In this lesson you will learn five common Swahili words for greeting people and saying goodbye. You will see how Habari and Nzuri work together in a friendly exchange, how Shikamoo and Marahaba form a respectful exchange, and how Kwaheri is used as a farewell. Listen to the recordings, repeat each phrase, and then try the short practice tasks.
Objectives
- Greet someone casually with Habari and reply naturally with Nzuri.
- Use the respectful greeting Shikamoo and respond with Marahaba.
- Say goodbye with Kwaheri and recognize these words in short exchanges.
Phrases
Hello / How are things?
A common everyday greeting. It literally means 'news' and works like 'How are things?' or 'Hello'.Good / Fine
A natural positive reply to Habari. It means 'good' or 'fine'.A respectful greeting
Used especially by a younger person to an elder or by someone showing deference. The usual reply is Marahaba.The usual reply to Shikamoo
Use this when someone greets you with Shikamoo.Goodbye
A standard farewell. Notice the clear final -i when you listen and repeat.Explanations
Habari and Nzuri: a friendly everyday exchange
Habari is a common Swahili greeting. It literally means 'news' and works like 'How are things?' or 'Hello' in everyday conversation. Nzuri means 'good' or 'fine' and is a natural positive reply to Habari. Together, Habari — Nzuri form a simple friendly exchange.
Shikamoo and Marahaba: a respectful exchange
Shikamoo is a respectful greeting used especially by a younger person to an elder or by someone showing deference. The usual reply is Marahaba. In the dialogue, speaker A says Shikamoo and speaker B replies Marahaba, so the two words work as a pair.
Kwaheri and the timing of greetings
Kwaheri is a standard farewell meaning 'goodbye'. Swahili greetings do not normally change according to the time of day, so the same expressions can be used in the morning, afternoon or evening. This means you can use Habari, Nzuri, Shikamoo, Marahaba and Kwaheri in many everyday situations.
Dialogue
Hello / How are things?
Good / Fine
A respectful greeting
The usual reply to Shikamoo
Pronunciation
Listen carefully to the recordings and repeat each phrase aloud. Copy the rhythm and sounds you hear rather than trying to apply a fixed stress rule. For Shikamoo and Marahaba, pay attention to the vowel sounds and the respectful tone; for Kwaheri, notice the clear final -i. Practice saying each phrase several times until it feels comfortable.
Common mistake
Replying to Habari with a word that does not mean 'good' or 'fine', such as using Kwaheri as a reply.
When someone greets you with Habari, reply with Nzuri, which means 'good' or 'fine'. Kwaheri is a farewell meaning 'goodbye', so it does not fit as a reply to Habari.
Practice
You meet a friend casually. Greet them with the common everyday greeting you learned.
Use the greeting that works like 'How are things?' or 'Hello'.
Show answer
HabariHabari is the common everyday greeting. It works like 'How are things?' or 'Hello' in a casual exchange.
Someone greets you with Habari. Reply that things are good.
Use the word that means 'good' or 'fine'.
Show answer
NzuriNzuri means 'good' or 'fine' and is a natural positive reply to Habari.
You are a younger person greeting an elder respectfully. Use the respectful greeting you learned.
Use the respectful greeting whose usual reply is Marahaba.
Show answer
ShikamooShikamoo is the respectful greeting used especially by a younger person to an elder. The usual reply is Marahaba.
Use Habari and Nzuri for a friendly everyday exchange, Shikamoo and Marahaba for a respectful exchange, and Kwaheri to say goodbye. Listen to the recordings and repeat each phrase to build confidence.
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