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 native-speaker 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.
| English | Swahili | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| the apple | tuffaha | I eat the apple. Ninakula tuffaha. |
| the book | kitabu | She reads the book. Anasoma kitabu. |
| the cat | paka | The cat is sleeping. Paka analala. |
| the dog | mbwa | The dog is barking. Mbwa anabweka. |
| the car | gari | He drives the car. Anaendesha gari. |
| the house | nyumba | We live in a house. Tunaishi katika nyumba. |
| the chair | kiti | She sits on the chair. Anaketi kwenye kiti. |
| the table | meza | Put the book on the table. Weka kitabu kwenye meza. |
| the window | dirisha | Open the window. Fungua dirisha. |
| the door | mlango | Close the door. Funga mlango. |
| the pencil | penseli | I write with the pencil. Ninaandika kwa penseli. |
| the paper | karatasi | The paper is on the table. Karatasi ipo kwenye meza. |
| the school | shule | The school is big. Shule ni kubwa. |
| the teacher | mwalimu | The teacher teaches math. Mwalimu anafundisha hisabati. |
| the student | mwanafunzi | The student is studying. Mwanafunzi anasoma. |
| the boy | mvulana | The boy is playing. Mvulana anacheza. |
| the girl | msichana | The girl is singing. Msichana anaimba. |
| the adult | mtu mzima | The adult is working. Mtu mzima anafanya kazi. |
| the friend | rafiki | My friend is here. Rafiki yangu yupo hapa. |
| the tree | mti | The tree is tall. Mti ni mrefu. |
| to accept | kukubali |
| to add | kuongeza |
| to agree | kukubaliana |
| to allow | kuruhusu |
| to ask | kuomba |
| to believe | kuamini |
| to borrow | kuazima |
| to break | kuvunja |
| to bring | kuleta |
| to build | kujenga |
| I like apples | Ninapenda tufaha |
| She is my friend | Yeye ni rafiki yangu |
| It is a sunny day | Ni siku yenye jua |
| He runs fast | Anakimbia haraka |
| We are happy | Tuna furaha |
| They play soccer | Wanacheza soka |
Every word narrated and illustrated – read along and repeat.
All vocabulary as audio – including a 3x repetition version, perfect for learning while you sleep.
All words and sentences to look up and read offline.
Spaced-repetition system like flashcards – reviews exactly when you need them.
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 native-speaker audio.