If you know one language, you're American.
- Anonymous Foreign Twit
OK, the twit isn't entirely wrong. Many Americans only speak one language, and a lot don't have passports either. Look at a map and you'll understand why.
My American-ness notwithstanding, I can muddle through some German (took two years in undergrad, aber wer in Amerika Deutsche sprache?) and the dozen or so French and Italian words at least sounds nice. But most of that won't help in Tanzania.
So while I was dropping $$$ for a new camera lens on Amazon (at nearly $500 I better damn well get free shipping!), I picked up Lonely Planet's Swahili phrasebook. It was fairly inexpensive and I admit it's more than I bargained for.
A lot of phrasebooks are literally just books of phrases: Look up words and hope you don't massacre the language in the process. LP's guide does have plenty of phrases and a dictionary, but it's arranged by situation (dining, medical, sports, etc) and has a fair amount of cultural info to boot (it's considered good form to say hodi when you enter someone's home or office).
If you have the guts, there's also a short section on pronunciation, grammar and word order. (Unlike German, French and Italian, Swahili is more or less gender neutral.) And if you want to know what to say in, um, sexual situations, it's got you covered there too. (Tulia simba! = Easy, lion! ... there are no tigers in TZ.)
A few words and phrases I think will be useful:
jambo - hello
tafadhali - please
asante - thank you
ndiyo - yes
hapana - no
nataka - I would like
kahawa - coffee
wiski - whiskey
asali - honey (I practically collect it)
poa - cool (as in how cool this trip will be)
pole pole - slowly slowly (as in how one should hike up Kili)
bwana - sir
Ni mei gana?- How much is it?ghali sana - too expensive
elfu - 1,000 (very useful when it's 1,300 shillings to the dollar)
kutumia intaneti - Internet access
hatari - danger (also a John Wayne movie)
And a few I hope I don't need...
mwizi - thief
toka! - piss off!
mshenzi - bastard
mkundu - asshole
It's more respectful to tell off the locals in their language. ;)
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