Swahili — top 500 words
High-frequency vocabulary for English speakers. Reveal each card, then rate your recall — the schedule adapts (SM-2) and is stored on your device.
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| # | Swahili | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | news / how are you? (lit. what's the news?) | |
| 2 | how are you? (what news?) | |
| 3 | fine / good | |
| 4 | thank you | |
| 5 | thank you very much | |
| 6 | please | |
| 7 | sorry / excuse me | |
| 8 | yes | |
| 9 | no | |
| 10 | welcome / you're welcome / come in | |
| 11 | very welcome | |
| 12 | hello (to one person — lit. you have no trouble?) | |
| 13 | I'm fine (reply — lit. I have no trouble) | |
| 14 | hello (to a group) | |
| 15 | we're fine (group reply) | |
| 16 | goodbye (to one) | |
| 17 | goodbye — see you again | |
| 18 | I / me | |
| 19 | you (singular) | |
| 20 | he / she | |
| 21 | we / us | |
| 22 | you (plural) | |
| 23 | they / them | |
| 24 | mother | |
| 25 | father | |
| 26 | sibling / relative / comrade | |
| 27 | friend | |
| 28 | family | |
| 29 | child | |
| 30 | children | |
| 31 | person | |
| 32 | people | |
| 33 | man | |
| 34 | woman | |
| 35 | elder / old person | |
| 36 | doctor | |
| 37 | water | |
| 38 | food | |
| 39 | stiff porridge (staple food, like nsima) | |
| 40 | cooked rice | |
| 41 | uncooked rice | |
| 42 | bread | |
| 43 | meat | |
| 44 | fish | |
| 45 | chicken | |
| 46 | vegetables | |
| 47 | sugar | |
| 48 | salt | |
| 49 | oil / fat | |
| 50 | milk | |
| 51 | tea | |
| 52 | coffee | |
| 53 | banana | |
| 54 | mango | |
| 55 | orange | |
| 56 | beer / alcoholic drink | |
| 57 | cow / cattle | |
| 58 | goat | |
| 59 | pig | |
| 60 | horse | |
| 61 | lion | |
| 62 | elephant | |
| 63 | giraffe | |
| 64 | hippopotamus | |
| 65 | leopard | |
| 66 | snake | |
| 67 | bird | |
| 68 | dog | |
| 69 | cat | |
| 70 | at home / domestic | |
| 71 | sun | |
| 72 | moon / month | |
| 73 | star | |
| 74 | wind | |
| 75 | rain | |
| 76 | cloud | |
| 77 | fire | |
| 78 | sand | |
| 79 | rocks / stones | |
| 80 | river | |
| 81 | sea / ocean | |
| 82 | lake | |
| 83 | mountain | |
| 84 | forest | |
| 85 | head | |
| 86 | eyes | |
| 87 | ears | |
| 88 | nose | |
| 89 | mouth | |
| 90 | teeth | |
| 91 | hand / arm | |
| 92 | leg / foot | |
| 93 | stomach | |
| 94 | heart | |
| 95 | body | |
| 96 | neck | |
| 97 | back | |
| 98 | today | |
| 99 | tomorrow | |
| 100 | yesterday | |
| 101 | day | |
| 102 | night | |
| 103 | morning | |
| 104 | evening | |
| 105 | noon / midday | |
| 106 | year | |
| 107 | week | |
| 108 | Sunday | |
| 109 | Monday | |
| 110 | Tuesday | |
| 111 | Wednesday | |
| 112 | Thursday (from Arabic al-khamis) | |
| 113 | Friday (from Arabic al-Jumu'ah — day of congregation) | |
| 114 | Saturday | |
| 115 | one | |
| 116 | two | |
| 117 | three | |
| 118 | four | |
| 119 | five | |
| 120 | six (from Arabic sitta) | |
| 121 | seven (from Arabic sab'a) | |
| 122 | eight | |
| 123 | nine (from Arabic tis'a) | |
| 124 | ten | |
| 125 | eleven | |
| 126 | twenty | |
| 127 | thirty | |
| 128 | one hundred | |
| 129 | one thousand | |
| 130 | red | |
| 131 | white | |
| 132 | black | |
| 133 | green | |
| 134 | blue | |
| 135 | yellow | |
| 136 | brown | |
| 137 | to go | |
| 138 | to come | |
| 139 | to eat | |
| 140 | to drink | |
| 141 | to sleep | |
| 142 | to see | |
| 143 | to hear | |
| 144 | to say / to speak | |
| 145 | to ask | |
| 146 | to tell | |
| 147 | to help | |
| 148 | to want | |
| 149 | to love / to like | |
| 150 | to hate | |
| 151 | to stay / to sit | |
| 152 | to sing | |
| 153 | to play | |
| 154 | to work | |
| 155 | to ask for / to pray | |
| 156 | to answer / to reply | |
| 157 | to give / to take out | |
| 158 | to take | |
| 159 | to arrive | |
| 160 | to come from / to leave | |
| 161 | to enter | |
| 162 | to buy | |
| 163 | to sell | |
| 164 | to learn | |
