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When someone trips or drops something, which Swahili word shows sympathy?

Say pole, or pole sana.

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  1. Haraka
  2. Pole ✔
  3. Sawa

Why: Pole is used to say sorry or I feel for you after a small mishap, an illness or a tiring day. Pole sana means very sorry.

Huh, didn't know that: To show sympathy to more than one person, say poleni.

The dad joke
I dropped my chapati and someone said pole. The chapati did not get up.
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References

Answer: Pole. Pole is used to say sorry or I feel for you after a small mishap, an illness or a tiring day. Pole sana means very sorry.

  1. University of Wisconsin-Madison LCTL Resources: Swahili Greetings wisc.pb.unizin.org/lctlresources/chapter/swahili-greetings
    Pole is an expression of sympathy.
    Checked 2026-10-12.
  2. University of Wisconsin-Madison LCTL Resources: Swahili Greetings wisc.pb.unizin.org/lctlresources/chapter/swahili-greetings
    To express sympathy to multiple people, you say poleni.
    Checked 2026-10-12.
  3. University of Kansas Kiswahili, Lesson 30 kiswahili.ku.edu/sites/kiswahili/files/documents/lessons/lesson_30.pdf
    pole sana [very sorry]
    Checked 2026-10-12.

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