Locale Sw 001

Reference data for the Swahili locale — endonym Kiswahili, written in the Latin script, left-to-right (LTR).

Identifiers

• BCP 47 tag: sw-001
• ISO 639-1: sw
• ISO 639-3: swa
• Script: Latn (Latin)
• Region: 001 (World)
• Text direction: ltr — left-to-right (LTR)

Speakers (approximate)

• L1 (native): 18,000,000
• L2 (additional): 130,000,000
• L1+L2 (total): 148,000,000

Regional variants

This is the base/macro locale for Swahili. Region-specific variants in this dataset:

• Locale Sw Ke (Swahili (Kenya))
• Locale Sw Tz (Swahili (Tanzania))

Pluralization

CLDR plural categories for this locale: one, other (2 forms).

• one — i = 1 and v = 0 (e.g. 1)
• other — everything else (e.g. 0, 2~16, 100, 1000, …)

See Unicode Messageformat for writing plural messages using these categories.

Translating into this locale

Swahili (Kiswahili) is a Bantu language and a lingua franca of East Africa, an official language of Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, and the African Union. Standard Swahili (Kiswahili sanifu) is based on the Zanzibar dialect. See Locale Sw Tz and Locale Sw Ke.

Translate ideas, not words.

• Swahili expresses subject, tense, object, and mood through verb prefixes and extensions: Nimehifadhi faili (I-have-saved the file). Restructure English sentences; do not translate word for word.
• Nouns belong to noun classes (m-/wa-, ki-/vi-, m-/mi-, n-, ji-/ma-, u-, pa-/ku-/mu-). The class governs agreement on adjectives, verbs, possessives, and demonstratives: kitabu kikubwa (big book), vitabu vikubwa (big books). A class error shows up in every agreeing word.
• Use established Swahili terms from BAKITA and TUKI (faili, nenosiri for password, programu for app, tovuti for website, barua pepe for email) rather than raw English borrowings where a term is in use.
• Re-express idioms and proverbs (methali) by meaning.

Grammar that trips translators.

• Agreement prefixes must match the noun class of the subject and object. Placeholders that insert a noun into a sentence need class-aware design.
• Plurals: one and other categories. Numerals one to five take class concord (vitabu vitatu, three books).
• Possessives agree with the possessed noun (kitabu changu, vitabu vyangu).
• Time words use "Swahili time": hours are counted from sunrise at 6:00, so saa moja asubuhi means 7:00 a.m. in Swahili time. Clarify the clock convention in any time expression.

Register.

• Wewe is the singular "you" and ninyi is the plural. Polite and formal texts use the plural verb forms (mnahitaji) or an impersonal construction. UI commands use the imperative; the plural imperative ends in -ni (Hifadhini) and is also used to show courtesy. Add tafadhali (please) where needed.
• Public and business Swahili is formal and courteous; greetings are important (Hujambo, Habari, Karibu).

Orthography and typography.

• Swahili has a regular Latin spelling with no tone marks. Keep the apostrophe in ng' (ng'ombe), which is a different sound from ng.
• Dates 17 Oktoba 2026; month names are capitalized in running text; currency TSh (Tanzania) or KSh (Kenya); 24-hour clock with Swahili-time caution; check CLDR sw for separators.
• Quotation marks “…”.

Common pitfalls

• Wrong noun-class agreement.
• Translating English time (7 a.m.) literally as saa saba (the Swahili 1 o'clock).
• Dropping the ng' apostrophe.
• Leaving English terms where an established Swahili term exists.
• Mixing standard Swahili with Sheng or slang in formal content.

Learn more

• Locale for BCP 47 identifiers, locale-sensitive formatting, pluralization, and text-direction concepts that apply across all locales.
• Unicode Messageformat for writing plural/selection messages correctly for this locale's grammar.
• BAKITA (Baraza la Kiswahili la Taifa, Tanzania) and TUKI (Taasisi ya Taaluma za Kiswahili), Kamusi ya Kiswahili Sanifu
• Microsoft Localization Style Guides (https://learn.microsoft.com/globalization/reference/microsoft-style-guides), where available