The purpose of this list is to give a rough idea of the Swahili language. The words listed below are not the most common words, but a broad sampling of words. See the Word Lists page for more details.
| English | Swahili (kiswahili) |
| I | mimi |
| you (singular) | wewe |
| he | yeye |
| we | sisi |
| you (plural) | nyinyi |
| they | wao |
| this | huyu (person), hii, hiki, hili, huu |
| that | lile, ule, yule, ile, kile |
| here | hapa |
| there | pale |
| who | nani *(interrogative)* |
| what | nini *(interrogative)* |
| where | wapi *(no movement, interrogative)* |
| when | lini *(interrogative)* |
| how | vipi *(interrogative)* |
| not | si |
| all | -ote |
| many | sana *(very)* / -ingi *(numerous)* |
| some | baadhi ya / chache |
| few | kidogo |
| other | -ingine |
| one | moja |
| two | mbili |
| three | tatu |
| four | nne |
| five | tano |
| big | -kubwa |
| long | -refu |
| wide | -pana |
| thick | -nene |
| heavy | -zito |
| small | -dogo |
| short | -fupi |
| narrow | -embamba |
| thin | -anana |
| woman | bibi, gashi |
| man (adult male) | mwanamume |
| man (human being) | mtu |
| child | mtoto |
| wife | mke |
| husband | mume |
| mother | mama |
| father | baba |
| animal | mnyama |
| fish | samaki |
| bird | ndege |
| dog | mbwa |
| louse | chawa |
| snake | nyoka |
| worm | funza, uchango |
| tree | mti |
| forest | msitu |
| stick | fimbo |
| fruit | tunda |
| seed | mbegu |
| leaf | jani |
| root | mzizi |
| bark (of a tree) | gamba |
| flower | ua |
| grass | nyasi |
| rope | kamba |
| skin | ngozi |
| meat | nyama |
| blood | damu |
| bone | mfupa |
| fat (noun) | mori |
| egg | yai |
| horn | pembe |
| tail | mkia |
| feather | unyoya |
| hair | nywele |
| head | kichwa |
| ear | sikio |
| eye | jicho |
| nose | pua |
| mouth | kinywa |
| tooth | jino |
| tongue (organ) | ulimi |
| fingernail | ukucha |
| foot | mguu |
| leg | mguu |
| knee | goti |
| hand | mkono |
| wing | bawa, ubawa |
| belly | tumbo |
| guts | utumbo |
| neck | shingo |
| back | mgongo |
| breast | kifua |
| heart | moyo |
| liver | ini |
| to drink | -nywa |
| to eat | -la |
| to bite | -donoa |
| to suck | -amwa |
| to spit | -tema |
| to vomit | -tapika |
| to blow | -puliza |
| to breathe | -pumua |
| to laugh | -cheka |
| to see | -ona |
| to hear | -sikia |
| to know | -fahamu, -jua |
| to think | -fikiri, -dhani, -waza |
| to smell | -nukilia |
| to fear | -ogopa |
| to sleep | -lala |
| to live | -ishi (in a place) |
| to die | -fa |
| to kill | -ua |
| to fight | -pigana |
| to hunt | -winda |
| to hit | -gonga, -piga |
| to cut | -kata |
| to split | -pasua |
| to stab | -choma |
| to scratch | -kuna, -parua |
| to dig | -chimba |
| to swim | -ogelea |
| to fly | -paa |
| to walk | -tembea |
| to come | -ja |
| to lie (as in a bed) | -gona *(action)* |
| to sit | -kaa |
| to stand | -simama *(action)* |
| to turn (intransitive) | -pindua |
| to fall | -anguka |
| to give | -pa |
| to hold | -shika |
| to squeeze | -kaba, -minya, -kamua |
| to rub | -sugua |
| to wash | -safisha |
| to wipe | -futa |
| to pull | -vuta |
| to push | -guta |
| to throw | -tupa |
| to tie | -funga |
| to sew | -shona |
| to count | -hesabu |
| to say | -sema |
| to sing | -imba |
| to play | -cheza |
| to float | -elea |
| to flow | -tiririka |
| to freeze | -ganda |
| to swell | -fura |
| sun | jua |
| moon | mwezi |
| star | nyota |
| water | maji |
| rain | mvua |
| river | mto |
| lake | ziwa |
| sea | bahari |
| salt | chumvi |
| stone | jiwe |
| sand | mchanga |
| dust | vumbi |
| earth | ardhi |
| cloud | wingu |
| fog | ukungu |
| sky | mbingu |
| wind | homu |
| snow | theluji |
| ice | barafu |
| smoke | moshi |
| fire | moto |
| ash | majivu |
| to burn | -waka |
| road | njia, barabara |
| mountain | mlima |
| red | -ekundu |
| green | kijani |
| yellow | manjano |
| white | -eupe |
| black | -eusi |
| night | usiku |
| day | siku |
| year | mwaka |
| warm | moto |
| cold | baridi |
| full | -nene |
| new | -pya |
| old | -zee |
| good | -ema |
| bad | -baya |
| rotten | -bovu |
| dirty | -chafu |
| straight | nyofu |
| round | duara |
| sharp (as a knife) | chungu |
| dull (as a knife) | butu |
| smooth | -ororo |
| wet | kimaji |
| dry | -kavu |
| correct | sahihi |
| near | karibu |
| far | mbali |
| right | kuume, kulia |