الخير
Habari ya jioni(masa' alkhayr)
تصبح على خير
Usiku mwema(tusbih ala khayr)
أراك لاحقا
Tutaonana baadaye(arak lahikan)
وداعا
Kwaheri(wada'an)
ما اسمك؟
Jina lako nani?(ma ismuk?)
اسمي جون
Jina langu ni John(ismi John)
كيف حالك؟
Habari gani?(kayfa halak?)
تشرفت بلقائك
Nafurahi kukutana na wewe(tasharaft biliqayk)
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.