Language/Swahili-individual-language/Vocabulary/Days,-Months,-and-Seasons
As a Swahili language teacher with over 20 years of experience, I am excited to teach you the Swahili names for days of the week, months of the year, and seasons. This lesson is part of the "Complete 0 to A1 Swahili Course" and is aimed at complete beginners who want to learn Swahili, one of the largest languages in East Africa spoken by over 100 million people.
Days of the Week
In Swahili, the days of the week are straightforward and easy to remember. The days of the week in Swahili are:
| Swahili (individual language) | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Jumatatu | joo-maa-taa-too | Monday |
| Jumanne | joo-maa-neh | Tuesday |
| Jumatano | joo-maa-taa-no | Wednesday |
| Alhamisi | al-haa-mee-see | Thursday |
| Ijumaa | ee-joo-maa | Friday |
| Jumamosi | joo-maa-mo-see | Saturday |
| Jumapili | joo-maa-pee-lee | Sunday |
You will notice that the names for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday are based on the Arabic names for those days. This is because Swahili has many Arabic loanwords due to the influence of Arab traders and settlers along the East African coast.
Months of the Year
The Swahili names for the months of the year are also straightforward and easy to learn. They are:
| Swahili (individual language) | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Januari | jaa-noo-aa-ree | January |
| Februari | feh-broo-aa-ree | February |
| Machi | mah-chee | March |
| Aprili | ah-pree-lee | April |
| Mei | may-ee | May |
| Juni | joo-nee | June |
| Julai | joo-laa-ee | July |
| Agosti | ah-goh-stee | August |
| Septemba | sep-tehm-baa | September |
| Oktoba | ohk-toh-baa | October |
| Novemba | noh-vehm-baa | November |
| Desemba | deh-sehm-baa | December |
Seasons
The Swahili names for seasons are also fairly easy to learn. The four seasons in Swahili are:
- Msimu wa masika - The rainy season (April - May)
- Msimu wa kiangazi - The dry season (June - October)
- Msimu wa mvua - The rainy season (November - December)
- Msimu wa baridi - The cold season (January - March)
It is worth noting that the seasons in Swahili are not always correlated with the seasons in the Northern Hemisphere, as the climate in East Africa is significantly different from other parts of the world.
Learning the days of the week, months of the year, and seasons in Swahili is an essential part of becoming proficient in the language. Take time to memorize the Swahili names for these temporal concepts, and don't forget to practice using them when speaking Swahili whenever you get a chance.
I hope you found this lesson useful and informative. Keep learning and practicing your Swahili skills, and don't forget to stay curious about Swahili culture and society!
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