| 165 | to teach | |
| 166 | to cry | |
| 167 | to laugh | |
| 168 | house / home | |
| 169 | city / town | |
| 170 | village | |
| 171 | road / street | |
| 172 | car | |
| 173 | train | |
| 174 | work / job | |
| 175 | money | |
| 176 | market | |
| 177 | hospital | |
| 178 | school | |
| 179 | church | |
| 180 | government | |
| 181 | language | |
| 182 | the Swahili language | |
| 183 | English | |
| 184 | French | |
| 185 | words | |
| 186 | sentence | |
| 187 | book | |
| 188 | I don't know | |
| 189 | I would like… / Please… | |
| 190 | I am going to… | |
| 191 | Good morning (morning news) | |
| 192 | Good night / sleep well | |
| 193 | Sorry (sympathy) / I'm sorry | |
| 194 | slowly / take it easy | |
| 195 | no problem / no worries | |
| 196 | God willing | |
| 197 | welcome to East Africa | |
| 198 | you (plural) | |
| 199 | this (person) | |
| 200 | these (people) | |
| 201 | that (person) | |
| 202 | this | |
| 203 | these | |
| 204 | that | |
| 205 | those | |
| 206 | here | |
| 207 | there | |
| 208 | over there / that place | |
| 209 | who? | |
| 210 | what? | |
| 211 | when? | |
| 212 | where? | |
| 213 | how? / what's up? | |
| 214 | why? | |
| 215 | how many? / how much? | |
| 216 | which? / what kind? | |
| 217 | (question marker) | |
| 218 | and / with / by | |
| 219 | or | |
| 220 | but | |
| 221 | because | |
| 222 | to / for / by / with | |
| 223 | in / at / on | |
| 224 | inside | |
| 225 | outside | |
| 226 | on top of / about | |
| 227 | under / below | |
| 228 | in front of | |
| 229 | behind | |
| 230 | near | |
| 231 | far from | |
| 232 | between / among | |
| 233 | after | |
| 234 | before | |
| 235 | together with | |
| 236 | without | |
| 237 | about / concerning | |
| 238 | if / like / as | |
| 239 | so that / in order to | |
| 240 | so / then / well | |
| 241 | also / too | |
| 242 | again / moreover | |
| 243 | still / not yet | |
| 244 | only / just | |
| 245 | very / a lot | |
| 246 | a little / a bit | |
| 247 | more | |
| 248 | now | |
| 249 | then / afterwards | |
| 250 | to do / to make | |
| 251 | to be / to become | |
| 252 | to have | |
| 253 | to get / to obtain | |
| 254 | to know | |
| 255 | to think | |
| 256 | to understand | |
| 257 | to look at / to watch | |
| 258 | to read / to study | |
| 259 | to write | |
| 260 | to wake up | |
| 261 | to stand / to stop | |
| 262 | to walk | |
| 263 | to run | |
| 264 | to jump / to fly | |
| 265 | to leave / to depart | |
| 266 | to return | |
| 267 | to climb / to board / to plant | |
| 268 | to descend / to get off | |
| 269 | to bring | |
| 270 | to send / to take to | |
| 271 | to pay | |
| 272 | to open | |
| 273 | to close / to tie / to fast | |
| 274 | to cook | |
| 275 | to wash (things) | |
| 276 | to bathe | |
| 277 | to clean | |
| 278 | to wear / to put on | |
| 279 | to wait | |
| 280 | to call | |
| 281 | to begin | |
| 282 | to finish | |
| 283 | to stop / to leave / to quit | |
| 284 | to forget | |
| 285 | to remember | |
| 286 | to be happy | |
| 287 | to fear / to be afraid | |
| 288 | to need | |
| 289 | to be able / can | |
| 290 | to try | |
| 291 | to win / to overcome | |
| 292 | to fail / to be unable | |
| 293 | to die | |
| 294 | to give birth / to bear fruit | |
| 295 | to live | |
| 296 | to remove | |
| 297 | to put / to place / to keep | |
| 298 | to arrange / to plan | |
| 299 | to change | |
| 300 | to show | |
| 301 | to hide | |
| 302 | to hit / to strike | |
| 303 | to make a phone call | |
| 304 | to take a photo | |
| 305 | to pull / to smoke | |
| 306 | to push | |
| 307 | to hold / to grab | |
| 308 | to throw | |
| 309 | to cut | |
| 310 | to build | |
| 311 | to break | |
| 312 | to make / to fix | |
| 313 | big / large | |
| 314 | small | |
| 315 | tall / long | |
| 316 | short | |
| 317 | good / beautiful | |
| 318 | bad | |
| 319 | new | |
| 320 | old (things) | |
| 321 | whole / healthy / alive | |
