Swahili (Kenya)→English

Translate Swahili (Kenya) to English the way locals mean it.

In Kenyan Swahili, borrowed words, casual softeners, and indirect constructions can make a message sound more literal or more blunt in a textbook translation than the speaker intends.

Going the other way? English to Swahili (Kenya)

474 local dialects

AIRTranslate on iPhone choosing between Swahili varieties

What locals actually say

Uko fiti?

You good?

“Fiti” is a casual English loan meaning okay, well, or all right here, not physically fit.

Usijali, nitakushow.

Don’t worry, I’ll let you know.

“Show” is used as a casual verb meaning tell or inform someone, not display something.

Si ati nimekasirika, lakini hii si poa.

I’m not saying I’m angry, but this isn’t okay.

“Si ati” softens a complaint by denying the strongest version first, so the speaker is still clearly objecting.

Niko broke leo, nitakulipa kesho.

I'm broke today, I'll pay you tomorrow.

The English loanword “broke” is commonly mixed into casual Kenyan Swahili and signals an informal money-related register.

Panda matatu ya tao, ushukie Archives.

Take a matatu to town and get off at Archives.

“Matatu” names Kenya's shared minibuses, while “tao” is a Kenyan colloquial term for the town centre or CBD.

Tupige nyama choma na kachumbari jioni.

Let's have nyama choma and kachumbari this evening.

Using “kupiga” with food is a casual Kenyan construction meaning to have or eat something, and the dish names are strongly associated with Kenyan everyday culture.

Buda yangu ako ushago kwa mapumziko.

My dad is upcountry for the holidays.

“Buda” is a casual Kenyan term for father, while “ushago” refers to one's rural home or upcountry, signalling Kenyan colloquial speech.

Leo kuna baridi mbaya, vaa sweater.

It's really cold today, wear a sweater.

“Baridi mbaya” uses “mbaya” as a colloquial intensifier, a common Kenyan way to stress that the cold is severe.

Notes like these come with every AIRTranslate translation, so you learn why locals phrase it that way as you go.

How Swahili (Kenya) differs

Kenyan Swahili. Standard Swahili for formal text; casual register may carry Nairobi flavour and common English loanwords locals mix in (sawa, poa, fiti); avoid deep Sheng slang unless the source is clearly street-casual.

Sound like a local everywhere, not just here.

Every one of 474 dialects, with voice, camera, a keyboard for any app, and offline packs.

Choosing Spanish (Peru) from 471 local variants

Localization Notes explaining why locals say it that way