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Glite Dictionary
📄 A matter 👦 A boy's name 👋 Hello (Swahili)
jambo

jambo

9.9
A Swahili greeting meaning hello used in East Africa
  • other
translation icon : jambo
  • During our trip to Kenya, the locals welcomed us warmly, calling out jambo.

Examples

  • When I arrived in Tanzania, I was greeted with a cheerful jambo.

  • Jambo Jambo, we got little sandwiches, we got little crepes.

  • So I'm going to take your silly word. Say Jambo jambo, Jambo Buena.

  • As soon as the children saw their friends, they shouted jambo to each other.

Synonyms

hiya
vsjambo
  • UK
9 8.0

A friendly, informal way to say hello

is a regional greeting used by English speakers in East Africa
heya
vsjambo
  • Informal
1 8.6

A friendly informal way to say hello

is specific to East Africa when used by English speakers rather than general use
hia
vsjambo
  • UK
9.9

A friendly informal greeting to say hello

is the regional East African form used by English speakers rather than a general greeting

How Formal

good morning
480 1.0
jambo
9.9
to hello
1 1.0
hi
  • Informal
∞ 1.0
hey
  • Informal
∞ 3.6

Surface Forms

jambo main

Etymology

Jambo is a Swahili greeting that literally means 'thing' or 'matter' and began as a short question like 'Is there any matter?', so using jambo is like saying 'hello' and asking 'is everything OK?'.