Learn about formal Swahili
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Intro |
|---|
| Antoni: How does formal Swahili work? |
| Gertrude: And when is it used? |
| Antoni: At Swahilipod101.com, we hear these questions often. Imagine the following situation: Morgan Ouma, a high-school student, meets the mom of his neighbor friend, Karen Lee. He says, |
| "Mrs. Lee, how are you?" |
| Morgan Ouma: Bi. Lee, habari yako? |
| Dialogue |
| Morgan Ouma: Bi. Lee habari yako? |
| Karen Lee: Niko sawa, asante. Habari yako? |
| Antoni: Once more with the English translation. |
| Morgan Ouma: Bi. Lee habari yako? |
| Antoni: "Mrs. Lee, how are you?" |
| Karen Lee: Niko sawa, asante. Habari yako? |
| Antoni: "I'm fine, thank you. How are you?" |
Lesson focus |
| Antoni: African people place a high value on respect and politeness. It is especially important for younger individuals to address older people with specific titles or honorifics. In this lesson, we will talk about how formal Swahili works. |
| [Recall 1] |
| Antoni: Let’s begin by taking a closer look at the dialogue. |
| Do you remember how Morgan Ouma says, "Mrs. Lee, how are you?" |
| (pause 4 seconds) |
| Gertrude as Morgan Ouma: Bi. Lee habari yako? |
| Antoni: You will notice Morgan using the word |
| Gertrude: Bi |
| Antoni: when addressing Karen Lee. This is the equivalent of the English title "Mrs." used to address older women, particularly those who are married. |
| [Recall 2] |
| Antoni: Now, let’s take a look at our second sentence. |
| Do you remember how Karen Lee says "I'm fine, thank you. How are you?" |
| (pause 4 seconds) |
| Gertrude as Karen Lee: Niko sawa, asante. Habari yako? |
| Antoni: Karen Lee responds using no special title at all to refer to Morgan. However, it’s not unusual in East Africa for much older women to address younger males as |
| Gertrude: mwanangu, |
| Antoni: which translates to "my son." Younger individuals, in return, may use the title |
| Gertrude: bibi |
| Antoni: when addressing a much older woman. This translates to "lady," but often means "grandmother." What if an older person wants to address a young lady? In that case, they will use the expression |
| Gertrude: bi mdogo |
| Michael: which means "young lady." A similar term is |
| Gertrude: shangazi |
| Antoni: This word translates to "aunt," but it’s not used in the literal sense. Instead, it’s used to address a young lady. If you wish to address an older woman who’s around 40 years old and above, you can use the title |
| Gertrude: mama |
| Antoni: which means "mother." Alternatively, you can use the title, |
| Gertrude: bi mkubwa, |
| Antoni: which means "old lady." For men of the same age, the title used is |
| Gertrude: mzee |
| Antoni: The word literally means "elderly," but, as you might have guessed, it’s not used in a literal sense. It is used instead as an honorific when addressing an older male. Most sons actually refer to their dads using this term, which is quite formal as opposed to simply calling them |
| Gertrude: baba |
| Antoni: which means "father" or "dad." And, for much older males, the term used to address them is |
| Gertrude: babu |
| Antoni: which means "grandfather." When addressing a close male friend, the title used is |
| Gertrude: ndugu |
| Antoni: which means "relatives" but is used as "brother" in this context. And, when addressing a close female friend, the title used is |
| Gertrude: dada |
| Antoni: Thus, one says "Ndugu James" and "Dada Jenny" when referring to a male friend and female friend, respectively. |
| [Summary] |
| Antoni: In summary, Swahili uses quite a number of honorifics when addressing different people. Learning each of these titles is important to avoid offending people when you’re in a Swahili-speaking country or region. |
| Expansion/Contrast (Optional) |
| Antoni: Let's review. Respond to the prompts by speaking aloud. Then, repeat after Gertrude focusing on pronunciation. |
| Do you remember how Morgan Ouma says "Mrs. Lee, how are you?" |
| [Beep. Pause 5 seconds.] |
| Gertrude as @neighbor-son: Bi. Lee habari yako? |
| Antoni: Listen again and repeat. |
| Gertrude as @neighbor-son: Bi. Lee habari yako? |
| [Beep. Pause 5 seconds.] |
| Gertrude as @neighbor-son: Bi. Lee habari yako? |
| Antoni: And do you remember how Karen Lee says "I'm fine, thank you. How are you?" |
| [Beep. Pause 5 seconds.] |
| Gertrude as @hero-mom: Niko sawa, asante. Habari yako? |
| Antoni: Listen again and repeat. |
| Gertrude as @hero-mom: Niko sawa, asante. Habari yako? |
| [Beep. Pause 5 seconds.] |
| Gertrude as @hero-mom: Niko sawa, asante. Habari yako? |
| Cultural Insight/Expansion (Optional) |
| Antoni: Since we’re talking about formal Swahili, why don’t we quickly discuss how one should conduct themselves in formal settings, such as when doing a business transaction? In Swahili-speaking countries, like Kenya, for instance, respect, or, |
| Gertrude: heshima |
| Antoni: plays an integral role in the success of a business dealing. When in a business meeting and greeting someone of higher status, it’s a sign of respect to slightly bow and lower the eyes while supporting the right hand with the left to shake hands. This gesture is then followed by asking questions about the other party’s well-being, |
| Gertrude: ustawi |
| Antoni: or "well-being," and |
| Gertrude: familia |
| Antoni: or "family." Never skip this part of the introduction when in a business setting as it is considered poor etiquette to do so. |
Outro |
| Antoni: Do you have any more questions? We’re here to answer them! |
| Gertrude: Nitakuona hivi karibuni! |
| Antoni: See you soon! |
| Feedback from a native speaker: |
| Use of honorifics is one way of being polite in Swahili for example: |
| child: Shikamoo bibi |
| Elderly woman: Marahaba mwanangu |
| Credits: Gertrude (Swahili, Kenya), Antoni (English, synthetic voice) |
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