FSI Swahili Basic Course

Master the Swahili Language Today

The FSI Swahili Basic Course is a comprehensive introductory program designed for English-speaking learners seeking foundational proficiency in Swahili. The course covers essential language skills, beginning with a detailed introduction to Swahili sounds—including voiced and unvoiced stops, nasals, and the unique "ng'" sound—ensuring accurate pronunciation from the outset. It progresses through...

Course Contents

Section/Chapter	Page(s)
Unit 1 Routine greeting sequence.	1
Unit 2 Midday greetings.	3
Unit 3 Routine evening greetings.	4
Unit 4 Greetings to a lady.	5
Unit 5 Some variants on the greeting routine.	6
Unit 6 One more common variant in routine greetings.	7
Unit 7 Test	8
Unit 8 Breakfast in the dining room of the hotel.	9
Unit 9 Breakfast at the hotel, revisited.	12
Unit 10 Aramian enters the dining room, in company of his friend Beltrano, who speaks no Swahili.	14
Unit 11 Aramian brings his children into the dining room between meals.	16
Unit 12 One of the hungry children.	19
Unit 13 Luncheon or dinner at the New Africa.	21
Unit 14 Afternoon tea.	27
Unit 15 Bread and butter with the tea.	31
Unit 16 Preparing to buy food at the door.	35
Unit 17 How are the oranges?	41
Unit 18 What do we need?	48
Unit 19 Buying at the door.	52
Unit 20 Where do you live?	58
Unit 21 Where is Morogoro from here?	63
Unit 22 In a village.	66
Unit 23 Where are you going?	72
Unit 24 Where has Juma gone?	76
Unit 25 Gone to pay taxes.	82
Unit 26 Where has Hamisi gone?	86
Unit 27 Who is that?	91
Unit 28 An introduction.	94
Unit 29 Do you know Mr. _?	96
Unit 30 Mr. Ochieng.	101
Unit 31 What kind of work do you do?	104
Unit 32 You're a farmer, aren't you?	108
Unit 33 What do you do with your crops?	112
Unit 34 I'm a cook nowadays.	115
Unit 35 He's a day laborer.	118
Unit 36 Where were you yesterday?	123
Unit 37 What is your tribal background?	129
Unit 38 Where have you been?	133
Unit 39 Do you speak Luo?	135
Unit 40 Planning a holiday trip.	139
Unit 41 Getting ready for church.	147
Unit 42 Trouble in the kitchen.	153
Unit 43 More trouble in the kitchen.	158
Unit 44 Bicycle trouble.	163
Unit 45 Trouble with a pen.	167
Unit 46 I've lost a letter.	171
Unit 47 Broken dishes.	176
Unit 48 Lighting the lamp.	181
Unit 49 Lighting the lamp.	186
Unit 50 I'm not hungry.	190
Unit 51 What grade are you in?!	195
Unit 52 If you don't drink too much...	199
Unit 53 Juma hurt his leg.	204
Unit 54 Where have you been recently?	210
Unit 55 How's the family?	214
Unit 56 When are you coming to see us?	218
Unit 57 Where will you go after your leave?	223
Unit 58 Why didn't you come to see us?	227
Unit 59 Is your wife feeling better?	230
Unit 60 The children have coughs.	234
Unit 61 I don't feel too well.	244
Unit 62 You've hurt your finger!	247
Unit 63 Late to class.	250
Unit 64 Classroom routine.	254
Unit 65 A letter from a student abroad.	258
Unit 66 My parents are going to night school.	263
Unit 67 What is it like at night school?	267
Unit 68 What about the fees?	272
Unit 69 A shortage of professional people.	276
Unit 70 A day off.	280
Unit 71 Let's visit the farm.	286
Unit 72 The farm needs rain and fertilizer.	290
Unit 73 Should I get a crop loan?	294
Unit 74 Farm implements.	299
Unit 75 Times for planting and weeding.	303
Unit 76 Boy or Girl?	307
Unit 77 Prenatal care.	311
Unit 78 Post-natal care.	314
Unit 79 When are you getting married?	317
Unit 80 Come along to the wedding!	321
Unit 81 Getting into town from the airport.	331
Unit 82 A trip to Tanga.	335
Unit 83 How much is the basket?	338
Unit 84 Settling on a price. (continued)	341
Unit 85 Settling on a price. (concluded)	344
Unit 86 Buying trousers.	347
Unit 87 Settling the price of the trousers.	350
Unit 88 Where is the consulate?	354
Unit 89 Where is the consulate? (concluded)	356
Unit 90 Clothes for the laundryman.	357
Unit 91 Doing the wash.	365
Unit 92 A good-looking uniform.	369
Unit 93 Making a bed.	372
Unit 94 The mosquito net.	376
Unit 95 A guest is coming for dinner!!	380
Unit 96 At the table.	383
Unit 97 Washing dishes.	387
Unit 98 Caring for the lawn.	391
Unit 99 Trials of a baby-sitter.	395
Unit 100 Trials of a baby-sitter. (continued)	398
Unit 101 Riding a bicycle on the streets.	407
Unit 102 Conditions of employment.	410
Unit 103 Conditions of employment. (continued)	414
Unit 104 Rearranging the furniture.	418
Unit 105 Planning a trip by car.	422
Unit 106 Planning a trip by car. (continued)	426
Unit 107 In a shoe store.	429
Unit 108 In a shoe store. (continued)	432
Unit 109 In a shoe store. (continued)	436
Unit 110 I live in the country.	440
Unit 111 I live in the country. (continued)	445
Unit 112 You'd better not go hunting without a license.	451
Unit 113 You'd better not go hunting without a license. (continued)	454
Unit 114 Time to get up.	457
Unit 115 Time to get up. (continued)	460
Unit 116 Time to get up. (continued)	464
Unit 117 Where does the highway go?	468
Unit 118 Footpaths can be dangerous.	471
Unit 119 Footpaths can be dangerous. (continued)	474
Unit 120 Footpaths can be dangerous. (continued)	478
Unit 121 Fetching water.	482
Unit 122 Planning a hunting expedition.	485
Unit 123 May I go along?	489
Unit 124 Hunting.	493
Unit 125 Hunting. (continued)	497
Unit 126 Hospitali za mjini.	504
Unit 127 Hospitali za mjini. (continued)	505
Unit 128 Hospitali za mjini. (continued)	506
Unit 129 Uuzaji wa vyakula sokoni.	507
Unit 130 Uuzaji wa vyakula sokoni. (continued)	508
Unit 131 Uuzaji wa vyakula sokoni. (continued)	510
Unit 132 Uuzaji wa vyakula sokoni. (continued)	511
Unit 133 Uuzaji wa vyakula sokoni. (continued)	512
Unit 134 Mabadiliko mjini Dar es Salaam.	513
Unit 135 Mabadiliko mjini Dar es Salaam. (continued)	514
Unit 136 Mabadiliko mjini Dar es Salaam. (continued)	516
Unit 137 Mabadiliko mjini Dar es Salaam. (continued)	517
Unit 138 Mabadiliko mjini Dar es Salaam. (continued)	519
Unit 139 Duka la nguo.	520
Unit 140 Duka la nguo. (continued)	521
Unit 141 Duka la nguo. (continued)	523
Unit 142 Duka la nguo. (continued)	524
Unit 143 Duka la nguo. (continued)	525
Unit 144 Watu wazima na maendeleo.	526
Unit 145 Watu wazima na maendeleo. (continued)	528
Unit 146 Watu wazima na maendeleo. (continued)	529
Unit 147 Watu wazima na maendeleo. (continued)	531
Unit 148 Safari ya kwenda bara.	532
Unit 149 Safari ya kwenda bara. (continued)	534
Unit 150 Safari ya kwenda bara. (continued)	536
Glossary Glossary	538

