Dialogue

Vocabulary

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Lesson Transcript

INTRODUCTION
John: Hi everyone, and welcome back to SwahiliPod101.com. This is Intermediate Season 1 Lesson 10 - Making Hiring Decisions in Kenya. John Here.
Medina: Hamjambo, I'm Medina.
John: In this lesson, you’ll learn about expressing uncertainty. The conversation takes place at an office.
Medina: It's between Victor and Mable.
John: The speakers are an employer and an employee, therefore, they will speak both formal and informal Swahili. Okay, let's listen to the conversation.
DIALOGUE
Victor: Tunatafuta mtu wa kurithi cheo cha umeneja wa Tom.
Mable: Je, Tom anawacha kazi?
Victor: Sivyo, anapandishwa cheo kuwa mkurugenzi katika kampuni yetu nchini Kanada.
Mable: Heri kwake. Je, unadhania Damon anaweza jaza pengo hilo?
Victor: Mbona unawaza hivyo?
Mable: Anaushurikiano bora na kila mtu. Yeye ni mjuzi na anajulikana kwa uongozi bora.
Victor: Nilidhania hivyo pia. Nadhani anaujuzi wa kutosha inayohitajika katika cheo hicho.
Mable: Divyo. Amekuwa meneja wa ofisi ya uuzaji kwa miaka sita sasa.
Victor: Nitaongea nayeye kabla ya kutangaza.
Mable: Ninauhakika tutapenda kufanya kazi kwa uongozi wake
John: Listen to the conversation with the English translation
Victor: We are currently looking for someone to succeed Tom in the managerial position.
Mable: Is Tom leaving?
Victor: Not really, he's been promoted to be the director of our company in Canada.
Mable: Good for him. Don't you think Damon could fill in the gap?
Victor: Why do you think so?
Mable: He's friendly to everyone. He is skilled and a good leader.
Victor: I thought the same. I suppose he's experienced for that position, too.
Mable: Right, he's been managing the sales department for 6 years now.
Victor: I will talk with him before making it public.
Mable: I'm sure we will love to work under his leadership.
POST CONVERSATION BANTER
John: Good luck to Tom at the company in Canada!
Medina: Yes, sounds like a good promotion!
John: It’s interesting to hear Victor and Mable discuss Tom’s successor.
Medina: He certainly sounds qualified for the job.
John: Is that how a promotion in Kenya works? That the best person for the job gets it, and not just the most senior person?
Medina: Yes, it’s usually based on performance or qualifications.
John: Even if that means a younger member of the staff is a better fit than an older one?
Medina: Yes. Younger staff members that are in a position to be promoted have probably won awards or show competence in their job, so it isn’t questioned.
John: It sounds like a very fair system.
Medina: It’s not always so fair, though. Sometimes it’s luck, or sometimes bosses choose who they like.
John: But whoever gets the job, then has to prove that they are worthy of it.
Medina: Yes, there are many expectations and additional roles you have to do.
John: Okay, now onto the vocab.
VOCAB LIST
John: Let’s take a look at the vocabulary from this lesson. The first word is..
Medina: rithi [natural native speed]
John: to succeed
Medina: rithi[slowly - broken down by syllable]
Medina: rithi [natural native speed]
John: Next we have..
Medina: wacha [natural native speed]
John: to let
Medina: wacha[slowly - broken down by syllable]
Medina: wacha [natural native speed]
John: Next we have..
Medina: pandishwa [natural native speed]
John: to be promoted
Medina: pandishwa[slowly - broken down by syllable]
Medina: pandishwa [natural native speed]
John: Next we have..
Medina: mkurugenzi [natural native speed]
John: director
Medina: mkurugenzi[slowly - broken down by syllable]
Medina: mkurugenzi [natural native speed]
John: Next we have..
Medina: pengo [natural native speed]
John: gap
Medina: pengo[slowly - broken down by syllable]
Medina: pengo [natural native speed]
John: Next we have..
Medina: ushirikiano [natural native speed]
John: cooperation
Medina: ushirikiano[slowly - broken down by syllable]
Medina: ushirikiano [natural native speed]
John: Next we have..
Medina: ujuzi [natural native speed]
John: experience
Medina: ujuzi[slowly - broken down by syllable]
Medina: ujuzi [natural native speed]
John: Next we have..
Medina: uuzaji [natural native speed]
John: sales
Medina: uuzaji[slowly - broken down by syllable]
Medina: uuzaji [natural native speed]
John: Next we have..
Medina: tangaza [natural native speed]
John: to tell, to spread
Medina: tangaza[slowly - broken down by syllable]
Medina: tangaza [natural native speed]
John: And last..
Medina: hakika [natural native speed]
John: Sure.
Medina: hakika[slowly - broken down by syllable]
Medina: hakika [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: kutafuta
John: meaning "to look for"
John: This word is made of two parts.
Medina: The first is the indefinite pronoun ku. The second is tafuta.
John: This is a root verb that means “look for.”
Medina: You can use tafuta when there is a search.
John: Can you give us an example using this word?
Medina: Sure. For example, you can say.. Tumeanza kutafuta karo ya shule.
John: ..which means "We have started looking for school fees."
John: Okay, what's the next phrase?
Medina: rithi cheo
John: meaning "to succeed a post"
John: There are two words here, so can you tell us what they both mean?
Medina: The first word rithi means to "succeed" or "inherit.” The second word is cheo.
John: This is a “post” or “rank.”
Medina: Altogether, it means “to succeed a post.”
John: Can you give us an example using this phrase?
Medina: Sure. For example, you can say.. Ametajirika kwa kurithi cheo cha babake
John: .. which means “He has become rich after inheriting his father's post.”
John: Okay, what's the next phrase?
Medina: ofisi ya uuzaji
John: meaning "sales department"
John: That first word sounds a little like the English word “office.”
Medina: Well spotted. Ofisi is borrowed from English. Ya is a preposition meaning "of," and the final word is uuzaji.
John: This means “sales.” Put together, the phrase literally means “office of sales.”
Medina: It sounds better as “sales department.”
John: Can you give us an example using this phrase?
Medina: Sure. For example, you can say.. Ofisi ya uuzaji umepata faida ya juu zaidi.
John: .. which means "The sales department has gotten the highest profit."
John: Okay, now onto the lesson focus.

