Dialogue - Swahili

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Vocabulary

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julisha to inform
jitihadi to work hard
mtaalamu expert
kozi course
tengeneza to make
Kisiwa cha Nzanzibar Island of Zanzibar
tovuti website
adabu discipline
ujuzi skill
udhibiti wa miradi project management

Lesson Notes

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Lesson Focus

The Focus of This Lesson Is Job Interviews: More on Conjunctions

Nilisomea uhandisi kompyuta pamoja na biashara.
"I studied computer engineering and business."

 


In this lesson, we will learn:

  1. More about conjunctions

 


 

Besides connecting words and sentences, conjunctions can also connect phrases, thoughts, join lists and ideas.

Usually, they don't change.

  • Pamoja na ("together with") and pamoja na hayo ("moreover"):

The conjunction pamoja na ("together with") and pamoja na hayo ("moreover") are both used to indicate addition from what was previously done and was present. Pamoja na is commonly used for two or more things that are actively involved, while pamoja na hayo implies in addition to what was previously mentioned.  Usually, it should be placed after the first clause in the sentence.

Examples:

  1. Mama alienda harusini pamoja na dadangu.
    "Mom went to the wedding together with my sister."
  2. Anawatoto wakumi, pamoja na hayo anafuga mbwa, paka na nguruwe.
    "He has ten kids; moreover, he is taming a cat, a dog, and a pig."
  • Laiti "if only," ijapokuwa "even though," and ilhali "whereas":

Laiti expresses a kind of regret after something has happened. Ilhali can be used to disapprove an event that occurred earlier. Ijapokuwa can be used in the same way as in English. It can be place at the beginning of a sentence or before the second clause.

Laiti often comes at the beginning of a sentence, whereas ilhali comes after the first clause in a sentence.

Examples:

  1. Laiti ningejua sitamuona tena, ningemwongelesha kila siku.
    "If only I'd known I wouldn't see him again, I'd talk to him every day."
  2. Laiti ningejua yeye ni adui, singemwambia siri zangu.
    "If only I'd known he was an enemy, I'd not tell him my secrets."
  3. Ijapokuwa yeye ni mgonjwa sana, alihudhuria mazishi.
     "Although she is very sick, she attended the funeral."
  4. Anapenda kujisifu, ilhali hana wema wowote.
    "He likes boasting, yet does no good."
  5. Anadai anapenda kupeana, ilhali jirani yake analala njaa..
    "He boasts that he is a giver, yet his neighbor sleeps hungry."
  • Mradi "provided that" and isipokuwa "except":

Mradi expresses a condition that has to completed before one realizes a result. Isipokuwa is used to indicate that there are favourable conditions, except one.

They are commonly put at the center of a sentence.

Examples:

  1. Atapata kazi nzuri mradi asome kwa bidii.
    "He will get a job, provided he studies hard."
  2. Ataoa mradi atafute mke.
    "He will marry, provided he looks for a woman."
  3. Ningezuru Amerika isipokuwa sina hela.
    "I would have toured America, except that I don't have money."
  4. Ningemsaidia isipokuwa hakuuliza msaada.
    "I would have helped her, except that she did not ask."

Examples from the Dialogue

  1. Jitihada na adabu iliniwezesha kutengeneza tovuti tano za kampuni tofauti.
    "Hard work and discipline made me create five websites for different companies."

Sample Sentences


 

  1. Jomo pamoja na dadake wanaujuzi katika biashara na kompyuta.
    "Jomo has skills in business and computing."
  2. Laiti ningejua yeye ni mfitini, singemwambia siri zangu.
    "If only I had known that he gossips, I wouldn't have told him my secrets."
  3. Azae watoto wengi mradi awalee vizuri.
    "She can give birth to many children, provided she takes care of them."

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

kukuhusu
"about yourself"

This word can be broken down into two parts: ku and kuhusu. Ku is the pronoun for "you," and kuhusu means "about." The -husu is a root verb from which other expressions can be derived.

