Around 1000 words are enough to understand roughly 85% of everyday speech. That is exactly what 1000 Words focuses on: instead of endless grammar tables, you first learn the Swahili vocabulary you will actually meet in real life – nouns, verbs, adjectives and full sentences, each with translation, example sentence and audio.
Learn the way that fits your day: as a video to read along, as an audiobook for your commute or for falling asleep, as an ebook, or with the built-in vocabulary trainer that shows you every word again at the scientifically optimal moment (spaced repetition). Everything is available on the website and in the free app for iOS and Android.
You will start with everyday Swahili words like the food (chakula), the drink (kinywaji), the cup (kikombe) — the vocabulary that appears most often in real conversations.
| English | Swahili | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| the food | chakula | The food is delicious. Chakula ni kitamu. |
| the drink | kinywaji | I want a drink. Ninataka kinywaji. |
| the cup | kikombe | The cup is full. Kikombe kimejaa. |
| the bottle | chupa | The bottle is empty. Chupa ni tupu. |
| the plate | sahani | The plate is clean. Sahani ni safi. |
| the spoon | kijiko | I use a spoon. Ninatumia kijiko. |
| the fork | uma | I eat with a fork. Ninakula kwa uma. |
| the knife | kisu | The knife is sharp. Kisu ni kikali. |
| the breakfast | kiamsha kinywa | I eat breakfast. Ninakula kiamsha kinywa. |
| the lunch | chakula cha mchana | We have lunch at noon. Tunakula chakula cha mchana adhuhuri. |
| the dinner | chakula cha jioni | They eat dinner together. Wanakula chakula cha jioni pamoja. |
| the bread | mkate | I buy bread. Ninanunua mkate. |
| the butter | siagi | I put butter on the bread. Ninaweka siagi kwenye mkate. |
| the cheese | jibini | I eat cheese. Ninakula jibini. |
| the milk | maziwa | I drink milk. Ninakunywa maziwa. |
| the coffee | kahawa | I drink coffee in the morning. Ninakunywa kahawa asubuhi. |
| the tea | chai | I like tea. Ninapenda chai. |
| the juice | juisi | I drink juice. Ninakunywa juisi. |
| the soda | soda | I drink soda. Ninakunywa soda. |
| the rice | wali | I eat rice. Ninakula wali. |
The 100 most important Swahili words →
The 100 most important Swahili verbs →
| to borrow | kuazima |
| to buy | kununua |
| to clean | kusafisha |
| to close | kufunga |
| to cook | kupika |
| to do | kufanya |
| to drink | kunywa |
| to eat | kula |
| to find | kupata |
| to get | kupata |
| She is my friend | Yeye ni rafiki yangu |
| They have fun together | Wanafurahi pamoja |
| We eat lunch together | Tunakula chakula cha mchana pamoja |
| She smiles a lot | Anatabasamu sana |
| He tells funny jokes | Anasema utani wa kuchekesha |
| I visit my friends | Ninatembelea rafiki zangu |
Every word narrated and illustrated – read along and repeat.
All vocabulary as audio – including a 3x repetition version, perfect for listening before you fall asleep.
All words and sentences to look up and read offline.
Spaced-repetition system like flashcards – reviews exactly when you need them.
Type your own words – AI translates them, adds example sentences and the trainer practises them with you.
Short stories built from the words you already know, with audio and tap-to-explain.
Download Premium content and keep learning without internet.
With the 1000 most frequent words you understand about 85% of everyday spoken language. That is why 1000 Words focuses exactly on this core vocabulary – organized into nouns, verbs & adjectives and full sentences.
Research shows the brain consolidates previously learned material during sleep. Our audiobooks with triple repetition are made for this: listen in the evening, relax, and anchor what you learned. Read more in our article on learning while you sleep.
Yes, getting started is free: parts of the videos and audiobooks, the vocabulary trainer, the matching game and previews of all content. Premium unlocks everything – including downloads for offline mode.
For beginners and returners (level A1–B1) who want to build a usable Swahili vocabulary fast – without grammar overload, with audio.