McGrath Donovan and Marten Lutz - Colloquial Swahili: The Complete Course for Beginners

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: Jamani! Unaﬁkiri kwamba mchopozi aliniibia pochi?

SKARI

: Sina hakika. Njoo kituoni ukaandike taarifa.

: Haya, nakuja sasa hivi! Kwaheri!

SKARI

: Kwaheri!

Vocabulary

askari policeman, soldier, guard, warder

simu telephone, telegram, telex (phone call)

-lia ring (cry, weep, shout, roar)

-itika reply, answer

Halo! Hello! (used when answering the telephone)

kituo a station/stop (pl. vituo. Kituo cha polisi, Police

Station)

pochi wallet/purse

-potea get lost, go astray (wander, be ruined)

-ibwa be stolen/robbed

-kata shauri reach a decision, decide

-pigia simu phone someone

klabu club (also kilabu/vilabu, club/clubs)

-ibwa na be stolen/robbed by

mchopozi pickpocket, purse snatcher (pl. wachopozi)

-ibia steal from/for, rob

taarifa statement, report, announcement

sasa hivi right now

Language use

Using a telephone

Simu

Telephone

Kuna simu hapa?

Is there a telephone here?

Simu iko wapi?

Where is the telephone?

Nataka kutumia simu.

I want to use a telephone.

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Nambari ya simu ni 8960121 (nane, tisa, sita, sifuri, moja,

mbili, moja).

The telephone number is 8960121.

Simu inatumika./Simu inaongea.

The line is busy.

Simu haifanyi kazi.

The telephone is not working.

-piga simu make a call

-pigia simu phone someone

Je, ninaweza kupiga simu? Can I make a telephone call?

Nitapiga simu baadaye. I will call later.

Nitampigia simu kesho. I will call her tomorrow.

Exercise 1

You are staying at a hotel and you want to use the telephone which

is situated behind the reception desk. Here is a conversation

between you and the receptionist. Rewrite the conversation

changing the Swahili spoken by the receptionist into English, and

the English spoken by yourself into Swahili:

: How are you sir?

ECEPTIONIST

: Sijambo. Karibu!

: Thanks. Is there a telephone?

ECEPTIONIST

: Ndiyo. Ipo mezani.

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211

: Can I use the telephone?

ECEPTIONIST

: Ndiyo, unaweza kuitumia simu. Unataka kupiga

wapi?

: I want to phone my friend. He lives here in Dar.

ECEPTIONIST

: Nambari ya simu ni nini?

: The telephone number is 5814073. What’s the

price of the call?

ECEPTIONIST

: Hakuna malipo.

: Thanks very much!

Exercise 2

Below is an extract of the report Leo wrote at the Police Station;

however, this version is written in English whereas the original was

written in Swahili. Translate this English version back into Swahili:

212

Report

Date: Friday, 10

August

Time: 11.30 a.m.

Name: Leo Kamara

Address: Hall Four, University of Dar es Salaam

Last night my friends and I went to a nightclub. I remember I

still had my wallet because I bought some drinks for my friends.

Later, my friends bought me some drinks. We left the club at

2 a.m. We got home by taxi. The taxi driver was paid by my friend,

Trevor. I didn’t need my wallet. Today my wallet is lost. I tele-

phoned the police. At ﬁrst, I thought that my wallet was lost,

but now I think perhaps it was stolen by a pickpocket. I remember

seeing a stranger standing behind me, but I’m not sure if he was

the person who stole my wallet.

Dialogue 2

After returning to her home in Canada, Sandra writes a letter to her

Tanzanian friend, Leila

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213

Maple Leaf Drive

oron

o, Canada

umatatu, tarehe 2 Julai

pendwa Leila,

abari za huko

Natumaini wewe na

dugu zako nyote hamjambo. Mimi sijambo

sana.

aada ya kusafiri kwa muda mref

sana, nimefika nyumbani salama, namshukur

esho inabidi nita

ute kazi. Je,

umeshapata kazi au bado

Tafadhali niandikie

upesi, nataka kusikia habari zako zote. Sina

mengi ya kusema leo ila wasalimie wote

wanaonifahamu, Wazazi wangu

if h W i

anakusa

a sana.