Kuhusu can be used as an adverb or preposition to mean "about." For instance, kukuhusu means "about you." If it was about someone else, we would use m instead of ku. For example, kumhusu for "about him or her." This would change to kuwahusu for "about them" in plural. Usually, kuhusu is used as an introduction to a topic or an event; thus, the word is hardy in both formal and informal situations.

For example:

  1. Laiti ningelijua yeye ni mfitini, singemweleza kukuhusu.
    "If only I had known that she gossips, I wouldn't have told her about you."

unaujuzi
"you are experienced"

Unaujuzi can be broken into three parts: u is the pronoun for "you," na is the verb marker, and ujuzi stands for "experience." Together, unaujuzi literally means "you have experience." This would slightly change to "are you experienced?" if it was a question.

It is a common phrase used when talking about work experiences, either in an interview or in a normal conversation.

For example:

  1. Unaujuzi wa hali ya juu katika udaktari.
    "You are highly skilled as a doctor."

adabu na jitihadi
"discipline and hard work"

Adabu means "discipline," and na is a conjunction "and." Jitihadi means "hard work." Adabu na jitihadi would, therefore, mean "discipline and hard work."

This phrase is important when proving that you can work with or without supervision, individually or in a group. These words can be used independently in any form of setting as they have different meanings.

For example:

  1. Watoto wake wote, isipokuwa yule mdogo, wana adabu na jitihada.
    "All her children, except for the little one, are disciplined and hardworking."

Cultural Insights

Job interview in Kenya


 

The job search in Kenya is very competitive because of the high rate of unemployment. When searching for a job, polish your CV and list experiences that could be relevant to the job. Know the details on your CV thoroughly in order to avoid gazing at it during the interview. Be conversant with what the company does and be confident in your answers. Try and know your weaknesses in advance. If asked, use one that would be an advantage to the company instead or state how you will improve. To be on the safer side, wear a suit when invited for an interview.

Useful expression:

  1. wasifu
    "resume"

