Ways to say it
| Swahili |
|---|
| habari gani? |
| hujambo |
Swahili uses different greetings depending on the level of formality and the number of people you are addressing. While habari gani? is a general way to ask how someone is doing, hujambo is specifically used to ask a single person how they are. You may also encounter Habari yako? as a common way to ask "how are you?" in many situations.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase habari gani? literally translates to "what news?"
Which one should you use?
Habari gani? is a general way to ask "how are you?" and can be used for both individuals and groups. In contrast, hujambo is used specifically when addressing one person, whereas hamjambo would be used for a group.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word habari is a noun meaning "news" or "information". It is used in many different greeting variations, such as habari za asubuhi (morning news/greetings).
When do people say it?
The response to a greeting often depends on which phrase was used. When someone asks hujambo?, the standard response is sijambo (I am fine / I have no problem). If someone asks habari gani?, a common response is nzuri (good/fine).
Did you know?
- In some regions, younger people use a very different, slang-based greeting called Sasa, which means 'now'.
- In Swahili culture, skipping the greeting process to get straight to a request is often considered rude or aggressive.
- The word habari comes from the Arabic word ḵabar, which means 'news' or 'information'. This is why many Swahili greetings involve asking for 'news' rather than asking about a person's state of being.
Examples in context
- Hujambo, bwana? Habari gani za mchana?How are you? What sort of day are you having today?This sentence shows the use of hujambo in a greeting.Tatoeba #2576572 by ecorralest101, translation #239423 by Zifre
Sources
- Wiktionary, “how are you” translations and entries hujambo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries habari, hujambo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
