Latest / Learn Swahili with Fexingo / Asking for the Bill in Swahili
Transcript
- Lucas: Welcome back to Learn Swahili with Fexingo, I'm Lucas, and as always, Luna is here with me. Luna: Hi everyone! I'm so ready to learn some more Swahili. Last episode we nailed buying bus tickets, I'm still proud of myself. Lucas: You should be, you were great. And today we're going to a restaurant, but not to order food. We already know how to do that. Luna: Oh, this is when the meal is over and you want to pay, right? I can never figure out how to get the bill when I'm abroad. Lucas: Exactly. So today we're learning how to ask for the bill, and also if you can pay by card. Small, useful, and you'll use it everywhere. Luna: Perfect. I'm ready. Let's dive in. Lucas: Our first phrase is simple: Nataka bili. Luna: Nataka bili. Lucas: That means I want the bill. Nataka you already know, means I want. Bili means bill. Luna: So it's just 'I want bill'. Easy. Lucas: You've got it. Let's say it together: Nataka bili. Luna: Nataka bili. Lucas: Now, if you're not sure where the bill is, you might ask: Bili iko wapi? Luna: Bili iko wapi? Wait, that's 'where is the bill?' Lucas: Exactly. Iko wapi is 'where is', and we've used that before with the hotel, the beach, the bus stop. Luna: Bili iko wapi? I love how it just repeats. Bili iko wapi? Lucas: Perfect. Now, a really handy phrase: Naweza kulipa kwa kadi? Luna: Oh, that's longer. Naweza kulipa kwa kadi? Lucas: It means 'Can I pay by card?' Naweza means I can, kulipa is to pay, kwa kadi means by card. Luna: So Naweza kulipa kwa kadi? is like a complete sentence. I love it. Lucas: Exactly. Let's say it slowly once more: Naweza kulipa kwa kadi? Luna: Naweza kulipa kwa kadi?. Lucas: Great. And to tie it all together, imagine you finish your meal and you want the bill, but first you want one more coffee. You could say: Lakini kwanza, nataka kahawa. Luna: Lakini kwanza, nataka kahawa. Lucas: That's 'But first, I want a coffee.' Lakini is but, kwanza is first. Luna: So it's like a polite 'but first, coffee'. I love that. Lucas: Let's practice all of them. Repeat after me: Nataka bili. Luna: Nataka bili. Lucas: Bili iko wapi? Luna: Bili iko wapi? Lucas: Naweza kulipa kwa kadi? Luna: Naweza kulipa kwa kadi? Lucas: And Lakini kwanza, nataka kahawa. Luna: Lakini kwanza, nataka kahawa. Lucas: You're already so good at this. And hey, you know, episodes like this are exactly why we keep Fexingo completely ad-free. If these little lessons are helping you make progress, and you want to support that, you can find us at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. No pressure, just so we can keep making these for you. Luna: Yeah, and it really helps us keep the show independent and focused on learning, not ads. We appreciate every bit. Lucas: Now, back to our phrases. Imagine you're at a café in Dar es Salaam, you've had a lovely meal, and you're ready to leave. What do you say? Luna: Nataka bili. Lucas: Perfect. And if the waiter brings it, you might want to ask about payment. Luna: Naweza kulipa kwa kadi? Lucas: Exactly. And if you're not in a hurry, you might say... Luna: Lakini kwanza, nataka kahawa. Lucas: That's it. You're ready for your next meal in Swahili. Let's do one more quick review. Luna: Yes, let's! Lucas: Nataka bili. Luna: Nataka bili. Lucas: Bili iko wapi? Luna: Bili iko wapi? Lucas: Naweza kulipa kwa kadi? Luna: Naweza kulipa kwa kadi? Lucas: And Lakini kwanza, nataka kahawa. Luna: Lakini kwanza, nataka kahawa. Lucas: You did amazing today, Luna. And listeners, practice these before your next meal, and you'll feel so confident. Luna: Yeah, practice makes perfect. And remember, we'll be back with more Swahili soon. Until then, keep learning with Fexingo! Lucas: See you next time!