Latest / Learn Swahili with Fexingo / Swahili for Getting a Taxi
Transcript
- Lucas: Karibu tena, Luna. Welcome back to Learn Swahili with Fexingo. Luna: Asante, Lucas. I'm ready to learn something new today. What do we have? Lucas: Today we're going to focus on getting around town. Specifically, how to get a taxi in Swahili. Luna: Oh, that's really useful. Last week we did hospital phrases, and now transport. You're covering all my needs. Lucas: That's the goal. When you're traveling, you need to know how to get from point A to point B. So let's start simple. Lucas: The first phrase is 'Nataka teksi.' That means 'I want a taxi.' Luna: Nataka teksi. Lucas: Perfect. You're saying 'I want a taxi.' Just like we use 'Nataka' for 'I want' other things. Luna: Nataka teksi. I like how 'nataka' is so useful. I want water, I want food, now I want a taxi. Lucas: Exactly. And if you're looking for a taxi stand, you could ask 'Teksi iko wapi?' That means 'Where is the taxi?' Luna: Teksi iko wapi? Lucas: Good. 'Iko' is 'is' and 'wapi' is 'where.' So 'Teksi iko wapi?' is a handy question. Luna: So I can say 'Nataka teksi' and then 'Teksi iko wapi?' Lucas: Yes, that works. You're at a busy street, you want a taxi, you ask where one is. Lucas: Let me say it slowly: Nataka teksi. Teksi iko wapi? Luna: Nataka teksi. Teksi iko wapi? Lucas: Beautiful. Now, once you get in the taxi, you need to tell the driver where to go. Let's learn 'Nipeleke hotelini.' Luna: Nipeleke hotelini. Lucas: That means 'Take me to the hotel.' 'Nipeleke' is like 'take me' and 'hotelini' means 'to the hotel.' Luna: Nipeleke hotelini. So if I'm staying at a hotel, I'd say that. Lucas: Right. And if you need to stop somewhere else, you can say 'Nipeleke sokoni' for 'Take me to the market.' But let's keep it simple today. Luna: Okay, so Nipeleke hotelini is my go-to. Lucas: Now, what if the driver says something you don't understand? You can say 'Tafadhali subiri.' That means 'Please wait.' Luna: Tafadhali subiri. Lucas: Good. 'Tafadhali' is 'please' and 'subiri' is 'wait.' So 'Tafadhali subiri' is polite and useful. Luna: So I'm in the taxi, I've said Nipeleke hotelini, and then I might need to say Tafadhali subiri if I'm not ready. Lucas: Exactly. Now, let's talk about the fare. You might want to ask 'Gharama ni kiasi gani?' That means 'How much is the cost?' Luna: Gharama ni kiasi gani? Lucas: You've got it. 'Gharama' is 'cost' and 'kiasi gani' is 'how much.' So 'Gharama ni kiasi gani?' is a great question to know. Luna: Gharama ni kiasi gani? Now I can ask before we go. Lucas: Yes. Let's do a quick practice. Imagine you're outside a hotel and you want a taxi. What do you say? Luna: Nataka teksi. Lucas: Good. And if there's no taxi right there, you ask where one is. Luna: Teksi iko wapi? Lucas: Perfect. Now you're in the taxi, you tell the driver to take you to your hotel. Luna: Nipeleke hotelini. Lucas: Nice. And before you go, you ask the cost. Luna: Gharama ni kiasi gani? Lucas: You did it. That's a whole taxi conversation. Let's go through them one more time: Nataka teksi, Teksi iko wapi?, Nipeleke hotelini, Tafadhali subiri, Gharama ni kiasi gani? Luna: Nataka teksi. Teksi iko wapi? Nipeleke hotelini. Tafadhali subiri. Gharama ni kiasi gani? Lucas: Perfect. You're ready to get around. Luna: This is so practical. I feel like I could actually use this. Lucas: That's the spirit. And if you're learning with us, you know we keep things simple and repeat a lot. Luna: Yeah, repetition is key. I appreciate that about the show. Lucas: And you know what? We're able to keep this show ad-free because of listeners like you. If Fexingo has helped you make progress with Swahili, and you want to support that, you can buy us a coffee at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Luna: Yeah, it's a small way to keep the show going. No pressure, but it helps. Lucas: Exactly. Now, back to taxis. Let's do a little role play. I'm the taxi driver. Luna: Okay. Nataka teksi. Lucas: Teksi iko hapa. Where do you want to go? Luna: Nipeleke hotelini. Lucas: Sawa. Tafadhali subiri. Luna: Gharama ni kiasi gani? Lucas: Shilingi elfu tano. That's five thousand shillings. Luna: Oh, okay. That's a good price. Lucas: You did great. I'm so proud of you. You just had a whole conversation in Swahili. Luna: It's amazing what a few phrases can do. Asante sana, Lucas. Lucas: Karibu. Remember to practice these at home. And tune in next time for more Swahili with Fexingo. Luna: Kwaheri. See you then.