Looking for practical Swahili to Mam phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Swahili phrase first, then the Mam translation (Mam) — 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 Mam.
Tip: when a Mam 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 Mam 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.
Habari
Xo'j(sho'j)
Asante
Tz'ik(tz'ik)
Habari ya asubuhi
Xo'j nax(sho'j nax)
Habari ya mchana
Xo'j q'ij(sho'j q'ij)
Habari ya jioni
Xo'j k'ux(sho'j k'ux)
Usiku mwema
Xo'j k'ux nax(sho'j k'ux nax)
Tutaonana baadaye
K'ux q'ij(k'ux q'ij)
Kwaheri
Xo'j k'ux(sho'j k'ux)
Jina lako nani?
Ja' k'ux nax?(ha' k'ux nax?)
Jina langu ni John
Ja' k'ux nax John(ha' k'ux nax John)
Habari gani?
Jach' k'ux?(hach' k'ux?)
Nafurahi kukutana na wewe
Nab' k'ux(nab' k'ux)
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
Unazungumza Kiingereza?
¿K'ax k'utun English?
Sizungumza Hindi vizuri.
Nek'ux k'utun Hindi k'ax k'utun.
Sielewi.
Nek'ux k'ax k'utun.
Tafadhali ongea polepole.
Por favor, k'utun k'ux.
Unaweza kusema tena?
¿K'ax k'utun k'ux?
Choo kiko wapi?
¿Jach'och k'ux?
Ninafika vipi katikati ya jiji?
¿Jach'och k'ux ch'ich'?
Geuka kushoto.
K'utun k'ux.
Geuka kulia.
K'utun k'ux.
Nenda moja kwa moja.
K'utun k'ux.
Nauli ni kiasi gani?
¿K'ax k'ux ch'ich'?
Tiketi moja, tafadhali.
K'utun ch'ich', por favor.
Je, ni mbali na hapa?
¿K'ax k'ux jach'och?
Nimepotea.
Nek'ux k'ax k'ux.
Ninaweza kununua kadi ya SIM wapi?
¿Jach'och k'ux k'utun SIM?
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Ndio
Juj(hoo)
Hapana
Man(mah)
Pengine
K'ux(k'ush)
Ninakubaliana
Juj k'ux(hoo k'ush)
Sikubaliani
Man k'ux(mah k'ush)
Inasikika vizuri
K'ux juj(k'ush hoo)
Unafikiriaje?
¿Juj k'ux k'ut?(¿hoo k'ush k'ut?)
Unaweza kunisaidia?
¿Juj k'ux juj k'ux?(¿hoo k'ush hoo k'ush?)
Nahitaji msaada
Juj k'ux juj k'ux k'ut(hoo k'ush hoo k'ut)
Subiri kidogo
K'ux k'ut(k'ush k'ut)
Ninasikitika
Juj k'ux k'ut(hoo k'ush k'ut)
Hakuna shida
Man k'ux k'ut(mah k'ush k'ut)
Hongera
K'ux juj k'ut(k'ush hoo k'ut)
Siku ya kuzaliwa njema
K'ux juj k'ut k'ux(k'ush hoo k'ut k'ush)
Safari njema
K'ux juj k'ut k'ux(k'ush hoo k'ut k'ush)
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Kituo cha treni kiko wapi?
¿Jujuk pa ri tren?
Kituo cha basi kiko wapi?
¿Jujuk pa ri bus?
Ni jukwaa gani?
¿K'ux ri plataforma?
Inatoka saa ngapi?
¿K'ux ri tiempo pa k'ux?
Je, hii ndiyo njia sahihi?
¿¿K'ux ri camino?
Iko karibu hapa
Ri k'ut pa ri.
Iko mbali na hapa
Ri k'ut pa ri k'ul.
Unaweza kunionesha kwenye ramani?
¿¿K'ux k'ut ri mapa?
Simama hapa, tafadhali
¿¿K'ut pa ri, por favor?
Inachukua muda gani?
¿¿K'ux ri tiempo?
Shopping and dining
Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.