Is the Swahili Language Laborious to Be taught? 6 Frequent Challenges and The best way to Overcome Them

There are such a lot of greetings within the Swahili language, and it may be very difficult to be taught all of them. In truth, you should still come throughout a brand new greeting after dwelling in a Swahili-speaking space for years!

One other essential truth to know is that not like in English, if somebody says “hey” to you, you’ll be able to’t simply say “hey” again.

In Swahili, typically you will have one set name and response pair (akin to hujambo and sijambo), or a number of choices for a response (mambo and the listener’s selection of poa, safi, salama, and extra). As well as, jambo, the phrase mostly taught to imply “hey,” isn’t really used as a lot as you suppose. Utilizing it could even make you appear to be a vacationer.

So what must you say as a substitute?

If you’re greeting somebody casually, mambo goes a great distance. It was by far the commonest method to greet individuals in a well-known manner that I encountered in Tanzania. Once I first arrived and was nonetheless an absolute newbie, I made positive I had two potential responses able to mambo – safi and poa, for instance.

Why two? As a result of a dialog may go like this:

Me: Mambo!
Listener: Poa. Mambo?
Me: Safi.

Though it’s pure to repeat the identical greeting, it feels considerably awkward to repeat the identical response.

If you’re greeting an elder or a boss, keep on with shikamoo to point out respect. They are going to all the time reply with marahaba. Simple!

If you’re uncertain how casually or respectfully to greet somebody, you’ll be able to keep on with habari, which is kind of impartial. Like mambo, if somebody says habari to you, you’ll be able to normally use the identical responses as mambo.

For extra assist, make sure you try our in-depth information to Swahili greetings so you’ll be able to have one thing to say in any scenario.

Swahili doesn’t have noun genders, but it surely has one thing known as “noun courses” or “phrase courses.”

That is normally probably the most tough side of the Swahili language for non-native audio system. Relying on the way you rely them, linguists say there may be as few as six or as many as eighteen!

However don’t you are worried, I’ve your again.

First, what are noun courses? They’re totally different classes of nouns (akin to dwelling beings, pure objects, and so forth.) which are normally marked with a sure prefix. The core classes for learners to first be taught are as follows with their singular and plural types:

• M/Wa: For individuals and animals (ex. mtu “individual” and watu “individuals”)
• M/Mi: For pure objects and physique elements (ex. mti “tree” and miti “bushes”)
• Ki/Vi: For languages, instruments, and man-made objects (ex. kisu “knife” and visu “knives”)
• Ji/Ma: For fruits, pure objects, uncountable nouns (with no singular type), and different miscellaneous nouns (ex. jiwe “rock” and mawe “rocks” / chungwa “orange” and machungwa “oranges”)
• N: For loanwords from different languages and miscellaneous nouns (ex. simu “cellphone” / ndege “hen” or “airplane”)
• U: For uncountable nouns (with no plural type), summary concepts, nation names, and miscellaneous nouns (ex. unga “flour” / ubaya “badness”)

As you’ll be able to see, some classes are centered, and a few are fairly broad. A whole lot of phrases additionally don’t match properly into these class sorts. You’ll choose them up as you be taught extra vocabulary!

In Swahili, adjectives and verbs should match the noun class. For instance, a M/Wa noun has the corresponding verb prefix a- (singular) or wa- (plural). The corresponding adjective prefixes are easy: m- and wa-. Due to this fact, to say “A pleasant individual reads,” you’ll say:

Mtu mzuri anasoma.
(Individual + good + reads.)

Nonetheless, to say “Good individuals learn,” you’ll say:

Watu wazuri wanasoma. 
(Individuals + good + learn.)

Much like European genders, studying Swahili noun courses requires some persistence. I like to recommend you first discover a good textbook or instructor to information you thru them progressively.

You need to perceive the overall classes and ensure to memorize the category everytime you be taught a brand new noun, however don’t attempt to grasp them ! It takes time, however since they’re integral to Swahili sentences, you’ll determine them out with follow.

Right here’s one excellent news for you: studying Swahili noun courses may also help you differentiate between comparable phrases. Not solely that, however they’ll additionally provide help to perceive the etymology of phrases and construct your vocabulary simply!

How about a number of examples?

• “Individual” is mtu, however to make the inanimate phrase “factor,” you simply change the noun class prefix to kitu.
• You’ll be able to see above chungwa is “orange,” so add the pure prefix m to it to get the tree: mchungwa.
• “Meat” is the N class noun “nyama,” and to say “animal,” simply add the dwelling being prefix m to make mnyama.
• “England” is Uingereza (U class), and the English language is Kiingereza (Ki/Vi class).

See how all these phrases are associated!

Typically, it takes slightly little bit of creativity to see the connection.

