Swahili for Smarties...because none of you are dumb!

“Swahili is a very simple language.  Very simple…”

I heard this often during those first weeks in Tanzania.  I know it was meant to assure and encourage me, but it also was a teeny bit annoying.  Because, if people hadn’t noticed, I was not yet a master of this “very simple language,” so what the heck? 

I studied linguistics in college, and I was initially thrilled by the chance to test my skills.  I went through all the predictable stages of language acquisition: excitement and rapid growth, plateau-ing, frustration, renewed drive, rinse and repeat.  There were many rewards beyond my own personal satisfaction: better deals at the market, lovely conversations with native speakers, and an avenue for showing great respect for a culture and people I love.  Also, playing dumb in tourist spots and then coming back with a snappy response was quite fun, too, I must admit.

At any rate, I always meant to include a Swahili lesson on the blog.  If I were following the Craig McKim Theory of International Relations, I would teach you the only three phrases he claims are necessary to learn in any language:

1. I’ll have a cheeseburger with fries.  “Nataka burger moja na chipsi.  Asante.”
2. Where’s the bathroom?  “Choo iko wapi?”
3. Same to you.  “Na wewe piya.”

Instead, I’ll share with you a basic equation for making hundreds of phrases. 

Simple Swahili phrases come in this order: Subject + Tense marker + Verb.

The typical subjects you will use are:

I                       “Ni”

You (sing.)      “U”

He/She            “A”

We                  “Tu”

You (pl.)*         “M”

They                “Wa”

*Stephanie calls this “y’all.”

There are three basic tense markers:

Present Tense: “na”

Past Tense: “li”

Future Tense: “ta”

There are other tenses, such as recent past, and different subjects to denote negation, but let’s just stick with those for now.  Some common verbs I used in the beginning were TO GO (-enda), TO EAT (-kula), and TO RUN (-kimbia).

To say, “I am going,” (present tense, verb=to go) you would write NI + NA + ENDA… “ninaenda.”

To write, “he ate,” (past tense, verb=to eat), you use A + LI + KULA… “alikula.”

Here’s one to try on your own:  “We will go.” 

You will put together the components…

_______(Subject “We”) + ___________ (Future Tense Marker) + ________ (“to go”) = _______________.

Here’s a two more for practice…

“They are eating.”

“Y’all are going.”

Once you master the subjects and tense markers, you can substitute these components in this simple equation say whatever you like as you learn new verbs.  And there you have it!

The best way to learn a language is just to practice. And yes, you will make mistakes.  You might horrify a kitchen full of women by (ACCIDENTALLY) saying a highly inappropriate phrase.  But if you keep pressing forward, you’ll develop a rich vocabulary with which to engage the world.