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Common Swahili to Kinyarwanda phrases

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

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

Tip: focus on one section per day (travel Monday, dining Tuesday, and so on) if you are preparing for a Kinyarwanda-speaking trip in a few weeks.

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

    Muraho

  2. Asante

    Urakoze

  3. Habari ya asubuhi

    Bwakire bwiza

  4. Habari ya mchana

    Nimugoroba mwiza

  5. Habari ya jioni

    Mwaramutse mwiza

  6. Usiku mwema

    Ijoro ryiza

  7. Tutaonana baadaye

    Tuzabonana nyuma

  8. Kwaheri

    Murabeho

  9. Jina lako nani?

    Witwa nde?

  10. Jina langu ni John

    Nitwa John

  11. Habari gani?

    Umeze ute?

  12. Nafurahi kukutana na wewe

    Nishimiye kukumenya

Useful phrases for travellers

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

  1. Unazungumza Kiingereza?

    Uravuga Icyongereza?

  2. Sizungumza Hindi vizuri.

    Sinavuga Hindi neza

  3. Sielewi.

    Sinumva

  4. Tafadhali ongea polepole.

    Nyabuneka vuga buhoro

  5. Unaweza kusema tena?

    Wabivuga ukundi?

  6. Choo kiko wapi?

    Aho ubwiherero buri he?

  7. Ninafika vipi katikati ya jiji?

    Nagenda nte ku mugi?

  8. Geuka kushoto.

    Hindukira ibumoso

  9. Geuka kulia.

    Hindukira iburyo

  10. Nenda moja kwa moja.

    Genda imbere

  11. Nauli ni kiasi gani?

    Igiciro ni ikihe?

  12. Tiketi moja, tafadhali.

    Itike imwe, nyabuneka

  13. Je, ni mbali na hapa?

    Ni kure hano?

  14. Nimepotea.

    Ndi mu kaga

  15. Ninaweza kununua kadi ya SIM wapi?

    Nshobora kugura SIM card he?

Everyday conversation

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

  1. Ndio

    Yego

  2. Hapana

    Oya

  3. Pengine

    Birashoboka

  4. Ninakubaliana

    Ndemeranya

  5. Sikubaliani

    Sinemeranya

  6. Inasikika vizuri

    Birumvikana neza

  7. Unafikiriaje?

    Ubitekerezaho iki?

  8. Unaweza kunisaidia?

    Urashobora kumfasha?

  9. Nahitaji msaada

    Nkeneye ubufasha

  10. Subiri kidogo

    Tegereza gato

  11. Ninasikitika

    Ndakwinginze

  12. Hakuna shida

    Nta kibazo

  13. Hongera

    Ibyishimo

  14. Siku ya kuzaliwa njema

    Isabukuru nziza

  15. Safari njema

    Ugire urugendo rwiza

Directions and getting around

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

  1. Kituo cha treni kiko wapi?

    Aho ikigo cy'igariyamoshi kiri? (Aho ikigo cy'igariyamoshi kiri?)

  2. Kituo cha basi kiko wapi?

    Aho ahagarara bisi? (Aho ahagarara bisi?)

  3. Ni jukwaa gani?

    Ni iyihe platform? (Ni iyihe platform?)

  4. Inatoka saa ngapi?

    Igihe izava ryari? (Igihe izava ryari?)

  5. Je, hii ndiyo njia sahihi?

    Ese iyi niyo nzira nziza? (Ese iyi niyo nzira nziza?)

  6. Iko karibu hapa

    Iri hafi hano (Iri hafi hano)

  7. Iko mbali na hapa

    Iri kure hano (Iri kure hano)

  8. Unaweza kunionesha kwenye ramani?

    Ushobora kumfasha ku ikarita? (Ushobora kumfasha ku ikarita?)

