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Common Swahili to Chichewa phrases

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

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

Tip: pick five Chichewa phrases from the greetings section and use them in a real message today. Small daily practice beats cramming before a trip.

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

    Moni

  2. Asante

    Zikomo

  3. Habari ya asubuhi

    M'mawa wabwino

  4. Habari ya mchana

    Masana abwino

  5. Habari ya jioni

    Madziwabwino

  6. Usiku mwema

    Usiku wabwino

  7. Tutaonana baadaye

    Tiwonana

  8. Kwaheri

    Tsalani bwino

  9. Jina lako nani?

    Dzina lako ndi ndani?

  10. Jina langu ni John

    Dzina langa ndi John

  11. Habari gani?

    Muli bwanji?

  12. Nafurahi kukutana na wewe

    Ndikufuna kukumana nanu

Useful phrases for travellers

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

  1. Unazungumza Kiingereza?

    Mukulankhula Chingerezi? (Mukulankhula Chingerezi?)

  2. Sizungumza Hindi vizuri.

    Sindikulankhula Hindi bwino (Sindikulankhula Hindi bwino)

  3. Sielewi.

    Sindikumva (Sindikumva)

  4. Tafadhali ongea polepole.

    Chonde lukani pang'onopang'ono (Chonde lukani pang'onopang'ono)

  5. Unaweza kusema tena?

    Mungathe kutero kwachiwiri? (Mungathe kutero kwachiwiri?)

  6. Choo kiko wapi?

    Kuti ndi kuti chimbudzi? (Kuti ndi kuti chimbudzi?)

  7. Ninafika vipi katikati ya jiji?

    Ndingapite bwanji ku mseu wa mzinda? (Ndingapite bwanji ku mseu wa mzinda?)

  8. Geuka kushoto.

    Pangani kumanzere (Pangani kumanzere)

  9. Geuka kulia.

    Pangani kumanzere (Pangani kumanzere)

  10. Nenda moja kwa moja.

    Pitani mwachindunji (Pitani mwachindunji)

  11. Nauli ni kiasi gani?

    Ndi ndalama zingati? (Ndi ndalama zingati?)

  12. Tiketi moja, tafadhali.

    Tiket imodzi, chonde (Tiket imodzi, chonde)

  13. Je, ni mbali na hapa?

    Ndi kutali bwanji kuchokera pano? (Ndi kutali bwanji kuchokera pano?)

  14. Nimepotea.

    Ndakhalapo (Ndakhalapo)

  15. Ninaweza kununua kadi ya SIM wapi?

    Ndingatengere kuti SIM card? (Ndingatengere kuti SIM card?)

Everyday conversation

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

  1. Ndio

    Inde

  2. Hapana

    Ayi

  3. Pengine

    Mwina

  4. Ninakubaliana

    Ndikugwirizana

  5. Sikubaliani

    Sindikugwirizana

  6. Inasikika vizuri

    Zimakoma

  7. Unafikiriaje?

    Mumaganiza chiyani?

  8. Unaweza kunisaidia?

    Mungandithandize?

  9. Nahitaji msaada

    Ndikufuna thandizo

  10. Subiri kidogo

    Dikirani pang'ono

  11. Ninasikitika

    Ndikupemphera

  12. Hakuna shida

    Palibe vuto

  13. Hongera

    Zikomo

  14. Siku ya kuzaliwa njema

    Tsiku lobadwa labwino

  15. Safari njema

    Pita bwino

Directions and getting around

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

  1. Kituo cha treni kiko wapi?

    Kuti ndi kuti sitima?

  2. Kituo cha basi kiko wapi?

    Kuti ndi kuti malo otsetsereka?

  3. Ni jukwaa gani?

    Ndi chigawo chiti?

  4. Inatoka saa ngapi?

    Ndi nthawi iti imatenga?

  5. Je, hii ndiyo njia sahihi?

    Kodi iyi ndi njira yoyenera?