Lesson focus

John: In this lesson, you'll learn about expressing uncertainty. First, let’s look at how indefinite pronouns work in Swahili.
Medina: An example of a Swahili indefinite pronoun is kila.
John: This means “each, every.” So indefinite pronouns are words that aren’t specific in number. Another example is “several”.
Medina: That is kadhaa. Although these refer to multiple objects, they take a singular form, not a plural one.
John: So they have to agree with singular noun classes. Let’s hear a sentence example.
Medina: Kila nyumba ina amri zake.
John: “Every house has it’s own rules.”
Medina: Mtu fulani alikuja hapa.
John: “Someone came here.” Next, let’s look at some key phrases that will help us express opinions.
Medina: If you want to show what you’re thinking about, you can start a sentence with nadhani
John: “I think that…”
Medina: Also maoni yangu
John: “In my opinion…”
Medina: Maybe even Kwangu mimi
John: “As for me…” Can we hear a sentence using a sentence starter like these?
Medina: Naona ni heri urudi nyumbani kwa wazazi uwasaidie.
John: “The way I see it, is it’s better you go home and help your parents.” You can also ask other people for their opinions.
Medina: Right. You can say something like wadhaniaje.
John: “What do you think?”
Medina: Or Maono yako ni ipi
John: “What’s your opinion?” Finally for this lesson, let’s look at a few words to describe someone’s personality. Medina, can you give us a couple of words?
Medina: Sure. maarufu
John: “Popular.”
Medina: mwerevu
John: “Clever.”
Medina: mpole
John: “Polite.” Let’s wrap up this lesson, with a couple of sentences using these words.
Medina: For example you can say Seneta maarufu alichaguliwa bila kupingwa.
John: “The popular senator was elected unopposed. ”
Medina: Yeye ni mpole hawezi umiza nzi.
John: “She is too polite to injure a fly.”

Outro

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

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