Latest / Learn Swahili with Fexingo / Swahili at the Market - Buying Rice
Transcript
- Lucas: Welcome back to Learn Swahili with Fexingo. I'm Lucas. Luna: And I'm Luna. Episode 107, can you believe it? Lucas: I know. And today we're going back to the market. Luna: Oh, I loved our market episodes. We did vegetables, we bargained... what's next? Lucas: Rice. A staple. In Swahili, rice can be 'wali' or 'mchele' depending on if it's cooked or uncooked. Luna: So wali is cooked rice and mchele is uncooked? Lucas: Exactly. Let's start with the simplest phrase: 'Nataka wali.' That means 'I want cooked rice.' Say it with me: Nataka wali. Luna: Nataka wali. Lucas: Good. Now, if you're at the market buying raw rice, you'd say 'Nataka mchele.' Try it. Luna: Nataka mchele. Lucas: Perfect. But there are different types of rice. The vendor might ask 'Mchele gani?' meaning 'Which rice?' Let's practice that question. Luna: Mchele gani? Lucas: Yes. So if you want a specific type, like 'long-grain rice', you might say 'Nataka mchele wa kifaransa.' That is a common name for a type of rice. Luna: Nataka mchele wa kifaransa. That's a mouthful. Lucas: You'll get it. Let's break it down: 'Nataka mchele wa kifaransa.' Say it with me. Luna: Nataka mchele wa kifaransa. Lucas: Great. Then you'll need to say how much: 'Kilo moja, tafadhali' — one kilo, please. Luna: So 'Kilo moja, tafadhali'? Luna: Bei gani? So I can put it all together: 'Nataka mchele wa kifaransa. Kilo moja, tafadhali. Bei gani?' Lucas: Yes. And then the vendor tells you the price, and you say 'Asante.' Let's practice the full exchange. Luna: Okay, you be the vendor. Lucas: Mchele gani? Luna: Nataka mchele wa kifaransa. Lucas: Kilo ngapi? Luna: Kilo moja, tafadhali. Lucas: Hiyo ni elfu tano. Luna: Bei gani? Oh, you said elfu tano. Okay, I'll say 'Asante.' So: Asante. Lucas: Perfect. You just bought rice in Swahili. Luna: That felt great. But wait, I remember from the last episode, you mentioned that listeners can support the show. Lucas: Yes. If Fexingo has been helping you with Swahili, a small contribution at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo really helps keep these episodes coming. Luna: It's a simple way to say thank you, and it makes a big difference. Lucas: Yeah. Now, back to rice. What if you want to buy two kilos? 'Kilo mbili, tafadhali.' Try that. Luna: Kilo mbili, tafadhali. Lucas: Excellent. And if you want to say 'I want cooked rice' for a meal, remember 'Nataka wali.' Let's do a quick review. Repeat after me: Nataka wali. Luna: Nataka wali. Lucas: Nataka mchele. Luna: Nataka mchele. Lucas: Mchele gani? Luna: Mchele gani? Lucas: Nataka mchele wa kifaransa. Luna: Nataka mchele wa kifaransa. Lucas: Kilo moja, tafadhali. Luna: Kilo moja, tafadhali. Lucas: Bei gani? Luna: Bei gani? Lucas: Asante. Luna: Asante. Lucas: Wonderful. Now you can confidently buy rice at the market in Swahili. Luna: I'm going to practice this all week. Lucas: Great idea. Keep practicing, and we'll see you next time on Learn Swahili with Fexingo. Luna: Kwaheri!