Contains Swahili textbooks and Swahili audio files

There are around 132 audio files and 587 pages of Swahili language instruction workbook/pdf. Plenty of audio, structured lessons, and clear learning units — everything you need to stay on track and make real progress.

15hrs+

Hours of Audio

🎧

587

Pages of Instruction

📚

150

Learning Units

📖

6 mths+

Completion Time

⏳

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What is in the FSI Swahili Basic course?

Curious about how to start learning Swahili from scratch? The FSI Swahili Basic course offers a thorough step-by-step path. It guides learners from simple greetings and basic conversations to more complex structures and real-life scenarios. Created by the Foreign Service Institute, this resource is both structured and detailed, aiming to help you communicate with confidence.

Main Language Learning Topics and Skills

This material covers a wide range of essential language skills. Early sections focus on pronunciation, basic vocabulary, and simple sentence patterns. As you move forward, you encounter more challenging dialogues, vocabulary expansion, and practical topics. You’ll be practicing listening, speaking, reading, and writing. There’s a strong emphasis on active use of Swahili in realistic contexts.

Some of the main skills addressed include:

- Building sentences for everyday situations

- Asking and answering questions

- Describing locations and actions

- Expressing needs and wants

- Talking about past, present, and completed actions

- Using numbers and counting in practical contexts

The lessons don’t stop at isolated phrases. Instead, they encourage you to connect ideas and communicate with increasing independence.

