swahili
/swa.i.li/masculine
swahili is the French word for the English phrase Swahili.
The word refers to the Swahili language.
Meaning: language (name)
How does it change in a sentence?
In French, names of languages are treated as masculine nouns and are typically preceded by the definite article le when used as a subject or object, such as in le swahili. When asking if someone speaks the language using the verb parler, the article is often omitted, as in Parlez-vous swahili?
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /swa.i.li/ and it consists of 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- If you describe a person using the word, you write un Swahili with a capital 'S', but if you describe the language, you write le swahili in lowercase.
- The phrase le monde swahili is used in French to refer to the entire coastal cultural region, not just the speakers of the language.
- In a formal French academic setting, swahili is often categorized under the broader term langue bantoue.
Examples in context
- Parlez-vous swahili ?Do you speak Swahili?This sentence is useful for asking if someone speaks swahili.Tatoeba #986241 by Aiji, translation #949143 by CN
- J'apprends le swahili.I'm learning Swahili.This sentence is useful for stating that you are learning swahili.Tatoeba #8659191 by Micsmithel, translation #5780369 by mailohilohi
- Si une phrase islandaise a une traduction anglaise, et que la phrase anglaise a une traduction en swahili, alors, indirectement, cela fournira une traduction en swahili pour la phrase islandaise.If an Icelandic sentence has a translation in English, and the English sentence has a translation in Swahili, then indirectly, this will provide a Swahili translation for the Icelandic sentence.This sentence is useful for illustrating a complex translation logic involving swahili.Tatoeba #705101 by Scott, translation #704142 by jakov
- Je parle swahili.I speak Swahili.
- Il étudie la linguistique swahilie.He studies Swahili linguistics.
- On apprend le kiswahili ensemble.We're learning Kiswahili together.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Manon are at a language school.
- LucasEst-ce que tu étudies le swahili ?Are you studying swahili?
- ManonOui, je trouve le swahili très intéressant.Yes, I find swahili very interesting.
- LucasC'est difficile à apprendre ?Is it difficult to learn?
- ManonPas vraiment, c'est une belle langue.Not really, it is a beautiful language.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “swahili” translations and entries swahili, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
