LESSON TRANSCRIPT

3-Minute Swahili #12

Asking What Someone is Doing

CONTENTS
2 Introduction
2 Body
3 Cultural Insight
4 Outro

# 12
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INTRODUCTION

John: Welcome to 3-Minute Swahili Season 1, Lesson 12 - Asking What

Someone is Doing. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to ask and answer the
question "What are you doing?" in Swahili.

BODY

John: Here's the way to ask "What are you doing?" in Swahili.

Medina: [Normal] Unafanya nini?

John: First is a word meaning "you are doing."

Medina: [Normal] Unafanya [Slow] Unafanya

John: Last is the word meaning "what."

Medina: [Normal] nini [Slow] nini

John: Note the rising intonation. Listen again to the question meaning "What
are you doing?"

Medina: [Slow] Unafanya nini? [Normal] Unafanya nini?

John: Here's a slightly different way to ask, "What are you doing?"

Medina: [Normal] Wewe unafanya nini?

John: First is a word meaning "you."

Medina: [Normal] wewe [Slow] wewe

John: Next is the word meaning "you are doing."

Medina: [Normal] unafanya [Slow] unafanya

John: Last is the word meaning "what."

Medina: [Normal] nini [Slow] nini

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John: Note again the rising intonation. Listen again to the question meaning
"What are you doing?"

Medina: [Slow] Wewe unafanya nini? [Normal] Wewe unafanya nini?

John: Here's a response meaning "I am studying."

Medina: [Normal] Ninasoma.

John: This expression has only one word meaning "I am studying."

Medina: [Normal] ninasoma [Slow] ninasoma

John: Listen again to the response, "I am studying."

Medina: [Slow] Ninasoma. [Normal] Ninasoma.

John: Here's a response meaning, "I'm doing nothing special."

Medina: [Normal] Sifanyi jambo lolote spesheli.

John: First is a word meaning "I'm not doing."

Medina: [Normal] sifanyi [Slow] sifanyi

John: Next is the word literally meaning "issue."

Medina: [Normal] jambo [Slow] jambo

John: Next is the word meaning "any."

Medina: [Normal] lolote [Slow] lolote

John: Last is the word meaning "special."

Medina: [Normal] spesheli [Slow] spesheli

John: Listen again to the response, "I'm doing nothing special."

Medina: [Slow] Sifanyi jambo lolote spesheli. [Normal] Sifanyi jambo lolote
spesheli.

CULTURAL INSIGHT

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John: Now it's time for a quick cultural insight.

Medina: "What are you doing?" is a common question asked to find out
whether a person is busy before suggesting something else for them to do.
You can use it when you are bored and want someone to talk to or go
shopping with you or do a task.

OUTRO

John: And that’s all for this lesson. Don’t forget to check out the lesson notes,
and we’ll see you in the next lesson!

Medina: Tuonane!

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