Ni saa ngapi? What Time is It? How to Tell Time and Give Dates in Swahili

In this post we’ll learn how to tell time in Swahili, how to give dates in Swahili, and how to talk about days and months in Swahili. First we’ll start with Swahili vocabulary related to the time of day. Then you’ll learn how to tell time in Swahili. Next you’ll learn the days of the week in Swahili as well as the months of the year. Finally, you’ll learn how to give dates in Swahili.

Siku, Usiku: Day, Night

Let’s start with some basic vocabulary related to time of day: siku day; usiku night; asubuhi morning; mchana afternoon; jioni evening.

• Ni mapema/kuchelewa.
  It’s early/late.
• Nalala usiku.
  I sleep at night.
• Ninafanya kazi wakati wa mchana.
  I work during the day.
• Tunasoma jioni.
  We read in the evening.

How to Tell Time in Swahili

To ask what time it is, use Ni saa ngapi? The answer will follow the format Ni saa… (it is… o’clock.) The phrase na nusu means and half. If you look closely at the numbers used in the times below, you’ll notice, for example, that 1:00 looks more like seven (saba). That’s because of the way the day is divided in Swahili culture. Check out the grammar tip below for more information.

• Ni saa ngapi?
  What time is it?
• Ni mchana
  It’s noon.
• Ni saa saba asubuhi.
  It’s 1:00.
• Ni saa saba jioni.
  It’s 2:00.
• Ni saa tisa na nusu asubuhi.
  It’s 3:30AM.
• Ni saa kumi na moja na dakina arobaine na tano jioni.
  It’s 5:45PM.
• Treni huondoka saa ngapi?
  When does the train leave?
• Treni huondoka saa saba na nusu mchana.
  The train leaves at one thirty in the afternoon.
• Duka linafunguliwa/ linafungwa saa ngapi?
  What time does the store open/close?
• Duka inafunguliwa saa nne asubuhi.
  The store opens at ten o’clock in the morning.

How to Divide the Day in Swahili Culture

When you give the time in Swahili, you have to rethink your hours based on how the day is divided in Swahili culture. First, think of the day as divided into two twelve-hour segments, the daylight hours starting at 7am and ending at 6pm, and then the night hours starting at 7pm and ending at 6am. So, 7am is the first hour of the daylight segment, and 7pm is the first hour of the night segment. Which means that they’re both saa moja, first hour, rather than seventh hour. Then, you divide the hours even more precisely into:

• alfajiri: early morning, 5am-6am
• asubuhi: morning, 6am-noon
• mchana: noon, early afternoon, noon-3pm
• alasiri: late afternoon, 3pm-5pm
• jioni: evening, 5pm- 7pm
• usiku: night, 7pm-5am

Examples of Swahili Divisions of the Day

Now let’s see some examples with the time expressions. Going back to 7am, we already know that it’s the first hour (saa moja), but more specifically, it falls in the asubuhi (morning time, 6am to noon). Which means that 8am is the second hour (saa mbili) of the asubuhi, and so on.

• Ni saa moja asubuhi.
  It’s 7am. (First hour, morning time.)
• Ni saa mbili asubuhi.
  It’s 8am. (Second hour, morning time.)

This will take some time to get used to! But it’s perfectly logical once you get used to is. Until then, here’s a cheat sheet for you:

• 7am: saa moja asubuhi // 7pm: saa moja jioni
• 8am: saa mbili asubuhi // 8pm: saa mbili usiku
• 9am: saa tatu asubuhi // 9pm: saa tatu usiku
• 10am: saa nne asubuhi // 10pm: saa nne usiku
• 11am: saa tano asubuhi // 11pm: saa tano usiku
• 12pm: saa sita mchana // 12am: saa sita usiku
• 1pm: saa saba mchana // 1am: saa saba usiku
• 2pm: saa nane mchana // 2am: saa nane usiku
• 3pm: saa tisa alasiri // 3am: saa tisa usiku
• 4pm: saa kumi alasiri // 4am: saa kumi usiku
• 5pm: saa kumi na moja jioni // 5am: saa kumi na moja alfajiri
• 6pm: saa kumi na mbili jioni // 6am: saa kumi na mbili asabuhi

The Days of the Week in Swahili