20 Comments
Hamjambo? is the short form of Hamna jambo? Where in this context jambo = problem.
Hamna jambo? = Don't you have a problem?
Remember how to get hamna from plural you.
You = Ninyi m; have = na; problem (jambo)
The negative is made by fixing ha before Subject marker 'm'
Ninyi 'ha'-m-na jambo. You do not have problem.
Ninyi ha-m-na- jambo? = Don't you have a problem?
How are you is not direct translation but just a hint.
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I was wondering because i understand si to be a negative, sijambo seems to be I'm not ok, but now you've made it clear by explaining the meaning of jambo. Asante sana.
Jambo actually means, "What's the news? or What's new?" So the reply, "Sijambo" simply mean, "no news, nothing new...." So th e "si" is indeed negative.
Read other posts too. Jambo can mean news/issue/problem/affair/ depending on the context for example 'Ministry of Home Affairs' means 'Wizara ya Mambo ya Ndani'
Can hamjambo be used as a greeting? Like how when you see someone you say "Hello, how are you?" Can you use hamjambo in that context?
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So if someone asks you this you can reply with the same word, just not in question?
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No, you reply hatujambo (short form of hatuna jambo) = "we are fine" (= we have no problems).
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Even if you're by yourself? or the question is given to directly yourself?
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Nobody would ask ONE person "hamjambo". They would say "hujambo" to which you reply "sijambo".
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Yeah but it's confusing that "hamjambo?" (as a question) seems to contain a form of "you" and you'd expect the answer to change to a form of "I/me": How are you? - I am fine.
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Hujambo? = How are you? (to one person)
Sijambo. = I am fine. (one person)
Hamjambo? = How are you (all/guys/lot)? (to more than one)
Hatujambo. = We are fine. (more than one person)
It's only confusing you because in English "you" is both singular and plural.
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Thats why I'm trying to recall it as "How are y'all?" Which is accepted as a corrwct answer. That is helping me keep it straight.
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It helps to understand that -jambo means, roughly translated, "problems, issues". "Hu-/ham-jambo?" = Do you/plural have any problems? The reply si/hatu-jambo means I/we have no problems.
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yes - small addition "jambo" is singular "problem, issue, affair with plural "mambo" "Hu-/ham-jambo?" literally means "You don't have any problem(s), do you?"
