Looking for practical Mam to Swahili phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Mam 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 Mam 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.
Xo'j
Habari(sho'j)
Tz'ik
Asante(tz'ik)
Xo'j nax
Habari ya asubuhi(sho'j nax)
Xo'j q'ij
Habari ya mchana(sho'j q'ij)
Xo'j k'ux
Habari ya jioni(sho'j k'ux)
Xo'j k'ux nax
Usiku mwema(sho'j k'ux nax)
K'ux q'ij
Tutaonana baadaye(k'ux q'ij)
Xo'j k'ux
Kwaheri(sho'j k'ux)
Ja' k'ux nax?
Jina lako nani?(ha' k'ux nax?)
Ja' k'ux nax John
Jina langu ni John(ha' k'ux nax John)
Jach' k'ux?
Habari gani?(hach' k'ux?)
Nab' k'ux
Nafurahi kukutana na wewe(nab' k'ux)
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
¿K'ax k'utun English?
Unazungumza Kiingereza?
Nek'ux k'utun Hindi k'ax k'utun.
Sizungumza Hindi vizuri.
Nek'ux k'ax k'utun.
Sielewi.
Por favor, k'utun k'ux.
Tafadhali ongea polepole.
¿K'ax k'utun k'ux?
Unaweza kusema tena?
¿Jach'och k'ux?
Choo kiko wapi?
¿Jach'och k'ux ch'ich'?
Ninafika vipi katikati ya jiji?
K'utun k'ux.
Geuka kushoto.
K'utun k'ux.
Geuka kulia.
K'utun k'ux.
Nenda moja kwa moja.
¿K'ax k'ux ch'ich'?
Nauli ni kiasi gani?
K'utun ch'ich', por favor.
Tiketi moja, tafadhali.
¿K'ax k'ux jach'och?
Je, ni mbali na hapa?
Nek'ux k'ax k'ux.
Nimepotea.
¿Jach'och k'ux k'utun SIM?
Ninaweza kununua kadi ya SIM wapi?
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Juj
Ndio(hoo)
Man
Hapana(mah)
K'ux
Pengine(k'ush)
Juj k'ux
Ninakubaliana(hoo k'ush)
Man k'ux
Sikubaliani(mah k'ush)
K'ux juj
Inasikika vizuri(k'ush hoo)
¿Juj k'ux k'ut?
Unafikiriaje?(¿hoo k'ush k'ut?)
¿Juj k'ux juj k'ux?
Unaweza kunisaidia?(¿hoo k'ush hoo k'ush?)
Juj k'ux juj k'ux k'ut
Nahitaji msaada(hoo k'ush hoo k'ut)
K'ux k'ut
Subiri kidogo(k'ush k'ut)
Juj k'ux k'ut
Ninasikitika(hoo k'ush k'ut)
Man k'ux k'ut
Hakuna shida(mah k'ush k'ut)
K'ux juj k'ut
Hongera(k'ush hoo k'ut)
K'ux juj k'ut k'ux
Siku ya kuzaliwa njema(k'ush hoo k'ut k'ush)
K'ux juj k'ut k'ux
Safari njema(k'ush hoo k'ut k'ush)
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
¿Jujuk pa ri tren?
Kituo cha treni kiko wapi?
¿Jujuk pa ri bus?
Kituo cha basi kiko wapi?
¿K'ux ri plataforma?
Ni jukwaa gani?
¿K'ux ri tiempo pa k'ux?
Inatoka saa ngapi?
¿¿K'ux ri camino?
Je, hii ndiyo njia sahihi?
Ri k'ut pa ri.
Iko karibu hapa
Ri k'ut pa ri k'ul.
Iko mbali na hapa
¿¿K'ux k'ut ri mapa?
Unaweza kunionesha kwenye ramani?
¿¿K'ut pa ri, por favor?
Simama hapa, tafadhali
¿¿K'ux ri tiempo?
Inachukua muda gani?
Shopping and dining
Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.
K'ux k'ulub' ri'?
Hii inagharimu kiasi gani?(K'ux k'ulub' ri'?)
K'ux ri' k'ulub'?
Hiyo ni ghali sana(K'ux ri' k'ulub'?)
¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax?
Je, una kitu chochote cha bei nafuu?(¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax?)
¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax k'oj?
Naweza kulipa kwa kadi?(¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax k'oj?)
In k'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax k'oj?
Ningependa meza ya watu wawili(In k'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax k'oj?)
Ri' k'ulub', por favor
Tafadhali, bili(Ri' k'ulub', por favor)
¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax?
Je, huduma imejumuishwa?(¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax?)
In k'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax
Mimi ni mboga(In k'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax)
¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax?
Tafadhali, sina chakula chenye pilipili(¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax?)
K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax
Hii ni tamu(K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax)
¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax?
Naweza kupata menyu?(¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax?)
¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax?
Tafadhali, glasi ya maji(¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax?)
Emergencies and health
Help, police, doctor, pharmacy, and urgent situations when you need assistance fast.
K'uxik la policía
Piga simu polisi
K'uxik un ambulancia
Piga simu ya wagonjwa
Nek' a doctor
Nahitaji daktari
K'utun k'ax
Ninajisikia mgonjwa
Nek' a k'uxi' ch'ich'
Nina mzio wa karanga
Jach' k'uxik la hospital?
Hospitali iliyo karibu iko wapi?
K'utun k'uxi' aquí
Inaniuma hapa
Nek' a k'uxik mi pasaporte
Nimepoteza pasipoti yangu
¿K'uxik a k'uxik mi hotel?
Unaweza kupiga simu hoteli yangu?
¡Ayuda!
Nisaidie!
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
Chik'oj ch'ab'ej
Nafurahi kukutana nawe(chee-k'oh chahb'eh)
K'axik ch'awik ri k'ulb'al
Tuweke mkutano(kah-hee k'ah-wik ree kool-bahl)
K'ut ri k'utal k'axik?
Ni saa ngapi inakufaa?(k'oot ree k'oo-tahl kah-hee)