Learning Swahili

[Chimera]

I'm sorry, but Swahili sounds like baby babble. jambo bwana muzuri sana kkkkkkk, A language needs to be harsh and guttural.

[oba hiloowlow]

jambo mambo wewe nzari zauna mushkilani ma jiraani

[Coofle]

Safferz;934796 wrote:

You won't be able to learn from the internet alone -- you need to invest in a good English/Swahili dictionary, and one or two books (if you can find one that comes with an audio CD, even better) that will help you with learning grammar structure. Swahili does borrow heavily from Arabic in its vocabulary, but in its structure it's a Bantu language so it's important to find a book that will explain it well and teach you the patterns. Make sure you study daily and supplement it with listening/watching Swahili language television and radio, and also try your best to find native speakers to practice communicating with. You won't learn a language on your own, the most effective way has to be a combination of studying and putting what you've learned to work in conversation with native speakers.

 

Let me know when you're learning Amharic

Thank you inaar..That is my plan now.at the end of this year I will trolling in Swahili threads lolz

[Coofle]

Haatu;935002 wrote:

Let me he help out a bit:

 

mlango = door

kajika = spoon

mjani = teabag/teapowder

kibarwa = manual labour

malakote = a tribe

pole sana = sorry

Boolad (don't know the correct sp that's how we said it in Gsa) = kenyan equivalent of cent

Mkamba = another tribe

Samburu = another tribe

 

 

That's all the Kiswahili/Kenyan words I can remember now

I thought you were Big time Sujui...kkk

 

Thanks for the link wyre , it led to another great website

[Coofle]

Wadani;934876 wrote:

Excellent advice Safferz. This is essentially what I did when I was studying Arabic, except I didn't have Arab friends so practising with native speakers was not really an option.

You only know written arabic,,,once you go to Arab country you will have difficult time understanding the language...Alas! that is why what I read and what people say don't match also...I should stick with books and little sujuis...

[Safferz]

Coofle;935128 wrote:

You only know written arabic,,,once you go to Arab country you will have difficult time understanding the language...Alas! that is why what I read and what people say don't match also...I should stick with books and little sujuis...

Books have gotten a lot better though, many specifically go into colloquial speech and focus on communication, and for Arabic you can even find material to help you learn specific dialects. It's unfortunate that most African languages do not have as many good resources and books you can use, but Swahili is one of the more popular African languages so you should be fine. Depending on where you are, you may be able to find Swahili classes (or hire a tutor). Definitely try and find people to practice with, and once you've reached an advanced beginner/intermediate level and know the basics, it's a good time to travel and spend a few weeks/months somewhere you can immerse yourself completely in the language.

[Alpha Blondy]

horta, do y'all think learning a new language will give you insights into new cultures or make you that much more qualified?

 

ENGLISH!

[Wadani]

Coofle;935128 wrote:

You only know written arabic,,,once you go to Arab country you will have difficult time understanding the language...Alas! that is why what I read and what people say don't match also...I should stick with books and little sujuis...

Sadaqta! Wallaahi la astatiic an afhamu haadihii lahaajaat al-mukhtalifa, wa bacdahum yadxakuun xiina yasmacuunanii atakallam bil carabi. Yajibu calayi aan usaafira ilaa sharqal-awsat wa askunu hunaaka 1 sana calal caqal idaa uriid an ukuunu fluent.

 

Coofle, I havent studied arabic for years. At the level I am currently, how long do u think it will take me to become fluent?

[Coofle]

Wadani;935223 wrote:

Sadaqta! Wallaahi la astatiic an afhamu haadihii lahaajaat al-mukhtalifa, wa bacdahum yadxakuun xiina yasmacuunanii atakallam bil carabi. Yajibu calayi aan usaafira ilaa sharqal-awsat wa askunu hunaaka 1 sana calal caqal idaa uriid an ukuunu fluent.

 

Coofle, I havent studied arabic for years. At the level I am currently, how long do u think it will take me to become fluent?

Waad iga qoslisay Allaha kaa qosliyee

....see that is what I mean...I feel it very weird to hear someone speaking textbook Arabic.

For example The sentence "What do you want ?" is said in many different ways..

Standard Arabic = Maadaa Turiid?

Egypt = Inta caawiz ee?

Gulf countries = Eesh tabi? Eesh Tabqa?

Yemen = Eesh Tishti?

