Living Swahili.
A free guide
A free guide · No 01

100 Swahili words you'll actually use this week.

Greetings, directions, food, small talk, survival — words taught the way they're spoken by locals.

Free. No card. No countdown.

What it looks like

A real designed guide.

15 pages, fully designed. Cover to cover.

Cover page of the Living Swahili guide
Inside page of the Living Swahili guide
Final page of the Living Swahili guide

Real designed pages. Not a word document with a green header.

What’s inside

100 words. 10 parts.
One week of useful Swahili.

The hundred words inside are the ones a Tanzanian actually uses on a Tuesday afternoon. Greetings that change depending on who's in front of you. Numbers that count to ninety-nine with just ten words. The word for I don't know that closes awkward conversations honestly.

01 Greetings & first words
02 Verbs of motion
03 Numbers
04 Time & days
05 At the market
06 Food & ordering
07 Directions
08 Family
09 Small talk
10 Survival
One week from now

What you'll be able to do.

Six small wins. The kind that turn a tourist into someone who belongs at the table.

01 Greet someone the way they're actually greeted in Tanzania.
02 Ask how much something costs — and bargain back.
03 Order chai, mkate, or samaki in two words.
04 Find your way left, right, and straight ahead.
05 Introduce yourself — and ask the same.
06 Say I don't know in Swahili without faking it.
Photo of Xavery Mpombo
photo of Xavery — Tanzania
Who's teaching

Hi, I'm Xavery.

I grew up in a small village in southern Tanzania — the kind of place foreigners rarely visit. In 2019, I bought my first smartphone and went online to practise English. Instead, people kept asking me the same thing: can you teach me Swahili?

So I did. From my university dorm room, figuring it out as I went. Free first, then gifts, then money — three years before I called myself professional. Since 2021, I've taught Swahili to more than 300 learners from over 50 countries.

I'm certified by Tanzania's National Swahili Council (BAKITA) and I'm also TEFL-certified. I'm still learning languages myself; so, I know what it feels like to sit where you're sitting right now.

— Xavery Mpombo · Tanzania

Who it's for

This guide is for you if...

  • You're planning a trip to Tanzania and want more than asante.
  • You're moving here for work, love, or curiosity — and you want to arrive ready.
  • Your partner is Tanzanian and you've been quiet at family dinners too long.
  • You've tried apps and they keep teaching you words no one actually uses.
Ready?

The guide is free. Where should I send it?

Free. No card. No countdown.

Living Swahili.

Real Swahili. Taught the way it’s actually spoken.

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

livingswahili.com

© 2026