Latest / Learn Swahili with Fexingo / Ordering Mandazi in Swahili
Transcript
- Lucas: Welcome back to Learn Swahili with Fexingo. I'm Lucas. Luna: And I'm Luna. Episode 164. Can you believe it? Lucas: I know. And speaking of things I can't believe — I'm still thinking about those samosas from a few episodes ago. Luna: Oh, the sambusa ya nyama. Yes. But today I'm craving something sweet. Something fried. Lucas: Mandazi? Luna: Yes! Mandazi. That's exactly what I want to learn how to order today. Lucas: Perfect. Mandazi are those soft, slightly sweet fried breads — almost like doughnuts. You find them everywhere in East Africa, from street stalls to cafés. Luna: And they're amazing with chai. Lucas: Absolutely. So let's start simple. The phrase: Nataka mandazi. That means 'I want mandazi.' Luna: Nataka mandazi. Lucas: Good. Emphasize the 'da' — man da zi. Nataka mandazi. Luna: Nataka mandazi. Lucas: Now, if you want a specific number, say Mandazi matatu, tafadhali. 'Three mandazi, please.' Luna: Mandazi matatu, tafadhali. Lucas: Beautiful. The word for three is tatu, but with mandazi, which is in the M-wa class, it becomes matatu. You'll get the hang of it. Luna: So if I wanted two, would I say mandazi mawili? Lucas: Exactly. Mandazi mawili. Or five: mandazi matano. But let's stick with three for now. Luna: Okay. Mandazi matatu, tafadhali. Lucas: Now, to ask the price: Bei gani ya mandazi? 'How much for the mandazi?' Luna: Bei gani ya mandazi? Lucas: And the answer might be: Mandazi ni shilingi mia moja. 'Mandazi are one hundred shillings each.' Luna: So for three, that's three hundred. Lucas: Right. And you can say Asante sana — 'Thank you very much.' Luna: Asante sana. Lucas: Let's put it together. Imagine you're at a café. You walk up and say... Luna: Nataka mandazi. Lucas: The vendor asks how many. You say... Luna: Mandazi matatu, tafadhali. Lucas: Then you ask the price. Luna: Bei gani ya mandazi? Lucas: They say: Mandazi ni shilingi mia moja. You thank them. Luna: Asante sana. Lucas: Perfect. You just ordered mandazi like a pro. Luna: This is great. And you know, if Fexingo has been helping you make actual progress with Swahili, a couple of dollars a month is genuinely what keeps these going — buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo, if you've gotten something out of them. Lucas: Yeah, it really makes a difference. Every little bit helps us keep making these episodes ad-free. Luna: Exactly. Now, back to mandazi. Can you say the whole exchange one more time, slowly? Lucas: Sure. Nataka mandazi. Mandazi matatu, tafadhali. Bei gani ya mandazi? Mandazi ni shilingi mia moja. Asante sana. Luna: Nataka mandazi. Mandazi matatu, tafadhali. Bei gani ya mandazi? Mandazi ni shilingi mia moja. Asante sana. Lucas: You nailed it. Now, what if you want mandazi na chai — mandazi and tea? Luna: Nataka mandazi na chai. Lucas: There you go. Or mandazi ya nazi — coconut mandazi. Luna: Ooh, that sounds good. Mandazi ya nazi, tafadhali. Lucas: I love that. So today we learned: Nataka mandazi, Mandazi matatu tafadhali, Bei gani ya mandazi, Mandazi ni shilingi mia moja, and Asante sana. Luna: Five phrases. And I already want to use them at the next café. Lucas: Do it. And if you want more, check out Fexingo for more episodes. Practice these till we chat again. Luna: Kwaheri! Lucas: Kwaheri.