While you can probably get along very well in English it is always fun to know a little of the native language. We have included some words to know as well as some phrases that could save your life or at least get you a cold drink (which just might save your life). Although Kiswahili is a proper language it is only spoken on the coast. The rest of Kenya uses "kitchen Swahili" which is a very basic language with no use of past or future tenses. Since the language was originally written down by the British colonists things sound just like they look. Be warned that if you get to know a little Swahili and practice it in Kenya you will come probably have someone speak back to you at a million words per minute and may end up agreeing to marry the local Prince.

For starters

• Hello - Jambo! (say it loud, say it proud)
• How are you? - Habari? (sometimes said as a greeting as well 'What's the news?')
• Where is the bathroom? - Iko wapi choo? (where = wapi)
• OK/fine - Sawa sawa
• Yes - Ndiyo (try to skip the 'N', don't put a lot of effort into it)
• No - Hapana (use this often)
• Good - Mzuri (To say 'very good' you add 'sana' and get 'mzuri sana')
• Bad - Mbaya - (again, 'very bad' would be 'mbaya sana')
• Please - Tafadali (Although you will hear this very rarely by locals)
• Thank you (very much) - Asante (sana) (the 'e' is the stressed and sounds like 'eh?'
• Not Yet - Bado (what you will here when your room is not ready)

More

• Big / Small - Kubwa / Kidogo
• Water - Maji (see, we told you it could save your life!)
• Ice - Barafu (very useful and sometimes hard to find)
• Hot - Moto (this is physical heat not chemical. 'Kali' is for hot food)
• Cold - Baridi ('Nataka beera baridi sana' - ' I want a cold beer')

Food

• Tea - Chai (served everyday at 4pm. 'Chai' also means a bribe but don't bribe anyone with tea.)
• Coffee - Kahawa
• Milk - Maziwa
• Meat - Nyama ('Nyama choma' is cooked meat, a BBQ if you will and goat meat at that.)
• Beer - Bia (beera) or pombe (Try the local beer, Tusker)

Animals

• Lion - Simba
• Buffalo - Nyati
• Elephant - Tembo
• Rhino - Kifaro (or just 'faro')
• Leopard - Chui (pronounced 'chew-ee')
• Giraffe - Twiga
• Hippo - Kiboko
• Antelope - Swala
• Bird - Ndegi - Bird (also airplane)
• Cheetah - Ndoa Ndoa, Duma
• Bug - Dudu ("dudu kufa" would be "dead bug")