| 322 | hard / difficult | |
| 323 | easy / cheap | |
| 324 | heavy | |
| 325 | light (weight) / easy | |
| 326 | sweet / tasty | |
| 327 | bitter | |
| 328 | cold | |
| 329 | clean / pure / cool | |
| 330 | dirty | |
| 331 | dry | |
| 332 | wet / raw / unripe | |
| 333 | plenty / abundant | |
| 334 | few | |
| 335 | many / much | |
| 336 | all / whole | |
| 337 | other / another | |
| 338 | same / equal / okay | |
| 339 | different | |
| 340 | ready / already | |
| 341 | true / real | |
| 342 | lie / false | |
| 343 | colour | |
| 344 | forty | |
| 345 | fifty | |
| 346 | sixty | |
| 347 | seventy | |
| 348 | eighty | |
| 349 | ninety | |
| 350 | half | |
| 351 | quarter | |
| 352 | first | |
| 353 | second | |
| 354 | last | |
| 355 | hour / clock / time / watch | |
| 356 | minute | |
| 357 | second (time) | |
| 358 | noon | |
| 359 | dawn | |
| 360 | time / period | |
| 361 | time(s) / once | |
| 362 | often | |
| 363 | at once / immediately | |
| 364 | always | |
| 365 | never / completely | |
| 366 | the day before yesterday | |
| 367 | the day after tomorrow | |
| 368 | January | |
| 369 | December | |
| 370 | man | |
| 371 | boy | |
| 372 | girl | |
| 373 | youth / young person | |
| 374 | grandmother / lady | |
| 375 | grandfather | |
| 376 | husband | |
| 377 | wife | |
| 378 | son | |
| 379 | daughter | |
| 380 | neighbour | |
| 381 | guest / stranger / visitor | |
| 382 | teacher | |
| 383 | student | |
| 384 | healer / doctor | |
| 385 | police | |
| 386 | driver | |
| 387 | worker / employee | |
| 388 | farmer | |
| 389 | trader / businessperson | |
| 390 | president | |
| 391 | name | |
| 392 | nation | |
| 393 | face | |
| 394 | eye / eyes | |
| 395 | ear / ears | |
| 396 | tooth / teeth | |
| 397 | tongue | |
| 398 | finger / toe | |
| 399 | blood | |
| 400 | hair | |
| 401 | skin | |
| 402 | door | |
| 403 | window | |
| 404 | room | |
| 405 | table | |
| 406 | chair | |
| 407 | bed | |
| 408 | kitchen / stove | |
| 409 | toilet | |
| 410 | floor | |
| 411 | wall | |
| 412 | roof | |
| 413 | cup | |
| 414 | plate | |
| 415 | spoon | |
| 416 | fork | |
| 417 | knife | |
| 418 | pot | |
| 419 | bottle | |
| 420 | bag | |
| 421 | pen | |
| 422 | paper | |
| 423 | phone | |
| 424 | television | |
| 425 | radio | |
| 426 | lamp / light | |
| 427 | clothes | |
| 428 | shirt | |
| 429 | trousers | |
| 430 | shoes | |
| 431 | hat / cap | |
| 432 | wristwatch | |
| 433 | fruit | |
| 434 | orange | |
| 435 | pineapple | |
| 436 | coconut | |
| 437 | egg / eggs | |
| 438 | potatoes | |
| 439 | tomato | |
| 440 | onion | |
| 441 | world / earth | |
| 442 | path / way | |
| 443 | shop | |
| 444 | mosque | |
| 445 | bank | |
| 446 | farm / field | |
| 447 | clouds | |
| 448 | sky | |
| 449 | land / ground | |
| 450 | tree / trees | |
| 451 | flower / flowers | |
| 452 | stone / stones | |
| 453 | rock | |
| 454 | snow | |
| 455 | animal / animals | |
| 456 | sheep | |
| 457 | donkey | |
| 458 | baboon | |
| 459 | chimpanzee / ape | |
| 460 | rat / mouse | |
| 461 | mosquito | |
| 462 | fly | |
| 463 | bee | |
| 464 | matter / thing / affair | |
| 465 | thing / things | |
| 466 | question / questions | |
| 467 | answer / answers | |
| 468 | word / words | |
| 469 | life | |
| 470 | death | |
| 471 | love | |
| 472 | peace | |
| 473 | war | |
| 474 | strength / power | |
| 475 | freedom | |
| 476 | right / justice | |
| 477 | law | |
| 478 | religion | |
| 479 | God | |
| 480 | joy / happiness | |
| 481 | sadness | |
| 482 | fear | |
| 483 | anger | |
| 484 | pain | |
| 485 | health | |
| 486 | illness / disease | |
| 487 | medicine | |
| 488 | education | |
| 489 | price | |
| 490 | profit / benefit | |
| 491 | loss | |
| 492 | journey / trip | |
| 493 | ship | |
| 494 | bicycle | |
| 495 | motorcycle | |
| 496 | passenger | |
| 497 | ticket | |
| 498 | yes (that's right) | |
| 499 | maybe / perhaps | |
| 500 | quickly / fast |