Hello in Swahili – “Habari?” and 14 More Swahili Greetings (and Their Response!)

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Swahili has many ways to say “hello”, from asking about someone’s news to greeting an elder respectfully. Here are 15 greetings and the replies you can use.

When you’re learning a new language, one of the first things you’ll want to know is how to say “hello.” Salutations are an essential part of the Swahili language and culture, and Swahili is so rich in different types of hellos that conversations of greetings can continue for minutes.

If you’re planning a trip to Tanzania or Kenya, or want to greet a Swahili-speaking friend, these phrases will help you start a conversation.

Say “Hello” in Swahili to Your Friends: Colloquial Swahili Greetings

Swahili greetings often ask about someone’s news, day, work or family. The best choice depends on region, age, relationship and setting, so treat these as useful patterns rather than scripts with one compulsory response.

1. Habari?

Habari literally means “news”.

Habari can be used in many different sentences, such as Habari za asubuhi/mchana/jioni? (literally “[What is] the news of the morning/afternoon/evening?”). This expresses how English speakers would say “good morning/afternoon/evening.”

Swahili has several noun classes, and agreement can affect nouns, verbs and adjectives. In habari za asubuhi, the form za agrees with plural-class habari; it can’t be replaced with any linker before any noun without checking the construction.

Habari will sometimes be used alone (as just Habari?) or may be removed when a phrase trails after it, creating questions like Za kwako? and Za jioni?

Standard response: Nzuri

2. Mambo?

Literally meaning “things” or “affairs,” mambo is the plural form of jambo. It’s one of the most commonly used greetings in casual Swahili speech.

Jambo is widely understood and often taught to visitors, but adults speaking naturally with one another may prefer greetings such as habari or mambo. It isn’t wrong; it can simply sound tourist-oriented in some settings.

Standard response: Mazuri or poa (“cool”)

3. Vipi?

Vipi literally means “how?” and can be used alone or in combination with another word or phrase. For example, you can pair it with mambo to become Mambo vipi? It’s as casual as “How’s it going?”

There is no particular standard reply, so you can respond with whatever you like from the section “Beyond the Standard Responses” below.

4. Upo?

“You are [here]?” This is a contextual phrase that’s hard to translate literally and threw me off the first time I came across it. “Of course I’m here. You see me right here,” I thought.

However, I quickly realised this is another common greeting to ask how you are. It’s now one of my favourites for its simplicity and shortness!

It may also be used if the speaker hasn’t seen the listener for a bit.

If you’re greeting two or more people, say Mpo? instead. You may also hear -ko replacing -po (resulting in Uko?, etc.). Which form you hear more often depends on the region and setting.

Standard response: Nipo (“I am” – for one person) or tupo (“we are” – for two or more people)

5. Niambie

Niambie! (“Tell me!”) This enthusiastic greeting is usually short for sentences like niambie habari yako (“tell me your news”). It’s not a question, but it’s still inquiring about how you are, usually between people who are already on friendly terms with each other.

You may also hear sema (“say”) used in the same way as niambie in this case.

There’s no single set response, so you can reply with nzuri (“good”, referring to the implied habari), niko poa (“I’m cool”), or sina jipya (“I don’t have anything new”).

6. Inakuwaje?

“How is it?” This is just about the same phrase as used in certain dialects of English.

Standard response: Poa or vizuri

7. Unaendeleaje?

Unaendeleaje? translates to “How have you been progressing?” It’s similar to the English “How have things been going?”

This can show interest in how things are going for the person you’re speaking with. How personal it feels depends on the relationship and situation, so listen to how people around you use it.

You may also hear Unaendelea vipi? with vipi in place of -je. Some other forms have a similar alternative, but don’t assume the swap always sounds natural as a greeting. If you’re speaking to multiple people, say Mnaendeleaje?

Standard response: Ninaendelea vizuri or simply vizuri

8. Umeamkaje?

This is a common morning greeting. Like the English “How did you sleep?”, Umeamkaje? (“How did you wake up?”) asks how someone is doing at the start of the day.

You can also ask Umelalaje? (“How did you sleep?”). Which greeting you hear more often depends on the people and the setting.

When greeting two or more people, use Mmeamkaje? instead.

Standard response: Nimeamka vizuri, vizuri, or salama (“peaceful”)

9.Umeshindaje?

This phrase asks, “How did you spend the day?” It’s similar to asking, “How was your day?”

Like the other phrases above, it is used to dig a little deeper. It is often used between friends, family, and community members. When asking this to multiple people, say Mmeshindaje?

Standard response: Nimeshinda vizuri or simply vizuri

Beyond the Standard Responses

You may have noticed that there is a vast array of different standard responses.

Responses such as salama, safi and poa are flexible, but usage varies by region, generation and greeting. Listen to how people around you respond instead of treating the list as a universal scale of slanginess.