  9. Simama hapa, tafadhali

    Hagarara hano, nyabuneka (Hagarara hano, nyabuneka)

  10. Inachukua muda gani?

    Bifata igihe kingana iki? (Bifata igihe kingana iki?)

Shopping and dining

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

  1. Hii inagharimu kiasi gani?

    Iyi igura angahe?

  2. Hiyo ni ghali sana

    Ibyo ni ibihenze cyane.

  3. Je, una kitu chochote cha bei nafuu?

    Ufite ikintu cyoroheje?

  4. Naweza kulipa kwa kadi?

    Nshobora kwishyura n'ikarita?

  5. Ningependa meza ya watu wawili

    Nashaka ameza y'abantu babiri.

  6. Tafadhali, bili

    Ndagusabye, umwenda.

  7. Je, huduma imejumuishwa?

    Serivisi irimo?

  8. Mimi ni mboga

    Ndi umunyvegetari.

  9. Tafadhali, sina chakula chenye pilipili

    Ntimukanyuze ibiryo birimo umunyu.

  10. Hii ni tamu

    Ibi biraryoshye.

  11. Naweza kupata menyu?

    Nshobora kubona urutonde rw'ibiryo?

  12. Tafadhali, glasi ya maji

    Ndagusabye, igikombe cy'amazi.

Emergencies and health

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

  1. Piga simu polisi

    Hamagara polisi

  2. Piga simu ya wagonjwa

    Hamagara ambulance

  3. Nahitaji daktari

    Nkeneye umuganga

  4. Ninajisikia mgonjwa

    Ndumva ndwaye

  5. Nina mzio wa karanga

    Mfite allergie ku mbuto z'ihene

  6. Hospitali iliyo karibu iko wapi?

    Ihagararanye ry'ubuvuzi rihe?

  7. Inaniuma hapa

    Birambabaza hano

  8. Nimepoteza pasipoti yangu

    Nabuze pasiporo yanjye

  9. Unaweza kupiga simu hoteli yangu?

    Urashobora guhamagara hoteli yanjye?

  10. Nisaidie!

    Fasha!

Work and business

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

  1. Nafurahi kukutana nawe

    Nishimiye guhura nawe

  2. Tuweke mkutano

    Reka dushyireho inama

  3. Ni saa ngapi inakufaa?

    Ni ryari byakugendekera?

  4. Nitaituma ripoti leo

    Nzohereza raporo uyu munsi

  5. Tunaweza kuzungumza kesho?

    Dushobora kuvugana ejo?

  6. Tafadhali pata faili iliyoambatishwa

    Nyamuneka reba dosiye iri hano

  7. Asante kwa muda wako

    Urakoze ku gihe cyawe

  8. Natarajia kufanya kazi na wewe

    Ntegereje gukorana nawe

  9. Unaweza kufafanua hiyo pointi?

    Wansobanurira icyo kibazo?

  10. Nitarudi kwako

    Nzakugarukira

  11. Muda wa mwisho ni Ijumaa

    Igihe ntarengwa ni ku wa gatanu

Time, days and numbers

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

  1. Ni saa ngapi?

    Ni saa ingahe? (ni saa ingahe)

  2. Ni saa tatu.

    Ni saa tatu (ni saa tatu)

  3. Leo

    Uyu munsi (uyu munsi)

  4. Kesho

    Ejo hazaza (ejo hazaza)

  5. Jana

    Ejo (ejo)

  6. Jumatatu

    Kuwa Mbere (kuwa mbere)

  7. Jumanne

    Kuwa Kabiri (kuwa kabiri)

  8. Jumatano

    Kuwa Gatatu (kuwa gatatu)

  9. Moja

    Kimwe (kimwe)

  10. Mbili

    Kabiri (kabiri)

  11. Tatu

    Gatatu (gatatu)

  12. Kumi

    Cumi (cumi)

  13. Mia moja

    Ijana (ijana)

  14. Nusu

    Igice (igice)

  15. Zaidi

    Byinshi (byinshi)

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