  6. Iko karibu hapa

    Ili pafupi pano

  7. Iko mbali na hapa

    Ili kutali pano

  8. Unaweza kunionesha kwenye ramani?

    Kodi mungandionetse pa mapu?

  9. Simama hapa, tafadhali

    Khalani pano, chonde

  10. Inachukua muda gani?

    Zimatenga nthawi yaitali bwanji?

Shopping and dining

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

  1. Hii inagharimu kiasi gani?

    Zimatenga ndalama zingati?

  2. Hiyo ni ghali sana

    Izi ndizokwera mtengo kwambiri.

  3. Je, una kitu chochote cha bei nafuu?

    Kodi muli ndi chinthu chotsika mtengo?

  4. Naweza kulipa kwa kadi?

    Ndingathe kulipira ndi khadi?

  5. Ningependa meza ya watu wawili

    Ndikufuna tebulo la anthu awiri.

  6. Tafadhali, bili

    Chikonthe, chonde.

  7. Je, huduma imejumuishwa?

    Kodi ntchito yakhala mu mtengo?

  8. Mimi ni mboga

    Ndine mvegetarian.

  9. Tafadhali, sina chakula chenye pilipili

    Osati chakudya chotentha, chonde.

  10. Hii ni tamu

    Izi ndizochuluka.

  11. Naweza kupata menyu?

    Ndingathe kupeza menyu?

  12. Tafadhali, glasi ya maji

    Galasi ya madzi, chonde.

Emergencies and health

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

  1. Piga simu polisi

    Fufuzani apolisi

  2. Piga simu ya wagonjwa

    Fufuzani ambulansi

  3. Nahitaji daktari

    Ndikufuna dokotala

  4. Ninajisikia mgonjwa

    Ndikumva kutopa

  5. Nina mzio wa karanga

    Ndine wosokoneza ndi ma nuts a phala

  6. Hospitali iliyo karibu iko wapi?

    Kuti ndi kuti chibadwe chachikondi?

  7. Inaniuma hapa

    Kukonda apa

  8. Nimepoteza pasipoti yangu

    Ndapeza pasipoti yanga

  9. Unaweza kupiga simu hoteli yangu?

    Mungafufuze hotelo yanga?

  10. Nisaidie!

    Thandizani!

Work and business

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

  1. Nafurahi kukutana nawe

    Ndikuyamikira kukumana nanu

  2. Tuweke mkutano

    Tiyeni tikhazikitse meeting

  3. Ni saa ngapi inakufaa?

    Ndi nthawi yanji yomwe ikugwira ntchito kwa inu?

  4. Nitaituma ripoti leo

    Ndzatumiza lipoti lero

  5. Tunaweza kuzungumza kesho?

    Tingathe kulankhula mawa?

  6. Tafadhali pata faili iliyoambatishwa

    Chonde pezani fayilo yowonjezedwa

  7. Asante kwa muda wako

    Zikomo chifukwa cha nthawi yanu

  8. Natarajia kufanya kazi na wewe

    Ndikuyembekezera kugwira ntchito nanu

  9. Unaweza kufafanua hiyo pointi?

    Mungathe kuthetsa mfundo imeneyo?

  10. Nitarudi kwako

    Nditheke kubwerera kwa inu

  11. Muda wa mwisho ni Ijumaa

    Nthawi yotsiriza ndi Lachisanu

Time, days and numbers

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

  1. Ni saa ngapi?

    Ndi nthawi yanji?

  2. Ni saa tatu.

    Ndi nthawi itatu.

  3. Leo

    Lero

  4. Kesho

    Mawa

  5. Jana

    Ch yesterday

  6. Jumatatu

    Lolemba

  7. Jumanne

    Lachiwiri

  8. Jumatano

    Lachitatu

  9. Moja

    Chimodzi

  10. Mbili

    Chiwiri

  11. Tatu

    Chitatu

  12. Kumi

    Kumi

  13. Mia moja

    Zana

  14. Nusu

    Pafupifupi

  15. Zaidi

    Zambiri

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