Category Archives: Igloos

Swahili is the second widely spoken language in Africa after Arabic with more than 150 million speakers. In East Africa, it is considered as the language of the community. Learning Swahili Uganda will not confine you in Uganda but also help you to communicate freely in various countries. For example Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Mali and Democratic Republic of Congo where the language is commonly used.. We are here therefore to help you not only fit in East Africa, but Africa as a whole.

Objectives.

By the end of this lesson, the learner will be able to;

• Greet in Swahili language.


• Introduce themselves in Swahili language.


• Carry out simple conversation.


• Tell the present tense, past tense, continuous tense and future tense.


• Construct sentences using tenses.


• Count in Swahili from 1- 100.

The target audience.

• Those seeking to learn Swahili.


• Those living in East Africa and Africa as a continent.


• The business community.


• The musicians who would wish to sell their music across Africa.


• Those visiting East Africa and Africa in general

INTRODUCTION.

Greetings                                                                                    Responses

Habari (How are you?)	Mzuri (fine)
Habari ya asubuhi? (Good morning?)	Mzuri (fine)
Habari ya mchana (Good afternoon?)	Mzuri (fine)
Habari ya jioni (Good evening?)	Mzuri (fine)
Jambo (This is a general greeting.)	Mzuri (fine)
Jambo (This is a general greeting.)	Jambo
Hamjambo (when greeting more than one.)	Hatujambo.

 

 

 

 

2. Common Conversations in Swahili.

Questions/ Conversations                                                  Responses

Unaitwa nani (what are your names?)	Naitwa Aisha (I am called Aisha
Unaishi wapi? (Where do you live?	Naishi Kampala (I live in Kampala)
Unafanya kazi gani (what is your occupation?)	Mimi ni daktari (Am a doctor).
Uko na miaka ngapi? / una umri gani (how old are you?)	Niko na miaka thelathini (am thirty years old)

 

 

 

3. HALI TENSES

(i) Hali iliopo                                                             Present tense

Hali hii huwakilishwa na “na”	This tense is presented with “na “
Mfano	Example
Ninaimba	Am singing
Tunaimba	We are singing
Anakula	She or he is eating
Wanakula	They are eating

 

 

(ii) Hali ya mazoea                                                                          Continuous tense.

Hali hii huwakiliswa na “hu”	This tense is represented with “hu”
Mfano	Example
Yeye huimba	She or he sings
Mtoto huyu hucheza sana	This child plays a lot
Baba husoma gazeti kila siku	My father reads the newspaper every day
Babu huniambia kila siku	My grandfather tells me every day.

 

 

(iii)  Wakati uliopita                                                                     Past tense

Wakati huu huwakilishwa na “li “	This tense is presented with “li”
Mfano	Example
Niliomba	I prayed
Tulicheza	We played
Waliniambia	They told me
Ulicheza	You played

 

(iv) Wakati timilifu                                                                       Past participle tense     

Wakati huu huwakilishwa na “me”	This tense is presented with “me”
Mfano	Example
Nimekula	I have eaten
Tumekula	We have eaten
Wameomba	They have prayed
Amelia	She or he has cried
Mumeruka	You have jumped

 

 

 

(v) Wakati ujao                                                                                 Future tense

Wakati huu huwakilishwa na “ta”	This tense is presented with “ta”
Mfano	Example
Nitampiga	I will beat him or her
Hatamuona	She or he will not see him or her
Nitaenda shuleni kesho	I will go to school tomorrow.
Utalima	You will dig.

 

 

 

 

4  Tarakwimu                                                                               Numbers

Moja	One
Mbili	Two
Tatu	Three
Nne	Four
Tano	Five
Sita	Six
Saba	Seven
Nane	Eight
Tisa	Nine
Kumi	Ten
Ishirini	Twenty
Thelathini	Thirty
Arubaine	Forty
Hamsini	Fifty
Sitini	Sixty
Sabini	Seventy
Themanini	Eighty
Tisini	Ninety
Mia moja	One hundred

 

WELCOME TO SWAHILI UGANDA LANGUAGE FOR THE BEGINNERS.

Swahili is the second widely spoken language in Africa after Arabic with more than 150 million speakers. In East Africa, it is considered as the language of the community. Learning Swahili Uganda will not confine you in Uganda but also help you to communicate freely in various countries. For example Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Mali and Democratic Republic of Congo where the language is commonly used.. We are here therefore to help you not only fit in East Africa, but Africa as a whole.

Objectives.

By the end of this lesson, the learner will be able to;

• Greet in Swahili language.


• Introduce themselves in Swahili language.


• Carry out simple conversation.


• Tell the present tense, past tense, continuous tense and future tense.


• Construct sentences using tenses.


• Count in Swahili from 1- 100.

The target audience.

• Those seeking to learn Swahili.


• Those living in East Africa and Africa as a continent.


• The business community.


• The musicians who would wish to sell their music across Africa.


• Those visiting East Africa and Africa in general

INTRODUCTION.

