Stuff You Can Say In siSwati

Greetings

Plural/Formal:
Sanibonani! Hello!
Yebo! Hello back! Literally, "Yes."
Ninjani? How are you all? Literally "They are how?"
Siyaphila, nine ninjani? We're fine, how are you all?
Natsi siyaphila. We are also fine.

Singular/Informal 

Sawubona! Hello!
Yebo! Hello back! 
Kunjani? How are you?
Ngiyaphila, wena kunjani? I'm fine, how are you?
Nami ngiyaphila. I am also fine.
Useful Words and Phrases

 Yebo. Yes. Yebo pela! Super yes!
Cha*. No
Hamba kahle***. Go well.
Sala kahle. Stay well.
Sitobonana futsi. We'll see you later. Sitobonana kusasa. We'll see you tomorrow.
Sitobuya. We will return.
Ngiyakhuluma** kancane siSwati. I speak a little siSwati.
Angivisisi. I don't understand.
Angati. I don't know.
Utokwendani namuhla? What will you do today?
Ngiyabonga kakhulu. Thank you very much.
Kuyashisa kakhulu. It's wicked hot.
Kuyamoya. It's windy.
Kuyanuka. It smells/stinks.
Ngidziniwe. I'm tired.
Ngomile. I'm thirsty.
Ngilambile. I'm hungry.
Kudla kumnandzi. The food is delicious!
Ngifisa kunatsa tjwala. I want to drink beer.
Ngifisa kunatsa tjwala kakhulu. I want to drink a lot of beer.
Phangisa! Hurry!
Musa! Don't!
Thulani! You all be quiet!
Sitosala i-shelter. We'll get off at the bus shelter.
Amalini? How much?
Ayadura. Expensive.
Anginalutfo. I have nothing.
Angifuni. I don't want it.
Kulungile. OK.
Akunankinga. No worries.
Ngitzandza** i-Kaizer Chiefs. I love the Kaiser Chiefs (a mandatory allegiance, according to our siSwati teacher)

 *ch and c are clicks, Use your tongues to make a "tsk" sound then put the vowel sound at the end.
**ng at the beginning of a word (Ngi- means "I") is pronounced like the ng at the end of the English word "song." In the middle of a word, the ng is more like it is in the word English.
*** hl is pretty much unpronounceable by English language speakers. Put your tongue on the roof of your mouth and blow air out the sides. This is pretty much the sound. K sounds like the g in good. Kh is a hard k, like in kite.

 Also note that ph is p as in pea, and th is t as in time. I is pronounced like ee in knee. E is generally approximate at ay as i lay. So, phanisa, pah-knee-suh. Kulungile, goo-loon-ghee-lay. This are not true phonetic guides, but an approximation. 









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