1. Word Order: Swahili follows a Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) word order, similar to English.
* Subject: The person or thing performing the action.
* Verb: The action word.
* Object: The person or thing receiving the action.
Example:
* English: The girl eats the apple.
* Swahili: Msichana hula tufaha.
2. Verb Conjugation: Verbs change form depending on the subject's tense and number (singular or plural).
* Tense: Present, past, future.
* Number: Singular (one), plural (more than one).
Example:
* English: She eats the apple.
* Swahili: Yeye hula tufaha. (Singular, present tense)
* English: They eat the apple.
* Swahili: Wao hula tufaha. (Plural, present tense)
3. Prepositions: Words like "on," "in," "at," "to," and "from" are used to show the relationship between words in a sentence.
* Example:
* English: The book is on the table.
* Swahili: Kitabu kiko mezani.
4. Pronouns: Pronouns replace nouns to avoid repetition.
* Example:
* English: She is eating the apple.
* Swahili: Yeye anakula tufaha.
5. Articles: Articles are words like "a," "an," and "the." Swahili does not have definite articles like "the," but uses "m" before singular nouns to indicate specificity.
* Example:
* English: The girl eats the apple.
* Swahili: Msichana hula tufaha.
6. Adjectives: Adjectives describe nouns.
* Example:
* English: The red car is fast.
* Swahili: Gari nyekundu ni haraka.
Here are some basic Swahili phrases to get you started:
* Hello: Habari
* How are you? Habari gani?
* I am fine: Nzuri
* Thank you: Asante
* You're welcome: Karibu
* Good morning: Habari za asubuhi
* Good afternoon: Habari za mchana
* Good evening: Habari za jioni
* Goodbye: Kwaheri
Remember: Swahili is a complex language with many nuances. It's best to learn from a native speaker or a reputable language resource.