Ask who, what, where, when, why, and how — plus the words that join sentences.

• niniNEE-neewhat | Unataka nini? = What do you want?
• naniNAH-neewho | Huyu ni nani? = Who is this?
• wapiWAH-peewhere | Unakaa wapi? = Where do you live?
• liniLEE-neewhen | Utafika lini? = When will you arrive?
• kwa ninikwah-NEE-neewhy | Kwa nini umechelewa? = Why are you late?
• vipiVEE-peehow / how's it going (informal) | Habari, vipi? = Hey, how's it going? / Utafikaje? Vipi? = How will you get there?
• -je-jehhow (verb suffix, attaches to the verb) | Unafanyaje? = How do you do it? / Unaitwaje? = What are you called?
• ngapin-GAH-peehow much / how many (agrees with noun class) | Watu wangapi? = How many people? / Pesa ngapi? = How much money?
• ganiGAH-neewhich / what kind of (invariant, follows the noun) | Unapenda chakula gani? = Which / what kind of food do you like?
• -pi-peewhich one (agrees with noun class: yupi, kipi, lipi…) | Unataka kipi? = Which one do you want?
• saa ngapisah n-GAH-peewhat time | Ni saa ngapi sasa? = What time is it now?
• jejehyes/no question marker (fronts the question) | Je, unazungumza Kiswahili? = Do you speak Swahili?
• nanahand / with | Chai na maziwa = Tea and milk / Nilikwenda na rafiki yangu = I went with my friend
• auow (rhymes with 'how')or | Unataka chai au kahawa? = Do you want tea or coffee?
• lakinilah-KEE-neebut | Nataka kuja, lakini nina kazi nyingi = I want to come, but I have a lot of work
• kwa sababukwah sah-BAH-boobecause | Sikuja kwa sababu nilikuwa mgonjwa = I didn't come because I was sick
• kwa hiyokwah HEE-yohso / therefore | Mvua ilinyesha, kwa hiyo tulikaa nyumbani = It rained, so we stayed home
• halafuhah-LAH-foothen / and then (sequencing) | Tutakula, halafu tutaenda = We'll eat, and then we'll go