Jordan/Lebanon/Syria = Shuu biddak?

[Malika]

Coofle, so dhoow shemeji! [seedhi] am assuming this desire to learn Kiswahili is for erm , that special person..lol

 

Haye ; let me help you with your initial questions.

 

What would you like to drink? - Utapenda kinywaji gani?

Do you mind if I speak Somali? - Unajali niki ongea Kisomali?

Lets go and eat - Twende tukale

Somali is a beautiful language - Kisomali ni lugha nzuri.

 

 

Check this website :

 

http://www.swahilihub.com/JifunzeKiswahili/-/1306806/1306806/-/jdrc8lz/-/index.html

 

http://www.wavuti.com/4/post/2009/11/jifunze-kiswahili-learn-swahili.html#axzz2PixxnBL5

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Hadduu Afcarabiga awoodo in uu maxkamad la koro, oo uu dacwo kusoo oogo, afkaan baas Sawaaxiliga la yiraahdo la kori lahaa. Afkii Carbeed ayuu hilfaha u laabay, borrowing it heavily, mispronouncing it highly.

 

Qatartii 'hatari' loogu dhawaaqaa. Aqbaartii waa 'habari.' Kitaabkii waa 'vitabu/kitabu.' Farxadii waa 'furahi.' Xoriyadii waa 'huru' ama 'uhuru.' Daqiiqadii waa 'dakika,' so is waqtigii oo ah 'wakati.' Qarnigii waa 'karne.' Rubicii waa 'robo.' Shuqulkii waa 'shughuli.'

 

Don't even start with any government-related words or number-related words or days of the week.

 

Afka Soomaaliga at least keeps or tries to keep the original pronunciation of the borrowed Carabi words.

[Coofle]

Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar;935558 wrote:

Hadduu Afcarabiga awoodo in uu maxkamad la koro, oo uu dacwo kusoo oogo, afkaan baas Sawaaxiliga la yiraahdo la kori lahaa. Afkii Carbeed ayuu hilfaha u laabay, borrowing it heavily, mispronouncing it highly.

 

Qatartii 'hatari' loogu dhawaaqaa. Aqbaartii waa 'habari.' Kitaabkii waa 'vitabu/kitabu.' Farxadii waa 'furahi.' Xoriyadii waa 'huru' ama 'uhuru.' Daqiiqadii waa 'dakika,' so is waqtigii oo ah 'wakati.' Qarnigii waa 'karne.' Rubicii waa 'robo.' Shuqulkii waa 'shughuli.'

 

Don't even start with any government-related words or number-related words or days of the week.

 

Afka Soomaaliga at least keeps or tries to keep the original pronunciation of the borrowed Carabi words.

Even the name of the language Sawaahili comes from arabic word Saaxil - Saawaaxiliyiin

[Coofle]

Malika;935253 wrote:

Coofle, so dhoow shemeji! [seedhi] am assuming this desire to learn Kiswahili is for erm , that special person..lol

 

Haye ; let me help you with your initial questions.

 

What would you like to drink? - Utapenda kinywaji gani?

Do you mind if I speak Somali? - Unajali niki ongea Kisomali?

Lets go and eat - Twende tukale

Somali is a beautiful language - Kisomali ni lugha nzuri.

 

 

Check this website :

 

http://www.swahilihub.com/JifunzeKiswahili/-/1306806/1306806/-/jdrc8lz/-/index.html

 

http://www.wavuti.com/4/post/2009/11/jifunze-kiswahili-learn-swahili.html#axzz2PixxnBL5

I have spotted an important word shemeji..very needed..lolz

 

Thanks for the links...Waxaan ku leeyahay next year I would not say ... habana Kiswahili or Siweza kusema kiswahili (I use it a lot those days) loolz

[NGONGE]

^^ Learning languages is all about interest. If you're interested, you will learn. If you're not, you'll be like the thousands of Somalis living in western countries and still not being able to speak. Sounds like you're interested.

 

p.s.

Have a couple of babies and learn the language with them as their mother goes native.

[Malika]

^Lol,

 

Coofle - If you can spend sometime in a Swahili spoken country/city/town - you will pick it up in no time. Language is learned best when you hear it being modelled by those fluent in it. I wouldn't suggest Kenya - Nairobi, Kiswahili isnt fasiih swahili, waa colloquial mostly..