Kwa safari ya nje unahitaji vipande vitatu vya Kiingereza: maswali ya uwanja wa ndege na uhamiaji, maombi ya hotelini, na maelekezo kwa dereva. Kosa kubwa kwa Waswahili mara nyingi si msamiati bali adabu ya kuomba: naomba maji si I am begging water, ni Could I have some water, please? Misemo yote iko hapa kwa mpangilio wa safari.
Kwa Kiswahili naomba tayari ni neno la heshima, na nipe pamoja na tafadhali pia husikika vizuri. Kwa Kiingereza amri, hata ikiwa na please, husikika kali kwa mtu usiyemjua: Give me water, please ni kama unamwamuru mhudumu. Heshima ya Kiingereza iko kwenye swali: Could I...?, Could you...?, au I'd like...
| Kiswahili | Usiseme | Sema |
|---|---|---|
| Naomba maji. | I am begging water. | Could I have some water, please? |
| Naomba bili. | Bring the bill. | Could we have the bill, please? |
| Nisaidie tafadhali. | Help me please. | Could you help me, please? |
| Naomba kupita. | Give me way. | Excuse me. |
| Sijakusikia. | I am not hearing. | Sorry, I didn't catch that. |
| Nataka chumba. | I want room. | I'd like a room, please. |
Samahani ni maneno mawili. Kiswahili hutumia samahani kuomba radhi na pia kumwita mtu au kuomba nafasi. Kiingereza kinatenganisha. Kumvuta mtu umakini au kupita katikati ya watu ni Excuse me. Kuomba radhi baada ya kukanyaga mguu wa mtu ni Sorry. Ukimwita mhudumu kwa Sorry! atadhani umefanya kosa.
| Kiswahili | Kiingereza |
|---|---|
| kaunta ya kuingia | check-in counter |
| kadi ya kupandia ndege | boarding pass |
| lango | gate |
| kuondoka, kuwasili | departures, arrivals |
| mizigo | luggage, baggage |
| mzigo wa mkononi | hand luggage, carry-on |
| ndege ya kuunganisha | connecting flight |
| imechelewa, imefutwa | delayed, cancelled |
Mtego mkubwa hapa ni luggage. Kwa Kiswahili mizigo inahesabika: mzigo mmoja, mizigo mitatu. Kwa Kiingereza luggage na baggage hazihesabiki, kwa hivyo hakuna luggages wala a luggage. Sema my luggage, au hesabu vitu vyenyewe: I have two bags, two pieces of luggage.
Misemo ya kaunta:
Afisa wa uhamiaji huuliza maswali yale yale, na anataka majibu mafupi. Hakuna haja ya sentensi ndefu.
| Swali | Jibu fupi |
|---|---|
| What is the purpose of your visit? | I'm here on holiday. / I'm here for a conference. / I'm visiting my sister. |
| How long are you staying? | Two weeks. |
| Where are you staying? | At a hotel in the city center. / With my brother. |
| Is this your first visit? | Yes, it is. / No, I was here last year. |
| Anything to declare? | No, nothing to declare. |
Kosa la kawaida ni kutafsiri nimekuja kutembelea kuwa I have come for visiting. Tumia to pamoja na kitenzi: I'm here to visit my sister, au for pamoja na nomino: I'm here for work.
Kitu kikiharibika chumbani, Kiswahili husema imeharibika, na wengi hutafsiri kuwa the shower is spoiled. Nje ya Afrika Mashariki spoiled hutumika zaidi kwa chakula kilichooza au mtoto aliyedekezwa. Kwa kifaa sema isn't working au is broken: The air conditioner isn't working, The TV remote is broken.
Neno book kama kitenzi ni la Kiingereza halisi: I booked a room for three nights. Ukifika mapokezi unaweza kusema I have a booking au I made a reservation online.
Maneno ya usafiri wa kwetu hayasafiri. Stage kwa maana ya kituo cha matatu haieleweki nje ya Kenya; sema bus stop. Matatu na daladala ni minibus au shared taxi kwa mgeni.
| Kiswahili | Kiingereza |
|---|---|
| Nipeleke uwanja wa ndege. | Could you take me to the airport, please? |
| Ni bei gani? | How much will it be? |
| Inachukua muda gani? | How long does it take? |
| Nishushe hapa. | You can drop me here, please. |
| Baki na chenji. | Keep the change. |
| Choo kiko wapi? | Where's the restroom? / Where are the toilets? |
| Ni mbali? | Is it far? / Is it within walking distance? |
Majibu ya maelekezo hufuata muundo mmoja: Go straight, take the second left, and it's on your right. Kumbuka kwamba the second left ni barabara ya pili upande wa kushoto, si kona ya pili tu.
Shuleni Afrika Mashariki tulifundishwa maneno ya Kiingereza cha Uingereza, lakini Marekani na viwanja vingi vya ndege utasikia maneno mengine. Ukiyajua yote mawili hutashangaa.
| Uingereza | Marekani | Kiswahili |
|---|---|---|
| lift | elevator | lifti |
| return ticket | round-trip ticket | tiketi ya kwenda na kurudi |
| bill | check | bili ya mgahawa |
| toilet | restroom | choo |
| queue | line | foleni |
| holiday | vacation | likizo |
| petrol | gas | mafuta ya gari |
Ukiwa kwenye foleni uwanjani na huna uhakika kama uko mahali sahihi, uliza Is this the line for check-in? au, kwa Kiingereza cha Uingereza, Is this the queue for check-in?
Misemo hii hukaa pale unapoiigiza kwa sauti: jifanye uko kaunta ya kuingia, kisha mbele ya afisa wa uhamiaji, kisha unazungumza na dereva wa teksi. Kwenye PollyStop unaweza kuifanyia mazoezi kwa kuongea na watu ndani ya mchezo, katika uwanja wa ndege, hoteli au kituo cha treni.
Naomba ya kuomba kitu ni Could I have... please? au I'd like... please. Kwa mfano naomba maji ni Could I have some water, please? Usitumie beg, ambalo humaanisha kusihi au kuombaomba.
Zote mbili, kutegemea hali. Kumwita mtu, kuuliza swali au kupita katikati ya watu ni excuse me. Kuomba radhi baada ya kukosea ni sorry.
Hapana. Luggage na baggage hazihesabiki, kwa hivyo hazina wingi. Sema my luggage, au hesabu vitu vyenyewe: two bags, three suitcases, two pieces of luggage.
Jibu kwa sentensi fupi: I'm here on holiday, I'm here for work, au I'm visiting my sister. Usiseme I have come for visiting.
