English will get you through most workdays in Nairobi without trouble — it's one of Kenya's two official languages. Swahili is the other: a Bantu language with heavy Arabic influence from centuries of Indian Ocean trade, spoken as a first or second language by well over 100 million people across East Africa. You won't need fluency, but a handful of phrases, used naturally, is the difference between being a visitor and actually settling in. Here's what people really say.
Greetings (you'll use these constantly)
| Swahili | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Habari? | How are things? (general, all-purpose greeting) |
| Nzuri / Salama | Good / all fine (the standard reply) |
| Mambo? / Poa | What's up? / Cool (more casual, used with peers) |
| Asante (sana) | Thank you (very much) |
| Karibu (sana) | You're welcome / welcome |
At the office
Greetings matter more in Kenyan workplace culture than in a lot of European offices — skipping straight to business without a quick "Habari?" can come across as abrupt. A few useful ones:
- Naomba... — "I would like..." / "May I have..." (useful for asking for anything politely)
- Tafadhali — Please
- Samahani — Excuse me / sorry (for interrupting, or a small apology)
- Kesho — Tomorrow
- Sawa — Okay / agreed
Getting around and the market
- Bei gani? — How much? (price)
- Punguza kidogo — Lower it a little (completely normal to say while bargaining)
- Twende — Let's go
- Gari — Car
- Pesa — Money
The two words worth learning first
Pole — not "sorry" for a mistake, but sympathy: said when someone's had a rough day, missed a bus, or just looks tired. And rafiki — friend — which gets used more freely and more sincerely in Kenya than the English equivalent.
You don't need fluency to make an impression — a genuine "Habari?" with eye contact does more than a textbook-perfect sentence delivered stiffly. If you want to go further than these basics, it's one of the optional add-ons when you book with Beyond Internships: ten private lessons, built around your actual level.