li i

ungu akubariki na akuweke.

afiki yako akupen

aye

ANDRA

Leila was very pleased to get a letter from Sandra. The next day

Leila wrote her friend the following letter

214

S.L.P. 7180

Dar es Salaam,Tanzania

Jumapili, tarehe 15 Julai

Mpendwa Sandra,

Pokea salamu kutoka kwa rafiki

yako Mtanzania. Mimi mzima na jamaa wote

wazima vilevile. Nafurahi umefika salama

salimini nyumbani. Asante sana kwa barua

yako niliyoipata jana. Barua hiyo

ilinifurahisha sana kwa sababu najua kwamba

hujanisahau bado.

Je, umeshapata kazi? Kwa upande

wangu, nimepata kazi kama mwalimu huko

mjini Dodoma. Natumaini utakuwa na

mafanikio katika shughuli zako zote. Tuendelee

kuwasiliana mara kwa mara. Wasalimie

wazazi wako.

Mimi rafiki yako

LEILA

Vocabulary

Mpendwa Dear, Beloved

-tumaini hope, expect

salama safely, securely (safety, security, peace, good health)

-shukuru be grateful, be thankful

Mungu God

upesi quickly (soon, at once)

ila except

-salimia give regards to

-fahamu know, be familiar with, understand, be aware of

-bariki bless

-weka put, place, keep (akuweke, may He (God) keep

you safe)

-pokea receive, accept, take

mzima healthy, ﬁt, mature person (pl. wazima)

-furahi be happy/delighted

salama salimini safe and sound

barua letter

-furahisha be enjoyable, be pleasing (make happy)

mafanikio success, accomplishment(s), achievement(s)

-endelea continue, progress (Tuendelee, Let’s continue)

-wasiliana keep in touch, be in contact

Language use

Letter writing

Useful forms of address:

Formal

Mheshimiwa/Waheshimiwa to a Respected, Honourable

person

Bwana/Bw. Mister/Mr

or Bwana/Bw. + name

Bibi/Bi. or Bibi/Bi. + name Miss/Ms.

Mzee/Wazee Elder/Superior

Informal

Mpendwa Ndugu/Dada Dear Relative, Brother,

Comrade/Sister

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Mpenzi wangu to a beloved one

Mpenzi Baba/Mama to a parent

Mpenzi Ndugu + name to a relative or close friend

Closing formulas (followed by signature):

Formal

Wako Yours

Wako kwa dhati Yours sincerely/faithfully

Wako kwa heshima Yours respectfully

Wako mtiifu Yours obediently/faithfully

Informal

Mimi raﬁki yako Me your friend

Wako akupendaye Yours who loves you

Kaa/Ukae salama Stay peacefully

Wasalaam Greetings (used when closing a letter)

Useful vocabulary

karatasi paper

kalamu pen

wino ink

gharama ya posta postage

barua ya ndege airmail letter

kwa ndege airmail (lit. by aeroplane)

kwa meli surface mail (lit. by ship)

bahasha envelope

kifurushi parcel/packet

stempu postage stamp

anwani address

Sanduku la Posta (S.L.P.) P.O. Box

Exercise 2

The letter–answer pairs shown on the facing page are mixed up!

Can you ﬁnd out which belongs to which? The name of the recip-

ient has been purposely omitted.

Exercise 3

By looking again at the letters in Exercise 2 above, decide which

of the following sentences are kweli (true) and which are si kweli

(false):

