Time & Dates

1. Ni saa ngapi sasa?

   What time is it?

   Usage

   Asking for the time

   Grammar Note

   Swahili time counts from sunrise (6 AM = hour 1)

2. Leo ni siku gani ya juma?

   What day of the week is it?

   Usage

   Checking the day of the week

   Grammar Note

   Days: Jumatatu(Mon), Jumanne(Tue), Jumatano(Wed), Alhamisi(Thu), Ijumaa(Fri), Jumamosi(Sat), Jumapili(Sun)

3. Leo / Kesho / Jana

   Today / Tomorrow / Yesterday

   Usage

   Basic time reference words

   Grammar Note

   These are standalone time adverbs

4. Wiki hii / Wiki ijayo / Wiki iliyopita

   This week / Next week / Last week

   Usage

   Referring to this, next, or last week

   Grammar Note

   "iliyopita" = relative past "that has passed"

5. Asubuhi / Mchana / Jioni / Usiku

   Morning / Afternoon / Evening / Night

   Usage

   Time-of-day expressions

   Grammar Note

   Use "wakati wa" + time of day for "during"

6. Leo ni tarehe ngapi?

   What is today's date?

   Usage

   Asking today's date

   Grammar Note

   "tarehe" is borrowed from Arabic

7. Inafungua / Inafunga saa ngapi?

   At what time does it open / close?

   Usage

   Asking opening and closing time

   Grammar Note

   "Ina-" = 3sg present tense prefix

8. Itachukua muda gani kufika hapo?

   How long will it take to get there?

   Usage

   Asking travel time

   Grammar Note

   "muda" = "time/period"

9. Tukutane saa tisa mchana.

   Let's meet at 3 pm.

   Usage

   Proposing a meeting time

   Grammar Note

   Swahili "saa tisa" = 3 pm (9th hour from dawn)

10. Ni saa nane na nusu / saa kumi na moja kasoro robo.

    It's half past two / quarter to five.

    Usage

    Expressing specific times

    Grammar Note

    Swahili time runs 6 hours off international time (2:00 = saa nane, 4:00 = saa kumi). "na nusu" = half past, "kasoro robo" = quarter to. When using international time, add asubuhi (morning) etc. to be sure.

11. Je, inafungua wikendi?

    Is it open on weekends?

    Usage

    Checking weekend opening hours

    Grammar Note

    "Je," marks a yes/no question

12. Tuko katika ukanda gani wa saa?

    What time zone are we in?

    Usage

    Asking about time zone

    Grammar Note

    "gani" = "which/what"

13. Ni mapema sana / imechelewa sana.

    It's too early / too late.

    Usage

    Expressing time is too early or late

    Grammar Note

    "sana" intensifies ("very / too"). Lateness in time uses the verb -chelewa. Note that marehemu means "the deceased", so it is not used for "late".

14. Inaanza / Inaisha saa ngapi?

    When does it start / end?

    Usage

    Asking start and end times

    Grammar Note

    Both can express future tense in context

15. Ni siku ngapi / masaa mangapi hadi…?

    How many days / hours until…?

    Usage

    Asking time remaining until an event

    Grammar Note

    "hadi" = "until"

16. Kuanzia Jumatatu hadi Ijumaa.

    From Monday to Friday.

    Usage

    Stating weekday range

    Grammar Note

    "Kuanzia ... hadi" = "from ... to"

17. Ni mwezi gani sasa?

    What month is it?

    Usage

    Asking which month it is

    Grammar Note

    "mwezi" means both "month" and "moon"

18. Siku moja

    One day

    Usage

    Basic vocabulary for stating a duration.

19. Nusu siku

    Half a day

    Usage

    Use to indicate a half-day duration.

20. Wiki moja

    One week

    Usage

    Use to state a one-week duration, e.g. length of stay.

21. Mwezi mmoja

    One month

    Usage

    Use to state a one-month duration.

