Shopping

1. Bei gani?

   Bei ga-ni?

   What is the price?

   Usage

   The most basic phrase for asking a price. Used widely in East African markets

   Grammar Note

   "Bei" (price) is an Arabic loanword from "bay'" (trade). "Gani" (what kind) is a question word typically placed after the noun in Swahili.

2. Punguza bei kidogo

   Pun-gu-za bei ki-do-go

   Please lower the price a little

   Usage

   Basic bargaining phrase. Price negotiation is standard practice in East African markets

   Grammar Note

   "Punguza" is the causative form of "pungua" (to decrease). Swahili verbs have rich derivations: causative (-z-/-sh-), passive (-w-), reciprocal (-an-), reversive (-u-). A hallmark of Bantu morphology.

3. Ghali mno

   Gha-li mno

   Too expensive

   Usage

   Response when something is too expensive. Used as a starting point for negotiation

   Grammar Note

   "Ghali" (expensive) is an Arabic loanword from "ghali." "Mno" is an intensifier meaning "excessively." Swahili adjectives can take class agreement prefixes when used attributively.

4. Nataka hii

   Na-ta-ka hii

   I want this

   Usage

   Basic phrase for pointing to and selecting an item

   Grammar Note

   "Hii" is the class 9 (n-) demonstrative for "this." It changes by noun class: "huyu" (m-/wa-), "hiki" (ki-), "hili" (ji-). All demonstratives in Swahili agree with the noun's class.

5. Je, mnauza bidhaa za mikono?

   Je, mna-u-za bi-dha-a za mi-ko-no?

   Do you sell handcrafts?

   Usage

   Useful in souvenir or craft markets. Kenya and Tanzania are known for woodcarvings and kanga cloth

   Grammar Note

   "Je" is a polite question marker placed at the start of a sentence. "Bidhaa za mikono" means handcrafted goods. "Bidhaa" is class 9/10 (same form in the plural), hence "za"; "mikono" is the plural of "mkono" (hand).

6. Una saizi yangu?

   U-na sai-zi yan-gu?

   Do you have my size?

   Usage

   When buying clothes. State your size by adding the size number after "saizi"

   Grammar Note

   "Yangu" is the 1st person possessive for the n-class. "Saizi" (size) is borrowed from English and falls in the n-class. N-class possessives: yangu (my), yako (your), yake (his/her).

7. Naweza kulipa kwa kadi?

   Na-we-za ku-li-pa kwa ka-di?

   Can I pay by card?

   Usage

   Checking payment options. "M-Pesa" is Kenya's popular mobile payment system

   Grammar Note

   "Kulipa" is the infinitive "to pay". "Kadi" is borrowed from English "card." Modern tech vocabulary in Swahili is largely borrowed from English, e.g. "intaneti" (internet).

8. Ninatazama tu

   Ni-na-ta-za-ma tu

   I am just looking

   Usage

   Said to persistent vendors when you're browsing without buying

   Grammar Note

   "Ninatazama" = ni- (I) + -na- (present) + tazama (look). "Tu" (only/just) is an adverb placed after the verb to mean "just looking".

9. Kanga hii ni ya kitambaa gani?

   Kan-ga hii ni ya ki-tam-baa ga-ni?

   What fabric is this kanga made of?

   Usage

   Kanga is colorful East African cloth, often printed with Swahili proverbs

   Grammar Note

   "Kitambaa" (fabric) is a ki-/vi- class noun derived from "tambaa" (to spread/crawl). "Kanga" originally meant guinea fowl — the cloth was named for its spotted pattern resembling the bird's feathers.

10. Tafadhali weka kwenye mfuko

    Ta-fa-dha-li we-ka kwe-nye mfu-ko

    Please put it in a bag

    Usage

    Requesting a bag for your purchase. Note: plastic bags are banned in Kenya since 2017

    Grammar Note

    "Mfuko" (bag) is class 3/4, plural "mifuko". Nipakue is a form of -pakua ("to unload, to dish out food, to download") and does not mean putting something into a bag. "To put in" is -weka; kwenye is the preposition "into / at".

11. Sitaki risiti

    Si-ta-ki ri-si-ti

    I don't need a receipt

    Usage

    Declining a receipt at the till

    Grammar Note

    Swahili negates by swapping in the negative subject prefix (si- for 1sg) and changing the final -a to -i: -taka becomes sitaki. The form does not vary with the object noun class, so "risiti" (N class) simply follows.

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