Two New Words

Well I’ve spent a considerable portion of my time here attempting to learn Swahili. Though it is considered an easier language to learn, it is still a new language full of new challenges. Whenever you are learning a local language but also participating in expatriate community life, certain words from the learned language make it into everyday speech, no matter what language you are speaking. I would like to take a moment to introduce two of those words to you, as I am apt to use them in phone conversations and emails.

Karibu! (kah-‘ree-bu) The nearest translation of this word is “welcome” but here it has a much broader usage. For example, when someone knocks at your door, enters your home, car, or office, you say “karibu.” To invite someone to take a seat, you say “karibu kiti” (welcome to the chair). To invite someone over to your home, you say “Karibu kwetu.” When someone says thank you, you answer “karibu.” You can also use it as an affirmative answer to a request. For example, if someone asks if they can borrow something, you can simply answer “karibu.” I love this word and use it with an inordinate amount of frequency.

Pole! (‘po-ley) This means something like “sorry.” Its uses are seemingly endless. When someone trips, you say “pole”. It’s a word of sympathy, whether you just sneezed or a family member just died. If anyone ever says anything bad or sad that has happened, the correct response is “pole.” If I get in someone’s way at the office, I can say “pole.” When someone’s sick or has just returned from a long trip, it’s the same. I have become completely addicted to this word, because it always seems terribly appropriate.

So there’s your Swahili lesson for the day. Karibu!