Common Greetings

Jambo Mwanafunzi! Hello, Student!

Welcome to our Language Activities class! Today, we are going to learn about something wonderful we do every single day: Greeting People! A greeting is like a little sunshine you give to someone. It is the first step to making a friend and showing you are a kind and respectful person. How many people have you said "hello" to today?

Why Do We Greet People?

In Kenya, and all over the world, greetings are very important. Think of it this way: a greeting is like a key that opens the door to a friendly conversation. When we greet someone, we show them:

• Respect: Especially to our elders, like parents, teachers, and neighbours.
• Friendliness: It tells people we are happy to see them.
• Good Manners: It shows that we have been taught well at home and in school.

Image Suggestion:

A bright, cheerful illustration of a young Kenyan schoolgirl in a green and white uniform handing a flower to her teacher at the classroom door. Both are smiling warmly. The style should be colourful and cartoonish, perfect for children.

Greetings for Every Time of Day!

Just like you wear different clothes for different weather, we use different greetings for different times of the day!

1. In the Morning (Asubuhi)

When the sun wakes up, we use morning greetings!

      \   /
       .-.
-- /\`( " )'/\ --
   \_/`"`\_/
    /  /`\ \
   |  |   | |
   \  |   | /
    `"`"`"`

You can say:

• Good morning!
• Habari ya asubuhi? (How is the morning?)

2. In the Afternoon (Mchana)

When the sun is high in the sky and you are coming home from school, you can say:

• Good afternoon!
• Habari ya mchana? (How is the afternoon?)

3. In the Evening (Jioni)

When the sun is going to sleep and the moon comes out to play, we use evening greetings.

• Good evening!
• When going to bed, you can say Lala salama (Sleep well).

Greeting Different People

We change our greetings depending on who we are talking to. This is a very important sign of respect!

Greeting Elders (Wazee)

When you meet an older person like your grandmother (shosho), grandfather (babu), a teacher, or a neighbour, the most respectful greeting in Swahili is Shikamoo.

The elder will be very happy and reply with Marahaba.

A Short Story: Juma Greets His Shosho

Juma runs into the kitchen where his shosho is preparing supper. He stops at the door, bows his head slightly, and says with a happy voice, "Shikamoo, shosho!" His shosho turns around with a big, warm smile and replies, "Marahaba, mjukuu wangu! (my grandchild). How was school?" Juma feels very happy because he has shown his grandmother great respect.

Image Suggestion:

A heartwarming illustration of a small Kenyan boy with a slight bow greeting his elderly grandmother, who is sitting on a traditional stool outside a hut. The grandmother has a kind, wrinkled face and is placing her hand gently on the boy's head. The scene is set in a rural homestead with acacia trees in the background.

Greeting Friends (Marafiki)

When you greet your friends, you can be more relaxed and use fun, slang words! You can say:

• Mambo? or Vipi? or Sasa?

Your friend will likely reply:

• Poa! or Safi!

Let's Do Some Greeting Math!

Let's see how many rays of sunshine you can spread in a day! If you greet 5 family members in the morning and 4 friends on your way home from school, how many people have you greeted in total?

Let's calculate it!

Step 1: Greetings in the morning = 5
Step 2: Greetings in the afternoon = 4

Formula: Morning Greetings + Afternoon Greetings = Total Greetings

Calculation: 5 + 4 = 9

Answer: You have greeted 9 people! Fantastic!

The Greeting Flowchart

A greeting is a simple, happy process. It flows like this:

[You See a Person] ----> [You Smile] ----> [You Say "Habari!"]
       ^                                            |
       |                                            v
[You Both Feel Happy!] <---- [They Reply "Nzuri!"] <---- [They Smile Back]

Your Fun Task!

For the rest of the week, I want you to be a "Greeting Champion"! Here is your mission:

• Greet your parents or guardians with "Habari ya asubuhi?" every morning.
• When you meet an older person you know, greet them respectfully with "Shikamoo".
• Say "Asante" (Thank you) whenever someone helps you.
• Try to greet your friends using "Mambo!" and listen for their "Poa!" reply.

Well done today, mwanafunzi! Remember, a simple greeting can make someone's day so much brighter. Keep spreading that sunshine!