Talking About Yourself, Family, and Daily Life - Conversational Swahili for Everyday Situations

Q: In Swahili, how do you say: "My sister works in an office"?

Dada yangu anafanya kazi ofisini.. The correct answer is "Dada yangu anafanya kazi ofisini." because: "dada yangu" means "my sister", "anafanya kazi" means "works", and "ofisini" means "in an office". The other options talk about "my brother", "my mother", or "my family".

New Words and Phrases (in English)

In this step, you will learn useful Swahili words and phrases to talk about your family and your daily routine. Pay attention to the pronunciation and the simple sentence patterns.

Word	Pronunciation	Translation	Example
familia	fa-mee-LEE-ah	family	Familia yangu ni ndogo.(My family is small.)
baba	BAH-bah	father / dad	Baba yangu anafanya kazi mjini.(My father works in town.)
mama	MAH-mah	mother / mom	Mama yangu anapenda kupika.(My mother likes to cook.)
kaka	KAH-kah	brother (usually older brother)	Kaka yangu anasoma chuo kikuu.(My brother studies at university.)
dada	DAH-dah	sister (usually older sister)	Dada yangu anaishi Dar es Salaam.(My sister lives in Dar es Salaam.)
kufanya kazi	koo-FAHN-yah KAH-zee	to work (at a job)	Ninafanya kazi ofisini.(I work in an office.)
kusoma	koo-SO-mah	to study / to read	Ninasoma Kiswahili kila siku.(I study Swahili every day.)
kuamka	koo-AHM-kah	to wake up	Ninaamka saa kumi na mbili asubuhi.(I wake up at six in the morning. (literally: at hour twelve in the morning))

Language Pattern (in English)

1. Talking about "my" family

You already know how to say your name and where you are from. Now we add possessive words like "my".

yangu = my (for many nouns, including familia, baba, mama, kaka, dada)

Pattern:

[Noun] yangu = my [noun]

Examples:

Familia yangu ni ndogo. = My family is small.
Baba yangu anafanya kazi mjini. = My father works in town.
Mama yangu anapenda kupika. = My mother likes to cook.

You can replace yangu with other possessives later (like yako = your), but for this module we focus on yangu.

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2. Daily routine with the simple present

To talk about your routine, we use the simple present tense with the subject ni- for "I".

Pattern for "I" (present):

Ni- + na + [verb] → Nina- + [verb stem] = I [do something] (regularly / now)

From the vocabulary:

kufanya kazi (to work)
kusoma (to study / to read)
kuamka (to wake up)

Remove the ku- to get the verb stem, then add nina-:

kufanya kazi → stem: fanya kazi
Ninafanya kazi ofisini. = I work in an office.
kusoma → stem: soma
Ninasoma Kiswahili kila siku. = I study Swahili every day.
kuamka → stem: amka
Ninaamka saa kumi na mbili asubuhi. = I wake up at six in the morning.

You can describe a simple routine by linking sentences with kisha (then) or halafu (then/after that):

Ninaamka asubuhi, halafu ninasoma.

I wake up in the morning, then I study.

This module focuses on short, separate sentences, but remember that ni + na + verb is the core pattern for talking about what you usually do.

Practice Dialogue (in English)

In this dialogue, two friends talk about their family and daily routine. Read the Swahili lines and check the English translations.

Two friends meeting after class and talking about family and daily life.

Asha

Habari za leo, Juma?

How is today, Juma? / How are you today, Juma?

Juma

Nzuri, asante. Wewe je, Asha?

Good, thank you. And you, Asha?

Asha

Niko vizuri. Familia yako iko wapi?

I am fine. Where is your family?

Juma

Familia yangu iko Morogoro. Baba yangu anafanya kazi benki, na mama yangu yuko nyumbani.

My family is in Morogoro. My father works at a bank, and my mother is at home.

Asha

Una kaka au dada?

Do you have a brother or a sister?

Juma

Ndiyo, nina kaka mmoja na dada mmoja. Kaka yangu anasoma chuo kikuu, na dada yangu anafanya kazi ofisini.

Yes, I have one brother and one sister. My brother studies at university, and my sister works in an office.

Asha

Kila siku wewe unafanya nini?

What do you do every day?

Juma

Ninaamka saa kumi na moja asubuhi, halafu ninasoma Kiswahili na ninakwenda kazini.

I wake up at five in the morning, then I study Swahili and I go to work.

Asha

Vizuri sana! Mimi ninasoma tu, sina kazi sasa.

Very good! I only study, I do not have a job now.

Check Your Understanding (in English)

Answer this question to review a key word from the lesson.

In Swahili, how do you say: "My sister works in an office"?

Dada yangu anafanya kazi ofisini.
Kaka yangu anafanya kazi ofisini.
Mama yangu anafanya kazi ofisini.
Familia yangu inafanya kazi ofisini.

Show Answer

Answer: A) Dada yangu anafanya kazi ofisini.

The correct answer is "Dada yangu anafanya kazi ofisini." because: "dada yangu" means "my sister", "anafanya kazi" means "works", and "ofisini" means "in an office". The other options talk about "my brother", "my mother", or "my family".

Key Terms

baba: father / dad; can be formal or informal depending on context.
dada: sister, usually an older sister; can also be used politely for a young woman.
kaka: brother, usually an older brother; can also be used politely for a young man.
mama: mother / mom; also used respectfully for older women.
yangu: my; possessive form meaning "belonging to me" for many common nouns.
halafu: then / after that; used to link actions in a sequence.
kuamka: to wake up; used for getting out of sleep.
kusoma: to study or to read; context shows which meaning is intended.
familia: family; used for your whole family unit.
ofisini: in the office; from "ofisi" (office) + "-ni" (in/at).
Ninaamka: I wake up / I am waking up.
Ninasoma: I study / I am studying.
Ninafanya: I do / I am doing; from the pattern ni- + na + fanya.
kila siku: every day; used to talk about routines.
kufanya kazi: to work (at a job); literally "to do work".