• Salama (“peaceful”)
• Safi (“clean”)
• Poa (“cool”)
• Freshi (“fresh”)
• Shwari (“calm”)

For example, someone asking Habari za asubuhi? or Mambo? may get a casual poa in reply. To Upo?, you could say nipo poa. These are useful patterns to listen for, not a way to rank how “hip” a greeting sounds.

Learn a greeting together with a reply you’re comfortable using.

You’ll hear short responses like these in casual conversations, but their use depends on the greeting and the people speaking.

With an older person or in a formal setting, a conventional reply is a useful starting point. Listen for what the other person uses rather than choosing a response solely by age.

Also, this list is not exhaustive. The responses include a vast array of street slang that is always evolving. While I was living in Tanzania, it seemed every month I learned a new slang response, like mzuka or bie. These vary depending on what part of the Swahili-speaking world you are in or where the person you are talking to is from.

You can modify a reply with sana (“very”) or kabisa (“completely/totally”) for emphasis, while tu means “just/only” and can soften the response. Examples include nzuri sana (“very good”), niko poa kabisa (“I’m completely fine”) and salama tu (“just fine”).

A brief positive reply is common in routine greetings, even on a difficult day. You don’t have to pretend everything is fine, though; how much you share depends on who you’re talking to.

With someone you’re close to, you can use siyo poa sana (“not very good”) or hivyo hivyo tu (roughly “so-so/just okay”), then explain how things are going.

Polite Greetings

Learning polite and formal Swahili is equally important as learning the colloquialisms.

Why?

These respectful greetings have conventional replies, though real conversations can still vary with place and context.

10. Hujambo?

This greeting has roots in the word jambo introduced above and is a mildly formal way to greet someone. It’s more similar to “hello” than the colloquial “hi” in English.

The equivalent when speaking to multiple people is Hamjambo? This is often used when talking to strangers you don’t want to sound too casual with, when giving a speech, or when an older person greets a younger person.

Standard response: Sijambo (for one person) or hatujambo (for two or more people)

11. Shikamoo

Age and status can matter in Swahili greetings. In many Tanzanian and coastal Kenyan settings, a younger person uses shikamoo to show respect to an elder or someone in authority. Customs vary, so pay attention to local usage.

A child may use this toward an adult, a student toward a teacher, a young adult to an elderly neighbour, a citizen to an elected official, an employee to a boss, etc.

When greeting a group respectfully, you may hear shikamooni, the plural form. Shikamoo addressed to the group is also used; the reply is still marahaba.

Standard response: Marahaba

12. As-salaamu Alaikum

As-salaamu alaikum is common among Muslims across the Swahili-speaking world, with wa alaikum salaam as the traditional response. Spelling and pronunciation vary.

Standard response: Wa alaikum salaam

Other Greetings

We’ve covered greetings for everyday conversations. Here are a few more for particular situations.

Check them out below!

13. Hodi

Call hodi before entering someone’s home or room, to announce yourself and ask to come in. It works rather like “knock knock” or “Hello, anyone home?” You can also repeat it: hodi hodi.

If you are the listener, respond with “welcome”: karibu (to one person) or karibuni (to two or more people).

14. Habari za Siku Nyingi?

Habari za Siku Nyingi? is a Swahili version of “long time, no see,” and literally means, “What’s the news of many days?” The response would be the same as the other habari expressions in the first part of this article.

You may also be greeted with siku nyingi sijakuona, (“Many days I have not seen you.”). If you’re very close with the other person, you can almost jokingly accuse them with Mbona huonekani? (“Why don’t you appear?”).

There’s no standard response, and you can just greet the person back however you like.

15. Pole na Kazi

Pole na kazi acknowledges someone’s effort: roughly, ‘sorry for the work’ or ‘well done for your hard work’. A natural response is asante. It isn’t exactly the same as Japanese otsukaresama, though the situations can overlap.

Sample Conversation

Greeting routines can be longer than in English, especially when people ask after family, work or the day. How long they continue depends on the relationship and situation; jumping straight to business can feel abrupt, but there isn’t one compulsory script.

Here are two short examples.

Note that the second person uses a different greeting from the first.

Example Dialogue 1: Between Friends

A: Upo?
B: Nipo. Mambo poa?
A: Mambo poa kabisa. Habari za familia?
B: Nzuri sana. Za kwako?
A: Salama tu.

Example Dialogue 2: Between a Younger and Older Neighbour

A: Shikamoo.
B: Marahaba. Hujambo?
A: Sijambo, asante. Habari za mchana?
B: Safi sana. Habari za kazi?
A: Nzuri.

“Hello” in Swahili

There you have it! 15 greetings to use in Swahili.

Don’t worry if you can’t remember all of these phrases right now. If you’re just starting to learn Swahili, choose a couple of greetings and use them until you get the hang of them.

If you are more experienced, try testing out a new greeting every now and then.

Swahili is spoken across diverse communities, so no single national personality describes everyone you’ll meet. Learn a couple of greetings, notice what people around you use and adapt as you go.

For structured audio lessons, try SwahiliPod101. If you want a plan for turning phrases into conversations, join the Fluent in 3 Months Bootcamp.