jambo
/ˈʄɑ.ᵐbɔ/
In Swahili, jambo is a friendly greeting used to say hello.
jambo is a common greeting used to say hello.
What does it mean word for word?
The noun jambo literally means 'matter', 'affair' or 'issue'.
Which one should you use?
While jambo is a simple greeting, hujambo is a more grammatically complete way to ask 'how are you?', which literally translates to 'you have no problem'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Kenya, the phrase Mambo poa is used, where poa means 'cool'.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 2 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable: /ˈʄɑ.ᵐbɔ/.
When do people say it?
When someone greets you with jambo, a common and natural response is to say jambo back.
Did you know?
- While jambo is often used as a simple greeting for tourists, a native speaker might find it slightly unnatural to use it in a casual conversation with friends.
- In Swahili culture, skipping a greeting to get straight to a request is often considered rude, making a word like jambo a necessary social lubricant rather than just a formality.
- The word is built from the root -amba, which means 'to say', suggesting that a 'matter' is something that 'has been said'.
Examples in context
- Habari yako?How are you?
- Uko salama?Are you well?
- Mambo vipi?How's it going?
- Sasa rafiki?Hi friend?
- Hujambo rafiki?Hello friend?
- Jambo, rafiki yangu.Hello, my friend.
- Jambo, mwalimu.Hello, teacher.
Example conversation
Juma and Aisha meet on a street in the morning.
- JumaJambo, Aisha!Hello, Aisha!
- AishaJambo, Juma. Habari yako?Hello, Juma. How are you?
- JumaNzuri sana, asante.Very good, thank you.
- AishaHaya, tutaonana baadaye.Okay, see you later.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry jambo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries jambo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
