Ok, what the heck is JAMBO!??

[mickiecake]

I would guess it means like "hello" or something. Always in relation to Animal Kingdom or AKL..

 

[bradk]

jambo is swahili for hello/how are you?, although hujambo is probably more formal/appropriate. wherever harambe is (evidently eastern africa), swahili is the predominant language.

also used a bit is asante (thank you), asante sana (thank you very much) and kwa herini (goodbye), although that's actually the plural form. for singular, it's kwa heri.

hakuna matata literally means 'we have no problems.'

of course, this is all providing my swahili is up to snuff.

dunno if i have a photo, but in the classroom at tusker house, there's actually a large board that features swahili/english words.

also interesting to note: simba is actually swahili for lion. the chant in the beginning of the circle of life translates something to 'look, father, there's a lion' (i'd have to re-look that one up), but it's not swahili even though all of the other references are. i think it's in a zulu language.

 

[mickiecake]

jambo is swahili for hello/how are you?, although hujambo is probably more formal/appropriate. wherever harambe is (evidently eastern africa), swahili is the predominant language.

also used a bit is asante (thank you), asante sana (thank you very much) and kwa herini (goodbye), although that's actually the plural form. for singular, it's kwa heri.

hakuna matata literally means 'we have no problems.'

of course, this is all providing my swahili is up to snuff.

dunno if i have a photo, but in the classroom at tusker house, there's actually a large board that features swahili/english words.

also interesting to note: simba is actually swahili for lion. the chant in the beginning of the circle of life translates something to 'look, father, there's a lion' (i'd have to re-look that one up), but it's not swahili even though all of the other references are. i think it's in a zulu language.

Thanks for your informative reply! Now, if I can figure out how to say those words, I will teach them to the boys before we go to AKL!!!

 

[bradk]

the nice thing about swahili is the pronunciation is pretty straightforward. there are a few solid rules that might throw you, but they're pretty consistent.

i don't even know how to try to explain how to pronounce them since they're pretty much phoenetic, but i'll try and someone can correct me if they wish.

jambo - jahm-boe (a as in father, bo as in boa - if saying hujambo, the hu is pronounced as who).

asante sana - ah-san-tay sanuh (a in both 'san's as in father)

kwa heri - quah huh-ree

kwa herini (plural) - quah huh-ree-nee

and i'll let you figure out simba.

i think that's about right.

 

[Goldilocks07]

It is a greeting- and means "hello", or "what's up"... something like that.

Have fun at AKL- I just got back yesterday. So much fun!!!!

 

[chessie]

I thought it was pronounced hum jambo. Anyway, jambo is singular and humjambo is when addressing a group.

 

[wendypooh]

Hey Mickiecake ~

I saw you on the Feb. 08 thread - I had told you over there that we'd be at AKL the same time as you, not sure if you saw it or not. I'm sure our boys will be doing some of the same things at the lodge!! ( The Zawadi Parade!)

The CM's get a kick out of the kiddos saying "Jambo" to them.......... Anyway, Go check out the Feb. 08 thread and see the post about the mini meet on 2/2. Hope to see you there!!

 

[mickiecake]

Hey Mickiecake ~

I saw you on the Feb. 08 thread - I had told you over there that we'd be at AKL the same time as you, not sure if you saw it or not. I'm sure our boys will be doing some of the same things at the lodge!! ( The Zawadi Parade!)

The CM's get a kick out of the kiddos saying "Jambo" to them.......... Anyway, Go check out the Feb. 08 thread and see the post about the mini meet on 2/2. Hope to see you there!!

I seem to remember your avatar. Once threads get so long, I kinda get lost and forget about them.

I didn't know there was a Meet that week.. I will try to find the Feb 08 thread..

 

[bradk]

I thought it was pronounced hum jambo. Anyway, jambo is singular and humjambo is when addressing a group.

close. hamjambo is the plural version of hujambo. jambo is an abbreviated form of hujambo.

 

[Dopey420]

It is a cajun stew.

 

[mickiecake]

It is a cajun stew.

 

[bellebuzzntink]

jambo is swahili for hello/how are you?, although hujambo is probably more formal/appropriate. wherever harambe is (evidently eastern africa), swahili is the predominant language.

also used a bit is asante (thank you), asante sana (thank you very much) and kwa herini (goodbye), although that's actually the plural form. for singular, it's kwa heri.

hakuna matata literally means 'we have no problems.'

of course, this is all providing my swahili is up to snuff.

dunno if i have a photo, but in the classroom at tusker house, there's actually a large board that features swahili/english words.

also interesting to note: simba is actually swahili for lion. the chant in the beginning of the circle of life translates something to 'look, father, there's a lion' (i'd have to re-look that one up), but it's not swahili even though all of the other references are. i think it's in a zulu language.

