Translate now

Common Swahili to Bemba phrases

100 practical Swahili to Bemba phrases for travel, study, work, and daily conversation.

← Back to Swahili to Bemba Translator

Looking for practical Swahili to Bemba phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Swahili phrase first, then the Bemba translation (Bemba) — 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 Bemba.

Tip: when a Bemba phrase looks unfamiliar, compare it with the Swahili wording — noticing word order differences helps you understand grammar naturally.

Bookmark this page for offline review, share it with a travel buddy, or open the Swahili to Bemba 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.

  1. Habari

    Shani

  2. Asante

    Natotela

  3. Habari ya asubuhi

    Muli shani

  4. Habari ya mchana

    Muli shani

  5. Habari ya jioni

    Muli shani

  6. Usiku mwema

    Shalenipo bwino

  7. Tutaonana baadaye

    Tukakutana

  8. Kwaheri

    Twalumba

  9. Jina lako nani?

    Iwe ulishani?

  10. Jina langu ni John

    Ndefwaya John

  11. Habari gani?

    Uli bwanji?

  12. Nafurahi kukutana na wewe

    Nashitasha kukumona

Useful phrases for travellers

Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.

  1. Unazungumza Kiingereza?

    Ulyashi ulukanda mu Chingereza?

  2. Sizungumza Hindi vizuri.

    Ndefwaya ukulanda Hindi bwino

  3. Sielewi.

    Ndefwaya kumfwa

  4. Tafadhali ongea polepole.

    Nimwandi ulukanda buteko

  5. Unaweza kusema tena?

    Ningaloleleko?

  6. Choo kiko wapi?

    Ili kuti ikalamba?

  7. Ninafika vipi katikati ya jiji?

    Ningalileka shani ku city center?

  8. Geuka kushoto.

    Fumya kumwendo

  9. Geuka kulia.

    Fumya kumwendo

  10. Nenda moja kwa moja.

    Enda pamo

  11. Nauli ni kiasi gani?

    Kuli shani ifyabukata?

  12. Tiketi moja, tafadhali.

    Ticket imwe, nomba

  13. Je, ni mbali na hapa?

    Kuli lishilu ukulya?

  14. Nimepotea.

    Ndi lost

  15. Ninaweza kununua kadi ya SIM wapi?

    Ili kuti nindeke SIM card?

Everyday conversation

Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.

  1. Ndio

    Eya

  2. Hapana

    Awe

  3. Pengine

    Panga

  4. Ninakubaliana

    Ndi bwino

  5. Sikubaliani

    Ndi bwino na

  6. Inasikika vizuri

    Ilyo lishibukile

  7. Unafikiriaje?

    Uchite shani?

  8. Unaweza kunisaidia?

    Ushakufwa?

  9. Nahitaji msaada

    Ndefwaya ifyakufwa

  10. Subiri kidogo

    Leka ifi

  11. Ninasikitika

    Nshakufwa

  12. Hakuna shida

    Takwaba shani

  13. Hongera

    Nshakufwa bwino

  14. Siku ya kuzaliwa njema

    Nashala bwino mu mwaka

  15. Safari njema

    Ube na mulimo wabwino

Directions and getting around

Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.

  1. Kituo cha treni kiko wapi?

    Uli kuti ikalamba ya chitima?

  2. Kituo cha basi kiko wapi?

    Uli kuti icikalo ca bisi?

  3. Ni jukwaa gani?

    Ninshi ni platform iyi?

  4. Inatoka saa ngapi?

    Ninshi ikalamba?

  5. Je, hii ndiyo njia sahihi?

    Ninshi iyi ni njira shabwino?

  6. Iko karibu hapa

    Ili pamo na pano.

  7. Iko mbali na hapa

    Ili lishilu na pano.

  8. Unaweza kunionesha kwenye ramani?

    Ushibukishe pa mape?

  9. Simama hapa, tafadhali

    Leka pano, chonde.

  10. Inachukua muda gani?

    Kuli shani?

Shopping and dining

Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.

  1. Hii inagharimu kiasi gani?

    Ili shani? (Ili shani?)

  2. Hiyo ni ghali sana

    Ili lya kuli (Ili lya kuli)

  3. Je, una kitu chochote cha bei nafuu?

    Muli na chimo chibulu? (Muli na chimo chibulu?)

  4. Naweza kulipa kwa kadi?

    Ningakupanga na kadi? (Ningakupanga na kadi?)