Greetings                                                                                    Responses

Habari (How are you?)	Mzuri (fine)
Habari ya asubuhi? (Good morning?)	Mzuri (fine)
Habari ya mchana (Good afternoon?)	Mzuri (fine)
Habari ya jioni (Good evening?)	Mzuri (fine)
Jambo (This is a general greeting.)	Mzuri (fine)
Jambo (This is a general greeting.)	Jambo
Hamjambo (when greeting more than one.)	Hatujambo.

 

 

 

 

2. Common Conversations in Swahili.

Questions/ Conversations                                                  Responses

Unaitwa nani (what are your names?)	Naitwa Aisha (I am called Aisha
Unaishi wapi? (Where do you live?	Naishi Kampala (I live in Kampala)
Unafanya kazi gani (what is your occupation?)	Mimi ni daktari (Am a doctor).
Uko na miaka ngapi? / una umri gani (how old are you?)	Niko na miaka thelathini (am thirty years old)

 

 

 

3. HALI TENSES

(i) Hali iliopo                                                             Present tense

Hali hii huwakilishwa na “na”	This tense is presented with “na “
Mfano	Example
Ninaimba	Am singing
Tunaimba	We are singing
Anakula	She or he is eating
Wanakula	They are eating

 

 

(ii) Hali ya mazoea                                                                          Continuous tense.

Hali hii huwakiliswa na “hu”	This tense is represented with “hu”
Mfano	Example
Yeye huimba	She or he sings
Mtoto huyu hucheza sana	This child plays a lot
Baba husoma gazeti kila siku	My father reads the newspaper every day
Babu huniambia kila siku	My grandfather tells me every day.

 

 

(iii)  Wakati uliopita                                                                     Past tense

Wakati huu huwakilishwa na “li “	This tense is presented with “li”
Mfano	Example
Niliomba	I prayed
Tulicheza	We played
Waliniambia	They told me
Ulicheza	You played

 

(iv) Wakati timilifu                                                                       Past participle tense     

Wakati huu huwakilishwa na “me”	This tense is presented with “me”
Mfano	Example
Nimekula	I have eaten
Tumekula	We have eaten
Wameomba	They have prayed
Amelia	She or he has cried
Mumeruka	You have jumped

 

 

 

(v) Wakati ujao                                                                                 Future tense

Wakati huu huwakilishwa na “ta”	This tense is presented with “ta”
Mfano	Example
Nitampiga	I will beat him or her
Hatamuona	She or he will not see him or her
Nitaenda shuleni kesho	I will go to school tomorrow.
Utalima	You will dig.

 

 

 

 

4  Tarakwimu                                                                               Numbers

Moja	One
Mbili	Two
Tatu	Three
Nne	Four
Tano	Five
Sita	Six
Saba	Seven
Nane	Eight
Tisa	Nine
Kumi	Ten
Ishirini	Twenty
Thelathini	Thirty
Arubaine	Forty
Hamsini	Fifty
Sitini	Sixty
Sabini	Seventy
Themanini	Eighty
Tisini	Ninety
Mia moja	One hundred

 

The South Sudan Crisis and translation industry in Uganda have impacted each other than ever before. Uganda, once described as the pearl of Africa is a country located in Eastern Africa. It is  the third biggest economy in the region after Kenya, Tanzania . It hosts close to 100,000 South Sudan refugees hence creating an effect in relation to South Sudan Crisis and the translation industry in Uganda.

The country is bordered by Kenya in the East, South Sudan in the north, Democratic Republic of Congo in the West, Tanzania in the South and Rwanda and Burundi in the South west. It is known for its rich soils and cool environment. Additionally, it is also said that Uganda is the only country in East Africa where an ordinary citizen can easily access food without going to the market. This is attributed to the fertile lands and the good weather patterns.

Ugandans are known for their hospitality and welcoming attitude towards refugees hence the growing number of foreigners in the Country.

The country has about 40 native dialects spoken across the regions with Bantu being the largest ethnic group. Some of the bantu languages spoken in the Country include; Luganda, Lusoga, Lugwere, Lusamia, Runyankitara languages, Lugisu, Runyore, Rukonjo,among others.

According to world economic forum report 2017, Uganda hosts over one million South Sudan refugees hence making it the leading host of refugees in Africa in recent decades. The country’s refugee policy however is amazing since the government has an open refugee policy.

Uganda’s work with refugees in partnership with other humanitarian organizations such as UNHCR, Save the children, Oxfam, among others is of paramount importance in the existing humanitarian crisis in the region.

The constant flow of refugees from South Sudan and other neigbouring countries such as DRC and Burundi into Uganda has stimulated the need for translation services in the country hence South Sudan Crisis and Translation Industry in Uganda have greatly impacted on each other. As refugees flee the conflict, the aid agencies need to interact with them hence the need for Interpreters. At times, interviews are recorded in different languages and need to be transcribed and translated into several target languages for an appropriate action.

Therefore, Uganda in the recent years since the beginning of the South Sudan conflict and the conflicts in the neighboring countries has experienced unprecedented upsurge for the need for the service. It is for this reason that Professional translation services are now being sought from time to time and are absolutely necessary for effective service delivery.