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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/sw-tafadhali-please

How do you say 'please' in Swahili?

Tafadhali means please.

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  1. Asante
  2. Samahani
  3. Tafadhali ✔

Why: Tafadhali turns a plain command into a polite request: 'Karibu, kaa tafadhali' is 'Welcome, please sit.' Asante means thank you and samahani means excuse me or sorry.

Huh, didn't know that: Bare commands like 'kaa' (sit) sound informal; most speakers soften them with tafadhali.

The dad joke
Tafadhali has four syllables. That's a lot of please for one little word.
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References

Answer: Tafadhali. Tafadhali turns a plain command into a polite request: 'Karibu, kaa tafadhali' is 'Welcome, please sit.' Asante means thank you and samahani means excuse me or sorry.

  1. University of Wisconsin-Madison LCTL Resources: Essential Travel Phrases in Swahili wisc.pb.unizin.org/lctlresources/chapter/essential-travel-phrases-in-swahili
    Tafadhali - Please
    Checked 2026-10-12.
  2. University of Georgia Kiswahili, Unit 1 Grammar africa.uga.edu/Kiswahili/doe/unit_01/unit1grammar.html
    Most speakers prefer the less formal imperative forms plus the polite form tafadhali .
    Checked 2026-10-12.

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