  5. Ningependa meza ya watu wawili

    Ningakonda itabo lyakupanga abali babili (Ningakonda itabo lyakupanga abali babili)

  6. Tafadhali, bili

    Icilanga, tapali (Icilanga, tapali)

  7. Je, huduma imejumuishwa?

    Ubufyashi bwakupanga? (Ubufyashi bwakupanga?)

  8. Mimi ni mboga

    Ndi mvegetarian (Ndi mvegetarian)

  9. Tafadhali, sina chakula chenye pilipili

    Nshikala na fya spicy, tapali (Nshikala na fya spicy, tapali)

  10. Hii ni tamu

    Ili lya bwino (Ili lya bwino)

  11. Naweza kupata menyu?

    Ningakonda ifyalo? (Ningakonda ifyalo?)

  12. Tafadhali, glasi ya maji

    Icupa ca mvula, tapali (Icupa ca mvula, tapali)

Emergencies and health

Help, police, doctor, pharmacy, and urgent situations when you need assistance fast.

  1. Piga simu polisi

    Tuma abashitisha

  2. Piga simu ya wagonjwa

    Tuma ambulance

  3. Nahitaji daktari

    Nshikala na doctor

  4. Ninajisikia mgonjwa

    Nshikala bwino

  5. Nina mzio wa karanga

    Ndi na allergy ku nsalu

  6. Hospitali iliyo karibu iko wapi?

    Ili kuti hospital ya pafupi?

  7. Inaniuma hapa

    Kuli ububi pano

  8. Nimepoteza pasipoti yangu

    Nashitile passport yangu

  9. Unaweza kupiga simu hoteli yangu?

    Nawe tuma hotel yangu?

  10. Nisaidie!

    Chikondi!

Work and business

Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.

  1. Nafurahi kukutana nawe

    Nashamukeni (na-sha-mu-ke-ni)

  2. Tuweke mkutano

    Tulefwaya ukusanga (tu-le-fwa-ya u-ku-sanga)

  3. Ni saa ngapi inakufaa?

    Ninshi ifikala bwino kwa iwe? (nin-shi i-fi-ka-la bwi-no kwa i-we)

  4. Nitaituma ripoti leo

    Nizakutuma ifishina lelo (ni-za-ku-tu-ma i-fi-shi-na le-lo)

  5. Tunaweza kuzungumza kesho?

    Twafwaya ukusambilila lero? (twa-fwa-ya u-ku-sam-bi-li-la le-ro)

  6. Tafadhali pata faili iliyoambatishwa

    Nomba fwebo file iliko (nom-ba fwe-bo fi-le i-li-ko)

  7. Asante kwa muda wako

    Natotela pa nshita (na-to-te-la pa nshi-ta)

  8. Natarajia kufanya kazi na wewe

    Nifwaya ukushanda na iwe (ni-fwa-ya u-ku-shan-da na i-we)

  9. Unaweza kufafanua hiyo pointi?

    Wakosa ukufumya icikomo? (wa-ko-sa u-ku-fum-ya i-ci-ko-mo)

  10. Nitarudi kwako

    Nizakukumbusha (ni-za-ku-kum-bu-sha)

  11. Muda wa mwisho ni Ijumaa

    Ishina lyakupela ni Lwapula (i-shi-na lya-ku-pe-la ni Lwa-pu-la)

Time, days and numbers

Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.

  1. Ni saa ngapi?

    Ninshi ilya shani? (Ninshi ilya shani?)

  2. Ni saa tatu.

    Kuli nomba itatu. (Kuli nomba itatu.)

  3. Leo

    Lelo. (Lelo.)

  4. Kesho

    Mwaume. (Mwaume.)

  5. Jana

    Kale. (Kale.)

  6. Jumatatu

    Lwandi. (Lwandi.)

  7. Jumanne

    Lwakabamba. (Lwakabamba.)

  8. Jumatano

    Lwapili. (Lwapili.)

  9. Moja

    Imwe. (Imwe.)

  10. Mbili

    Ibili. (Ibili.)

  11. Tatu

    Itatu. (Itatu.)

  12. Kumi

    Icumi. (Icumi.)

  13. Mia moja

    Cikumi. (Cikumi.)

  14. Nusu

    Pafya. (Pafya.)

  15. Zaidi

    Ilyo. (Ilyo.)

Need to translate your own text? Use the free Swahili to Bemba translator.

Open translator