Sawubona
In Swati, the English phrase "hi" is expressed as Sawubona.
Sawubona is used as a friendly, informal greeting to say "hi" or "hello". Another versatile word you may encounter is Yebo, which can mean "hi", "yes" or "okay" depending on the context.
Meaning: friendly, informal greeting (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word Sawubona literally means "I see you".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Sawubona is a polite and respectful way to greet someone, making it suitable for use with both strangers and elders.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the greeting changes based on how many people you are addressing. Use Sawubona when speaking to a single person, but if you are greeting a group of people, use the plural form Sanibonani.
When do people say it?
When someone greets you with Sawubona!, a common way to respond is to say Yebo, sawubona (Yes, hello). If you want to express that you are doing well, you can say Ngikhona! (I am fine!).
Did you know?
- In a formal setting, a greeting sequence involving Sawubona can be quite lengthy, as it is customary to ask about the person's health, their family and their livestock.
- In traditional Swati culture, greetings like Sawubona are often accompanied by a specific hand gesture or a slight bow when addressing elders to show respect.
- Swati is closely related to Zulu, meaning that a speaker of Zulu can understand Sawubona perfectly, as both languages share the same root for this greeting.
Examples in context
- Yebo, sawubona!Yes, hi!
- Sawubona, umngani wami.Hi, my friend.
- Sawubona, unjani?Hi, how are you?
- Sawubona, sikhona lapha.Hi, we are here.
Example conversation
Musa sees Zanele walking towards him in the street.
- MusaSawubona, Zanele!Hi, Zanele!
- ZaneleSawubona, Musa.Hi, Musa.
- MusaUyaphi namuhla?Where are you going today?
- ZaneleNgiya emakethe.I am going to the market.