22. Mwaka mmoja

    One year

    Usage

    Use to state a one-year duration.

23. Jumatatu

    Monday

    Usage

    Use to point to or state the day Monday.

24. Jumanne

    Tuesday

    Usage

    Use to point to or state the day Tuesday.

25. Jumatano

    Wednesday

    Usage

    Use to point to or state the day Wednesday.

26. Alhamisi

    Thursday

    Usage

    Use to point to or state the day Thursday.

27. Ijumaa

    Friday

    Usage

    Use to point to or state the day Friday.

28. Jumamosi

    Saturday

    Usage

    Use to point to or state the day Saturday.

29. Jumapili

    Sunday

    Usage

    Use to point to or state the day Sunday.

30. Leo

    Today

    Usage

    Use to point to or state today.

31. Kesho

    Tomorrow

    Usage

    Use to point to or state tomorrow.

32. Jana

    Yesterday

    Usage

    Use to point to or state yesterday.

33. Kesho kutwa

    The day after tomorrow

    Usage

    Use to point to or state the day after tomorrow.

34. Juzi

    The day before yesterday

    Usage

    Use to point to or state the day before yesterday.

35. Sasa

    Now

    Usage

    Use to point to or state the present moment.

36. Baadaye

    Later

    Usage

    Use to point to or state a later time.

37. Saa moja

    One hour

    Usage

    Use to state a duration of one hour.

38. Masaa mawili

    Two hours

    Usage

    Use to state a duration of two hours.

39. Dakika thelathini

    Thirty minutes

    Usage

    Use to state a duration of thirty minutes.

40. Asubuhi

    Morning

    Usage

    Use to point to or state the morning.

41. Adhuhuri

    Midday

    Usage

    Use to point to or state midday.

42. Jioni

    Evening

    Usage

    Use to point to or state the evening.

43. Usiku

    Night

    Usage

    Use to point to or state the night.

44. Usiku wa manane

    Late night

    Usage

    Use to point to or state late at night.

45. Kila siku

    Every day

    Usage

    Use to state that something happens every day.

46. Kila wiki

    Every week

    Usage

    Use to state that something happens every week.

47. Kila mwezi

    Every month

    Usage

    Use to state that something happens every month.

48. Wiki hii

    This week

    Usage

    Use to point to or state this week.

49. Wiki ijayo

    Next week

    Usage

    Use to point to or state next week.

50. Wiki iliyopita

    Last week

    Usage

    Use to point to or state last week.

51. Wikendi

    Weekend

    Usage

    Use to point to or state the weekend.

52. Januari

    January

    Usage

    Use to point to or state the month. In Tanzania people very often count months instead — "mwezi wa kwanza" (the first month) — while Kenya sticks more to the Latin-derived names

53. Februari

    February

    Usage

    Use to point to or state the month; the counting form is "mwezi wa pili"

54. Machi

    March

    Usage

    Use to point to or state the month; the counting form is "mwezi wa tatu"

55. Aprili

    April

    Usage

    Use to point to or state the month; the counting form is "mwezi wa nne"

56. Mei

    May

    Usage

    Use to point to or state the month; the counting form is "mwezi wa tano"

57. Juni

    June

    Usage

    Use to point to or state the month; the counting form is "mwezi wa sita"

58. Julai

    July

    Usage

    Use to point to or state the month; the counting form is "mwezi wa saba"

59. Agosti

    August

    Usage

    Use to point to or state the month; the counting form is "mwezi wa nane"

60. Septemba

    September

    Usage

    Use to point to or state the month; the counting form is "mwezi wa tisa"

61. Oktoba

    October

    Usage

    Use to point to or state the month; the counting form is "mwezi wa kumi"

62. Novemba

    November

    Usage

    Use to point to or state the month; the counting form is "mwezi wa kumi na moja"

63. Desemba

    December

    Usage

    Use to point to or state the month; the counting form is "mwezi wa kumi na mbili"

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