Lesson Transcript

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INTRODUCTION
John: Hi everyone, and welcome back to SwahiliPod101.com This is Intermediate Season 1 Lesson 1 - Nailing a Job Interview in Kenya, John Here.
Medina: Hamjambo, I'm Medina.
John: In this lesson, you’ll learn about job interviews and more on conjunctions. The conversation takes place at an office.
Medina: It's between Mark and Rehema.
John: The speakers are strangers, therefore, they will speak formal Swahili. Okay, let's listen to the conversation.
DIALOGUE
Mark: Tafadhali nijulishe kukuhusu.
Rehema: Jina langu ni Rehema Wema kutoka Kisiwa cha Zanzibar.
Mark: Ulisomea kozi gani katika chuo kikuu?
Rehema: Nilisomea uhandisi kompyuta pamoja na biashara.
Mark: Je, unaujuzi katika udhibiti wa miradi?
Rehema: Sina lakini ninaweza kujifunza haraka.
Mark: Je, unaweza thibitisha ujuzi wako?
Rehema: Jitihada na adabu iliniwezesha kutengeneza tovuti tano za kampuni tofauti.
Mark: Sawa, nitaangalia zaidi kuhusu kuhitimu na ujuzi wako.
Rehema: Natumai kusikia kutoka kwako.
John: Listen to the conversation with the English translation
Mark: Could you tell me about yourself?
Rehema: My name is Rehema Wema. I'm from the island of Zanzibar.
Mark: What course did you study in university?
Rehema: I studied computer engineering and business.
Mark: Do you have experience in project management?
Rehema: No, but I can learn quickly.
Mark: What have you accomplished with your skills?
Rehema: Hard work and discipline enabled me to create five websites for different companies.
Mark: Well, I'll look further into your qualifications and experiences.
Rehema: I look forward to hearing from you.
POST CONVERSATION BANTER
John: It seems like Rehema has big chances to get the job! Medina what can you tell us about job hunting in Kenya?
Medina: Searching for jobs in Kenya is very competitive because of the high rate of unemployment.
John: I see. Can you give us some tips?
Medina: Of course! Well this doesn’t apply to only Kenya, but in general, when searching for a job, polish your resume and list experiences that could be relevant to the job.
John: Knowing the details on your resume in order to avoid gazing at it during the interview is also good.
Medina: Right, be familiar with what the company does and be confident in your answers.
John: What if you’re asked about your weaknesses?
Medina: If asked, use one that would be an advantage to the company instead or state how you will improve.
John: What about clothes? How should you dress for an interview in Kenya?
Medina: To be safe, your best bet is to wear a suit.
John: Finally, what is the Swahili word for “resume”?
Medina: wasifu
John: Okay, now onto the vocab.
VOCAB LIST
John: The first word is...
Medina: julisha [natural native speed]
John: to inform
Medina: julisha[slowly - broken down by syllable]
Medina: julisha [natural native speed]
John: Next we have..
Medina: Kisiwa cha Nzanzibar [natural native speed]
John: Island of Zanzibar
Medina: Kisiwa cha Nzanzibar[slowly - broken down by syllable]
Medina: Kisiwa cha Nzanzibar [natural native speed]
John: Next we have..
Medina: jitihadi [natural native speed]
John: to work hard
Medina: jitihadi[slowly - broken down by syllable]
Medina: jitihadi [natural native speed]
John: Next we have..
Medina: mtaalamu [natural native speed]
John: expert
Medina: mtaalamu[slowly - broken down by syllable]
Medina: mtaalamu [natural native speed]
John: Next we have..
Medina: kozi [natural native speed]
John: course
Medina: kozi[slowly - broken down by syllable]
Medina: kozi [natural native speed]
John: Next we have..
Medina: tengeneza [natural native speed]
John: to make
Medina: tengeneza[slowly - broken down by syllable]
Medina: tengeneza [natural native speed]
John: Next we have..
Medina: tovuti [natural native speed]
John: website
Medina: tovuti[slowly - broken down by syllable]
Medina: tovuti [natural native speed]
John: Next we have..
Medina: ujuzi [natural native speed]
John: skill
Medina: ujuzi [slowly - broken down by syllable]
Medina: ujuzi [natural native speed]
John: Next we have..
Medina: udhibiti wa miradi [natural native speed]
John: project management
Medina: udhibiti wa miradi[slowly - broken down by syllable]
Medina: udhibiti wa miradi [natural native speed]
John: And last..
Medina: adabu [natural native speed]
John: discipline
Medina: adabu[slowly - broken down by syllable]
Medina: adabu [natural native speed]
KEY VOCAB AND PHRASES
John: Let's have a closer look at the usage of some of the words and phrases from this lesson. The first word is..
Medina: kukuhusu
John: meaning "about yourself"
Medina: This word can be broken down into two parts: ku and kuhusu. Ku is the pronoun for "you," and kuhusu means "about." -husu is a root verb from which other expressions can be derived.
John: Can you use a similar expression to refer to someone else?
Medina: If it was about someone else, we would use m instead of ku. For example, it’ll be kumhusu for "about him or her." This would change to kuwahusu for "about them" in plural.
John: Can you give us an example using this word?
Medina: Sure. For example, you can say.. Laiti ningelijua yeye ni mfitini, singemweleza kukuhusu.
John: ..which means "If only I had known she gossips, I wouldn't have told her about you."
John: Okay, what's the next word?
Medina: unaujuzi
John: meaning "you are experienced"
Medina: Unaujuzi can be broken into three parts: u is the pronoun for "you," na is the verb marker, and ujuzi stands for "experience." Together, unaujuzi literally means "you have experience."
John: You can also use it as a question to mean "are you experienced?"
Medina: It is a common phrase used when talking about work experiences, either in an interview or in a normal conversation.
John: Can you give us an example using this word?
Medina: Sure. For example, you can say.. Unaujuzi wa hali ya juu katika udaktari.
John: .. which means "You are highly skilled as a doctor."
John: Okay, what's the next phrase?
Medina: adabu na jitihadi
John: meaning "discipline and hard work." Medina can you break the phrase down?
Medina: Well, adabu means "discipline," and na is the conjunction "and." Finally, jitihadi means "hard work."
John: When can you use this phrase?
Medina: This phrase is important when proving that you can work with or without supervision, individually or in a group.
John: I guess that these words can be used independently in any form or setting.
Medina: Yes, that’s correct because they have different meanings.
John: Can you give us an example using this word?
Medina: Sure. For example, you can say.. Watoto wake wote, isipokuwa yule mdogo, wana adabu na jitihada.
John: .. which means "All her children, except for the little one, are disciplined and hardworking."
John: Okay, now onto the lesson focus.