For instance, upepo (U class) is “wind,” and pepo / mapepo (Ji/Ma class) is “demon” / “demons.” They won’t appear intuitively linked at first, however keep in mind the native religions in East Africa have been usually animistic and believed in spirits within the pure world.

Perhaps it was a demon that brought about the wind!

Knowledgeable notice: There are different similar-sounding phrases unrelated to phrase class that you will want to watch out to be taught correctly. Two units of verbs that I all the time thought by way of earlier than I spoke have been kuelewa (“to know”) and kulewa (“to be drunk”), in addition to kunywa (“to drink”) and kunya (“to poop”).

However… Mixing these up as a newbie is ok! It can even make for humorous tales to inform your pals. Once more, follow makes good.

Right here’s a fairly good downside to have: When native Swahili audio system know that you’re studying their language, they are going to be very excited to talk to you in Swahili! From my expertise, even when the individual I’m speaking to speaks fluent English, they’ll bounce on the likelihood to let me follow my Swahili.

That is a tremendous alternative to follow as a lot as you’ll be able to!

Feeling intimidated? Oftentimes I discovered that the individuals I used to be conversing with spoke manner too rapidly and sometimes used vocabulary and grammar far past what I had discovered. So what must you do?

First, don’t be afraid to let the opposite know that you simply’d like them to talk extra slowly. You’ll be able to inform them, Ongea pole pole, tafadhali (“Communicate slowly, please”). Or you’ll be able to ask them to repeat: Sema tena, tafadhali (“Say it once more, please”).

Don’t know a phrase? You’ll be able to say, Neno hilo linamaana gani? (“What does that phrase imply?”). If nothing else, inform them that you simply don’t perceive: Sielewi.

In fact, your listening will get higher with follow. You will discover a great language accomplice or language tutor that can assist you enhance.

One other of my favourite strategies is listening to podcasts, which you are able to do by yourself schedule.

In nearly any language you be taught, you’ll come throughout totally different dialects. Swahili is not any exception.

Since Swahili is a lingua franca of East Africa, it’s spoken in lots of international locations. It’s an official language and broadly spoken in Tanzania and Kenya, and it’s also an official language in Uganda and Rwanda. It’s a acknowledged minority language in Burundi, Mozambique, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The language can change considerably throughout nations and even throughout the similar nation. For instance, a minibus in Tanzania known as a daladala, however the identical factor known as a matatu in Kenya.

However take into consideration how American English and British English don’t all the time agree on phrases: “residence” and “flat” are broadly totally different, however you’ve learnt that they’re each the identical factor, haven’t you? The identical will occur with Swahili.

Moreover, Swahili spoken in Tanzania and alongside the Kenyan coasts is regarded as probably the most unique type of Swahili. Some Swahili audio system will characterize it as “pure,” whereas others will see it as “textbookish.”

Lastly, the very last thing to be careful for in your Swahili language studying journey is outdated instructing strategies and supplies.

Some Swahili textbooks nonetheless in circulation have been written fairly way back. They will use outdated language or introduce vocabulary that isn’t related to trendy life. Some Swahili lecturers even discovered to show from these sources.

Right here is an instance of what I imply. Once I arrived in Tanzania with nearly no Swahili, I joined a newbie group tutoring session. For many of it, we needed to translate sentences between Swahili and English. Beneath is an instance of a textbook train on which my tutor was basing her classes:

The e-book was introducing basic grammar (the current tense), however the bulk of the sentences it was asking me to translate weren’t essential to my day by day life or regular conversations. The one ones I discovered instantly related to me have been the final two partly one!

I used to be additionally confused by the outdated English – would I be sounding like a Victorian too if I used the Swahili it taught me?

To proceed, primarily based on the workout routines, the tutor made a listing of recent vocabulary:

Granted, I appreciated the tutor doing her greatest to assist me get by way of the workout routines, and a few of these phrases have been fairly helpful. Chandarua (“mosquito web”) was a vital merchandise to have, and at evening, I usually went to have a look at the nyota (“stars”). Nonetheless, as far inland as I used to be, there was no motive for me to speak a few ship’s “mast” – or “cannons,” for that matter.

I additionally later discovered that a few of these phrases have been a bit formal and never used as usually as colloquial counterparts – and this was for each Swahili and English. I didn’t examine hotuba at first as a result of I don’t usually speak about “sermons,” but it surely grew to become an essential phrase once I later discovered it additionally means “speech”!

The Swahili language has some tough facets, however after all, there might be tough facets in any language you be taught.

Fortunately, when you get previous these challenges, the remainder of the language is kind of straightforward!

So go forward – learn, write, communicate, and hearken to Swahili, and also you’ll grasp even probably the most tough elements of it very quickly.