Swahili

Genesis 11:3-9
They said to each other, "Come, let's make bricks and bake them thoroughly." They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth."
But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. The LORD said, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other."
So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

1 Corinthians 14:10
Undoubtedly there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning.

Kenya is a multilingual country. There are a total of 62 languages spoken in Kenya, most being African languages with a minority of Middle-Eastern and Asian languages spoken by descendants of settlers. Kenya's two main languages are English and Swahili. Unless you are hopelessly lost in the bush somewhere, you will probably be able to find someone who speaks English. Attempts to use Swahili are generally warmly received and can often help in conversations. Despite the widespread use of Swahili, most Kenyans have their own tribal language and view Swahili as a foreign language, as they do English.

Greetings (and other basics)

Hello Jambo

How are things? Habari?

Fine or Good Nzuri

Goodbye to one/goodbye to many Kwaheri/Kwaherini

Come in/welcome Karibu

Thank you Asante

Mr. Bwana (respectful -adult man)

Mrs., Miss Mama (respectful - adult woman)

youth/youths kijana/vijanachild

children mtoto/watoto

What is your name? Jina lako nani?

My name is... Jina langu...

Numbers

1 moja

2 mbili

3 tatu

4 nne

5 tano

6 sita

7 saba

8 nane

9 tisa

10 kumi

Useful words

Yes Ndiyo

No Hapana

Right kulia

Left kushoto

Up juu

Down chini

Friend rafiki

Where is? Wapi?

Here hapa

When? lini?

Now sasa

Soon sasa hivi