Latest / Learn Swahili with Fexingo / Swahili at the Café – Ordering Cake
Transcript
- Lucas: Welcome back to Learn Swahili with Fexingo. I'm Lucas. Luna: And I'm Luna. Episode 173, and we are ready to learn. Lucas: Today we're going to a café — to order cake. Remember last time we ordered chai, and we asked for chai ya maziwa? Luna: Oh, that was good. I still want that chai. But now cake? I'm in. Lucas: Perfect. So the basic phrase for "I want cake" is Nataka keki. Repeat after me: Nataka keki. Luna: Nataka keki. Lucas: Good. Nataka keki. Very straightforward. Luna: So Nataka is "I want" and keki is "cake" — I love how direct Swahili is. Lucas: Exactly. Now, if you want a specific flavor, you say Keki ya... and then the flavor. For example, chocolate cake: Keki ya chokoleti. Luna: Keki ya chokoleti. That sounds delicious. Lucas: It does. Now orange cake: Keki ya machungwa. Luna: Keki ya machungwa. Orange cake. Okay, I can see myself ordering that. Lucas: Now, to order one cake, you say Keki moja, tafadhali. Keki moja — one cake, tafadhali — please. Luna: Keki moja, tafadhali. Lucas: Great. Now, if you want to ask the price: Bei gani ya keki? Bei gani means "how much" or "what price". So Bei gani ya keki? Luna: Bei gani ya keki? So how much for the cake? Lucas: Exactly. And the seller might say Keki ni shilingi elfu moja. That means "The cake is one thousand shillings." Elfu moja is one thousand. Luna: Keki ni shilingi elfu moja. Okay, so I can ask the price and understand the answer. Lucas: Let's put it all together in a little scene. You walk up to the counter and say: Nataka keki. Luna: Nataka keki. Lucas: The seller asks: Keki gani? What kind of cake? Luna: Keki ya chokoleti. Lucas: Then you say: Keki moja, tafadhali. Luna: Keki moja, tafadhali. Lucas: Then ask: Bei gani ya keki? Luna: Bei gani ya keki? Lucas: And they say: Keki ni shilingi elfu moja. You hand over the money, say Asante, and enjoy your cake. Luna: Ah, I love that. So practical. And I can already imagine doing this at a café in Zanzibar or something. Lucas: That's the goal. Now let's practice the phrases one more time. Repeat after me: Nataka keki. Luna: Nataka keki. Lucas: Keki ya chokoleti. Luna: Keki ya chokoleti. Lucas: Keki ya machungwa. Luna: Keki ya machungwa. Lucas: Keki moja, tafadhali. Luna: Keki moja, tafadhali. Lucas: Bei gani ya keki? Luna: Bei gani ya keki? Lucas: Keki ni shilingi elfu moja. Luna: Keki ni shilingi elfu moja. Lucas: You're doing so well. Now, if Fexingo has been helping you make actual progress with this language, there's a way to support the show that really helps. Luna: Yeah, it's buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. A couple of dollars a month is genuinely what keeps these going — it means we can keep making episodes ad-free. Lucas: Exactly. No pressure, but if you've gotten something out of them, that's where you can help. Okay, back to cake. Luna: Good. Let's do one more scene. This time, I'm the customer and you're the seller. Lucas: Perfect. You start. Luna: Nataka keki. Lucas: Keki gani? Luna: Keki ya machungwa. Lucas: Keki ngapi? Luna: Keki moja, tafadhali. Lucas: Bei gani ya keki? Luna: Keki ni shilingi elfu moja. Lucas: Nailed it. You even remembered to ask the price. I'm impressed. Luna: Aww, thanks. This is really sticking. I think I could actually order cake now. Lucas: You absolutely could. And that's our episode for today. Practice these phrases, and next time you're at a café, try them out. Luna: See you next time. Kwaheri! Lucas: Kwaheri. And happy cake ordering.