I'm feeling a little bit smarter since I woke up this morning! Thanks for the quick language lesson. "Jambo" is very happy word.....I don't think I could say it without a smile on my face!

 

[BabaGanoush]

Ooooo... Swahili lesson!

Jambo literally translates into "Hello, now speak to me in English." In Africa, often tourists know little more than Jambo but that lets the locals know what language to speak in. Eventhough it may seem slightly naive, it also allows local speakers to quickly clue into a tourists language who may then spend more money.

Hamjambo is the same as Jambo but is said when you are speaking to a group rather than a single person.
Asante = "thanks"
Asante sana = "thank you"
Karibuni = "welcome"
Karibu sana = "your welcome"
Kwa herini = "go well"
Kwa heri = "goodbye"
Poly = "slow" (saying a word twice like poly poly generally adds "very" to the statement... thus, poly poly = very slowly)
Tamu = "sweet"
Harambe = "coming together as one" or "meeting/gathering place"
Dawa = "medicine" (thus the Dawa Bar is actually the "medicine bar"... hmmmmm...: )
Simba = "lion"
Pumba = "warthog"
Tembo = "elephant"
Twiga = "giraffe"
Duma = "cheetah"

And one of my personal favorites, Rafiki = "friend"... so if you say Jambo Rafiki, you are saying "Hello friend".

That should get you by in the Harambe portion of Animal Kingdom.

Other useful words in Asia - Namaste = "my soul greets the greater soul in you"; Serka Zong = "Fortress of the Chasm"; Anandapur = "Place of all delight"

 

[bradk]

kwa herini and kwa heri are the same, only kwa herini is a pluralized version, when you say goodbye to multiple people.

asante sana is thank you very much. asante is simply thank you. much like merci beaucoup as opposed to simply merci or other languages which reverse the words like muchas gracias, domo arrigato, etc.

karibu (or karibuni when spoken to multiple people) does mean welcome, but it's more of a... you're welcome here kind of thing or welcome to my home, not so much a response to asante which would be more like starehe or sawa.

basically, -ni is a suffix that pluralizes words.

ha- as in hakuna matata is a prefix that negates the statement. hakuna matata means there are no problems/worries, but kuna matata would mean there ARE problems/worries.

 

[mickiecake]

Ooooo... Swahili lesson!

Jambo literally translates into "Hello, now speak to me in English." In Africa, often tourists know little more than Jambo but that lets the locals know what language to speak in. Eventhough it may seem slightly naive, it also allows local speakers to quickly clue into a tourists language who may then spend more money.

Hamjambo is the same as Jambo but is said when you are speaking to a group rather than a single person.
Asante = "thanks"
Asante sana = "thank you"
Karibuni = "welcome"
Karibu sana = "your welcome"
Kwa herini = "go well"
Kwa heri = "goodbye"
Poly = "slow" (saying a word twice like poly poly generally adds "very" to the statement... thus, poly poly = very slowly)
Tamu = "sweet"
Harambe = "coming together as one" or "meeting/gathering place"
Dawa = "medicine" (thus the Dawa Bar is actually the "medicine bar"... hmmmmm...: )
Simba = "lion"
Pumba = "warthog"
Tembo = "elephant"
Twiga = "giraffe"
Duma = "cheetah"

And one of my personal favorites, Rafiki = "friend"... so if you say Jambo Rafiki, you are saying "Hello friend".

That should get you by in the Harambe portion of Animal Kingdom.

Other useful words in Asia - Namaste = "my soul greets the greater soul in you"; Serka Zong = "Fortress of the Chasm"; Anandapur = "Place of all delight"

kwa herini and kwa heri are the same, only kwa herini is a pluralized version, when you say goodbye to multiple people.

asante sana is thank you very much. asante is simply thank you. much like merci beaucoup as opposed to simply merci or other languages which reverse the words like muchas gracias, domo arrigato, etc.

karibu (or karibuni when spoken to multiple people) does mean welcome, but it's more of a... you're welcome here kind of thing or welcome to my home, not so much a response to asante which would be more like starehe or sawa.

basically, -ni is a suffix that pluralizes words.

ha- as in hakuna matata is a prefix that negates the statement. hakuna matata means there are no problems/worries, but kuna matata would mean there ARE problems/worries.

I can just see me n' the boys sitting round the breakfast table tomorrow...
ha-koo-jee--whasi-poopy-loopy-banana-ashanti-spumanti-heebely-jeebely

 

[MinnieMommy]

Here's a really fun site that let's you "hear" words in Swahili.
It's a companion site to an amazing children's picture book Owen and Mzee.

After the intro (or click to skip) click on KIDS BOMA and then click on MZEE'S SWAHILI REBUS.

http://www.owenandmzee.com/omweb/