Latest / Learn Swahili with Fexingo / Swahili Professions - Doctor Teacher
Transcript
- Lucas: Welcome back to Learn Swahili with Fexingo. I'm Lucas. Luna: And I'm Luna. Episode 67! We're getting really good at this, Lucas. Lucas: We really are. Last time we covered drinks—maji, chai, juisi. I think today we can talk about something a little more personal: jobs and professions. Luna: Oh, that's useful. So I can tell people what I do. Lucas: Exactly. Let's start with a basic question you'll hear: 'Wewe ni nani?' It means 'Who are you?'—but in context, it's like 'What do you do?' Luna: Wewe ni nani? Lucas: Great. Now answer: 'Mimi ni daktari.' That's 'I am a doctor.' Luna: Mimi ni daktari. I am a doctor. But I'm not a doctor in real life—I just like the word. It sounds strong. Lucas: It does. Daktari. Let's try another profession: mwalimu, meaning teacher. Luna: Mwalimu. That reminds me of our Swahili teacher back in school. Lucas: Perfect connection. So if you want to say 'He is a teacher,' it's 'Yeye ni mwalimu.' Luna: Yeye ni mwalimu. He is a teacher. Lucas: Now one more: mhandisi—engineer. Luna: Mhandisi. That one's a bit of a mouthful. Mhandisi... Lucas: You got it. So let's put it all together. I'll ask you: 'Wewe ni nani?' Luna: Mimi ni mhandisi. Lucas: Hmm, you're an engineer today? I thought you were a doctor. Luna: I'm versatile. But okay, let me stick with one: Mimi ni mwalimu. I'm a teacher. Lucas: There you go. Now, if Fexingo has been helping you make actual progress with Swahili, remember that these episodes stay ad-free thanks to listener support. You can buy me a coffee at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It really helps keep the show going. Luna: Yeah, it's a small way to say thank you and keep the learning going. Anyway, back to professions. Can we practice with 'Yeye ni'? Lucas: Sure. 'Yeye ni daktari.' Luna: Yeye ni daktari. She is a doctor. Lucas: Or he. Swahili doesn't distinguish gender in that pronoun. Now let's try a short conversation. Imagine you meet someone new. Luna: Okay, I'll be the new person. 'Wewe ni nani?' Lucas: Mimi ni mwalimu. Na wewe? Luna: Mimi ni mhandisi. Nice. So 'na wewe' means 'and you'? Lucas: Exactly. So you can ask back. Let's repeat all three professions one more time: daktari, mwalimu, mhandisi. Luna: Daktari, mwalimu, mhandisi. Got it. Lucas: And the question: 'Wewe ni nani?' Luna: Wewe ni nani? Lucas: Perfect. Practice these till we chat again. See you next time. Luna: Kwa heri!