Focused Grammar Points, Vocabulary Themes, and Culture

Pronunciation and Sounds

The course begins by helping you get comfortable with Swahili sounds. There’s special attention to how certain consonants are produced. For example, the course explains voiced and unvoiced stops, nasal sounds, and some unique features like the “ng’” sound, which can appear at the start of a word in Swahili. You’ll practice through clear examples (e.g., “baba” for ‘father’, “ng’ombe” for ‘ox’).

Grammar Features

Throughout the material, grammar is introduced in manageable pieces. Some highlights include:

- Verb forms and tense markers: You’ll see the difference between actions happening now (“-na-” tense) and actions that are done (“-me-” tense). For example, “Juma anakwenda wapi?” (Where is Juma going?) versus “Juma amekwenda wapi?” (Where has Juma gone?).

- Negation: There’s a careful explanation of how to negate different tenses. For example, using “sijalipa” (I haven’t paid) as the negative form of “nimelipa” (I have paid).

- Agreement and concord: Swahili uses noun classes that affect how adjectives, verbs, and even numbers behave. You get plenty of practice matching adjectives and numbers to noun classes, such as “machungwa mawili” (two oranges) or “ndizi mbili” (two bananas).

- Infinitive verbs: You’ll learn how to use infinitives after verbs like “-taka” (to want), for example, “Juma anataka kununua vyakula” (Juma wants to buy food).

- Prepositions and location: The course teaches direction words (north, south, east, west), and how to use “-ko” with nouns to ask where things or people are.

- Use of special adjectives: Some adjectives like “tayari” (ready) don’t take the usual prefixes, and this is addressed directly.

Vocabulary Themes

Vocabulary grows with each unit. Some of the main themes include:

- Places: market, home, village, town, district office

- Food: oranges, bananas, eggs, bread, tea, meat, coconuts, pineapples, mangoes

- Everyday actions: buying, paying taxes, going places, checking availability of goods

- Numbers: counting from one to five and using these numbers with different noun classes

Cultural Elements

While the primary focus is on language, cultural hints appear throughout. For instance, the dialogues mention going to markets, paying various types of taxes and fees (like “kodi ya nyumba” for house tax or “ada ya shule” for school fees), and practices around shopping and bargaining. The vocabulary also reflects everyday life in East Africa, giving you context for how Swahili is actually used.

How Learning Happens: Methods and Approach

The FSI Swahili Basic course takes a clear, structured approach. Each unit is built around dialogues and practical situations. These conversations are presented first, then broken down for detailed study. You’ll find side-by-side translations, pronunciation notes, and grammar explanations.

Exercises throughout encourage you to substitute words, change sentences from affirmative to negative, and practice with different forms. There’s a lot of pattern drilling, but also plenty of opportunities for guided conversation and role-play.

You’re not left to guess at rules. Every new structure comes with explanations and examples. When a new point is introduced—like the use of “-me-” for completed actions—it’s shown in context and followed up with practice sentences.

Progress is measured by your ability to use what you’ve learned in new situations. You’ll be asked to create questions, answer prompts, and build on previous material. There’s a strong sense of building blocks—each lesson prepares you for the next.

How Difficulty Grows and Concepts Build

The course starts with the basics and adds complexity step by step. Early units focus on pronunciation, greetings, and the most common words. As you move forward, new grammar points and vocabulary are layered onto what you’ve already learned.

For example, you begin by learning how to say where you’re going (“Ninakwenda sokoni”—I’m going to the market), then you add the ability to ask about direction, describe what you want to buy, and discuss how many items you need. Later on, you learn to talk about whether you have already done something or not, using the present perfect and its negative.

Numbers, noun classes, and verb conjugations are introduced gradually, giving you time to adjust before adding another layer. Dialogues get more involved, and the vocabulary becomes richer. By the later units, you’re handling more advanced topics like paying taxes or discussing changes in prices.

Frequent review and practice help reinforce earlier material. Each new unit connects back to what you practiced before, so nothing gets left behind.

Who Will Benefit and What You Need to Know Before Starting

This material is ideal for anyone who wants a solid foundation in Swahili. Beginners with no previous experience will find the explanations clear and the progression manageable. It helps to have some patience and a willingness to repeat and practice, since there’s a lot of pattern work.

If you’re planning to travel, work, or live in East Africa—or you just want to communicate with Swahili speakers—this course gives you the tools to manage everyday interactions. You’ll get used to the rhythm and logic of the language, not just memorize phrases.

No special background is required, but a basic understanding of language-learning concepts (like what a verb or noun is) will be useful. Since there are 150 units and the estimated time to complete is at least six months, it’s a commitment. But with regular practice, you’ll see steady progress.

All in all, this resource is a thorough guide for those serious about learning Swahili. Whether your goal is conversation, travel, or cultural understanding, you’ll find a clear path forward here.