Lesson focus

John: In this lesson, you'll learn about job interviews and more on conjunctions. Let’s start by explaining what conjunctions are.
Medina: Besides connecting words and sentences, conjunctions can also connect phrases, thoughts, join lists and ideas.
John: Do we need to conjugate them?
Medina: Usually conjunctions in Swahili don’t change.
John: Ok, let’s see a few together.
Medina: The first two are pamoja na and pamoja na hayo
John: meaning “together with” and “moreover” respectively. They are both used to indicate addition from what was previously done and was present.
Medina: Pamoja na is commonly used for two or more things that are actively involved, while pamoja na hayo implies in addition to what was previously mentioned.
John: Where should we place them?
Medina: Usually, it should be placed after the first clause in the sentence.
John: Can you give us some sample sentences?
Medina: Sure, for example you can say Mama alienda harusini pamoja na dadangu.
John: “Mom went to the wedding together with my sister.”
Medina: Anawatoto wakumi, pamoja na hayo anafuga mbwa, paka na nguruwe.
John: “He has ten kids; moreover, he is taming a cat, a dog, and a pig.”
Which conjunctions will we see next?
Medina: We have three, laiti, “if only,” ijapokuwa, “even though,” and ilhali, “whereas.”
John: Let’s explain how to use them and give some examples.
Medina: Laiti expresses a kind of regret after something has happened. It usually comes at the beginning of the sentence, for example Laiti ningejua sitamuona tena, ningemwongelesha kila siku.
John: which means “If only I’d known I wouldn't see him again, I’d talk to him every day.” What about the conjunction meaning “even though”?
Medina: Ijapokuwa can be used in the same way as in English. It can be placed at the beginning of a sentence or before the second clause. For example, Ijapokuwa yeye ni mgonjwa sana, alihudhuria mazishi.
John: “Although she is very sick, she attended the funeral.”
Medina: Ilhali meaning “whereas” can be used to disapprove an event that occurred earlier and it usually comes after the first clause in a sentence. For example, Anapenda kujisifu, ilhali hana wema wowote.
John: meaning “He likes boasting, yet does no good.” What’s the last group of conjunctions we’ll see in this lesson?
Medina: Mradi and isipokuwa.
John: Respectively meaning “provided that” and “except.” They’re commonly put at the center of a sentence.
Medina: Right. Mradi expresses a condition that has to be completed before one realizes a result, for example, Atapata kazi nzuri mradi asome kwa bidii.
John: “He will get a job, provided he studies hard.”
Medina: Isipokuwa is used to indicate that there are favorable conditions, except one, for example you can say Ningezuru Amerika isipokuwa sina hela.
John: “I would have toured America, except that I don’t have money.”

Outro

John: Okay, that’s all for this lesson. Thank you for listening, everyone, and we’ll see you next time! Bye!
Medina: Tuonane!