Hotel

1. Mna nafasi ya chumba?

   Mna na-fa-si ya chum-ba?

   Do you have a room available?

   Usage

   Basic phrase for checking in at a hotel or guesthouse

   Grammar Note

   "Chumba" (room) is class 7 (ki-/vi-). "Nafasi" (vacancy) comes from Arabic "nafas" (breath/space). Asking the other party takes the 2nd person plural Mna ("do you have").

2. Nataka chumba chenye bafu

   Na-ta-ka chum-ba che-nye ba-fu

   I want a room with a bathroom

   Usage

   Specifying room amenities. "Chenye" creates a relative clause meaning "which has"

   Grammar Note

   "Chenye" combines the ki- class connective "cha" with "-nye" (having). It changes to match the noun class: "wenye" for w-class, "lenye" for l-class. Demonstrates Bantu agreement morphology.

3. Bei ya usiku mmoja ni ngapi?

   Bei ya u-si-ku mmo-ja ni nga-pi?

   How much is it per night?

   Usage

   Checking the nightly rate before checking in

   Grammar Note

   "Mmoja" is the m- agreement form of "moja" (one). "Usiku" (night) is in the u- noun class (class 14). Swahili number words sometimes change to match noun classes (e.g., moja/mmoja/kimoja).

4. Ninahitaji taulo na sabuni

   Ni-na-hi-ta-ji tau-lo na sa-bu-ni

   I need a towel and soap

   Usage

   Requesting hotel amenities

   Grammar Note

   "Hitaji" (to need) derives from Arabic "hajah" (need). "Sabuni" (soap) also comes from Arabic "sabun." Hotel vocabulary in Swahili shows its mixed Arabic and English borrowings.

5. Ninaweza kutoka saa ngapi?

   Ni-na-we-za ku-to-ka saa nga-pi?

   What time can I check out?

   Usage

   Checking the check-out time

   Grammar Note

   "Weza" expresses ability, equivalent to "can." Note: Swahili time starts from sunrise (6am = "saa moja"). Add 6 to convert: "saa nne" (4 o'clock in Swahili time) = 10am standard time.

6. Chumba hakina umeme

   Chum-ba ha-ki-na u-me-me

   The room has no electricity

   Usage

   Reporting a room problem. Replace with "maji" (water) or other amenities

   Grammar Note

   "Hakina" is the ki- class form of the negative existential "hana" (does not have). "Umeme" (electricity) is in the u- class (class 14). These negative existentials vary by noun class in Bantu languages.

7. Naweza kupata ufunguo wa ziada?

   Na-we-za ku-pa-ta u-fun-guo wa zi-a-da?

   Can I get a spare key?

   Usage

   Requesting an extra key at the front desk

   Grammar Note

   "Ufunguo" (key) is derived from the verb root "-fungu-" (to unlock) with the instrument suffix "-o," all in the u- class (plural "funguo"). A clear example of Bantu derivational morphology.

8. Tafadhali safisha chumba changu

   Ta-fa-dha-li sa-fi-sha chum-ba chan-gu

   Please clean my room

   Usage

   Requesting housekeeping. "Safi" is an adjective (clean), not a verb; "to clean" is the causative -safisha

   Grammar Note

   "Changu" is the 1st person possessive for class-7 nouns, agreeing with "chumba". An m-class noun would take "wangu", an n-class noun "yangu". Safi is an adjective and has no imperative; the causative -sha gives safisha, "clean it".

9. Bwalo la chakula liko wapi?

   Bwa-lo la cha-ku-la li-ko wa-pi?

   Where is the dining room?

   Usage

   Asking for a location within the hotel. "Bwalo" means a large hall or common area

   Grammar Note

   "Bwalo" is class 5 (ji-/ma-), so the connective is "la" and the locative copula is the matching liko. Swahili puts wapi at the end — "X iko/liko wapi?" — which is what every other card in this data set does (Hospitali iko wapi?, Posta iko wapi?).

10. Ninataka kuongeza siku moja

    Ni-na-ta-ka ku-on-ge-za si-ku mo-ja

    I would like to extend my stay by one day

    Usage

    Used when you want to extend your check-out date

    Grammar Note

    "Siku" (day) is an n-class noun. "Siku moja" (one day), "siku mbili" (two days). Swahili has a rich time vocabulary: "kesho" (tomorrow), "jana" (yesterday), "juzi" (day before yesterday).

11. Taulo

    Towel

    Usage

    Point to this to ask for a towel in your room

    Grammar Note

    A class 9/10 loan from English, unchanged in the plural.

12. Mto

    Pillow

    Usage

    Ask for an extra pillow with this. Careful: the identical word "mto" also means a river, so keep it to the room context

    Grammar Note

    A class 3 (m-) noun; the plural is "mito". A pillowcase is "foronya".

13. Blanketi

    Blanket

    Usage

    Ask for a blanket on a cold night; highland towns get chilly after dark

    Grammar Note

    A class 9/10 loan from English, unchanged in the plural; also spelled "bulangeti".

14. Sabuni

    Soap

    Usage

    Ask for soap; washing powder is the same word, distinguished as "sabuni ya kufulia" (for laundry)

    Grammar Note

    A class 9/10 noun, unchanged in the plural.

15. Shampuu

    Shampoo

    Usage

    Ask for shampoo; mid-range and cheaper guesthouses often do not provide it

    Grammar Note

    A class 9/10 loan from English, unchanged in the plural.

16. Mswaki

    Toothbrush

    Usage

    The word for a toothbrush; it originally meant the chewing stick still sold today, so check what you are handed. Toothpaste is "dawa ya meno"

    Grammar Note

    A class 3 (m-) noun; the plural is "miswaki".

17. Karatasi ya choo

    Toilet paper

    Usage

    Ask for toilet paper; budget rooms and public toilets often have none, so carry your own

    Grammar Note

    "Karatasi" is a class 9/10 noun for paper; the phrase means "paper of the toilet".

18. Kikausha nywele

    Hair dryer

    Usage

    Ask to borrow one at reception; the English "hair dryer" is equally well understood

    Grammar Note

    A class 7 noun built from "kausha" (to dry) and "nywele" (hair); the plural is "vikausha nywele".

19. Hanga la nguo

    Clothes hanger

    Usage

    Ask for a hanger with this; the English word "hanger" is also understood as is

    Grammar Note

    "Hanga" is a loan from English "hanger"; "nguo" is the class 9/10 noun for clothes.

20. Chumba chenye utulivu

    A quiet room

    Usage

    Ask for this at check-in to avoid a room over the road or next to the bar

    Grammar Note

    "Chenye" is the class 7 form of "having"; "chumba" is class 7, so it takes "chenye" — a class 9 noun would take "yenye".

21. Kuna kelele nyingi

    It is too noisy

    Usage

    To complain about noise and ask to be moved

    Grammar Note

    "Kuna" means "there is"; "kelele" is a class 9/10 noun for noise and "nyingi" is the matching form of "many".

Browse all TravelPhrases languages