216

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ambo? Natuma

wewe n

enzako waz

ma. N

o shamban

amo

a na Amos. Tunawatembele

azaz

wake. Pana

endeza sana

has

a V

ctor

a. Tunakula samak

na tunalala ma

ema. N

e habar

enz

sante sana kwa kun

ka kwen

sherehe

ako I

umaa

o. N

tafurah

sana kuwa

amo

a nawe s

ku h

Natuma

e mz

ma. Tutaonan

wa Mkuru

enz

Mwanan

u ana

twa Rash

d ata

gia

hule

a Sekondar

mwaka u

hule

ako

kana sana. Kw

o n

nataka ku

ua kama kutakuw

na nafas

kat

ka shule

ako

Wako mt

ata barua

ako leo. Tun

anafunz

wen

mwaka huu na

nafas

o n

. Hatu

akata

shaur

tutafan

a n

mwaka u

kwa h

nab

and

e tena

shon

a m

aka huu

Wako kwa dhat

d Muhammed

endwa raf

mefurah

sana ku

ata habar

zak

kutoka Bukoba. S

awah

kwend

saf

kwen

e Z

wa Malaw

na n

kal

enda sana. Ha

a Dar hakun

naendelea na masomo

u kama ka

da. Mama na bab

anakusal

o a

takuwa s

a kuzal

wa kwan

umaa

o tarehe 12 Desemba

efurah

sana kama un

ewez

kuf

ka kwetu kusherehekea

amo

nas

wakat

wa saa 12

Wako m

enz

Daud

1 Mwandishi wa barua ya pili alimshukuru raﬁki yake kwa kumwa-

lika.

2 Barua ya tatu ni barua ya mwaliko.

3 Mwandishi wa barua ya nne anataka kumpa mtu habari ya shule

ya sekondari.

4 Mwandishi wa barua ya tano anataka kujua kama kuna nafasi

katika shule.

5 Asha alimwambia raﬁki yake kwamba itakuwa sikukuu ya kuza-

liwa kwake.

6 Mwandishi wa barua ya sita alimwuliza mtu habari yake.

Dialogue 3

Victoria is about to apply for a job as an English teacher at a private

school. She is experiencing some difﬁculties in trying to submit her

application

1 How many computers are out of order?

2 The technician advises Victoria to make her application by alter-

native methods, what are these methods?

3 How must Victoria submit her application?

ICTORIA

:(Kwenye kituo cha mawasiliano) Hebu! Nina shida na

kompyuta hii, haifanyi kazi. Ninajaribu kumpelekea

Mkurugenzi wa shule ya binafsi barua umeme.

UNDI

: Si yako tu. Kuna shida na kompyuta zote hapa.

Umeme unakatika mara kwa mara na kutokana na

hayo, baadhi ya kompyuta hizo zimeharibika.

ICTORIA

: Nina haraka. Inabidi niwasiliane na Mkurugenzi huyo

wa shule leo.

UNDI

: Peleka faksi au piga simu.

ICTORIA

: Afadhali nipeleke faksi kwa sababu ombi langu lazima

liandikwe.

(Later)

UNDI

: Samahani bibi, kwa bahati mbaya mashine hii ya

kupelekea faksi pia haifanyi kazi leo. Inaonekana

kwamba imeharibika.

ICTORIA

: Sasa nifanye nini jamani?

UNDI

: Nenda mjini. Pale, karibu na Posta, utaona mahali

pengine ambapo utaweza kupeleka barua umeme.

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Vocabulary

kituo cha communication centre, internet cafe

mawasiliano

-pelekea send to, send for

mkurugenzi director (pl. wakurugenzi)

binafsi (adj.) personal(ly), private(ly) (shule ya binafsi,

private school)

barua (ya) umeme email (lit. message of electricity)

-haribika be damaged/ruined, be destroyed, be out of order

(cf. -haribu, damage. See Language structure)

haraka haste, hurry (Nina haraka, I’m in a hurry)

-peleka send, send off, transmit, take away

faksi fax

ombi request, petition, prayer (pl. maombi)

-andikwa be written (cf. -andika, write)

baadaye afterwards, later on (baadaye kidogo, a little later,

some time later on)

haifanyi kazi it (machine) doesn’t work, it is out of order

posta Post Ofﬁce

Language structure

The neutro-passive extension

This extension, which is sometimes also called stative extension,

has the shape of -Ik-, i.e. -ik- or -ek- according to the rules of

vowel harmony. It is similar to the passive in that the object of the

corresponding active becomes the subject. In contrast to the

passive, however, the ‘agent’ is not expressed:

Active Shida la umeme limeharibu kompyuta.

The electricity problem has damaged the

computers.

Passive Kompyuta zimeharibiwa na shida la umeme.

The computers have been damaged by the

electricity problem.

Neutro-passive Kompyuta zimeharibika.

The computers are out of order.

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