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- Topic: Swahili >
- "Marahaba!"
12 Comments
"Marahaba" is the response to "Shikamoo", that is the only use of this word in the Swahili language.
You may have translated this into "Thanks for your respect". That is not formally correct because "Marahaba" is used by an elder or respected person. You would say "Thank you" instead of "Thanks".
Hm, it almost seems like Swahili greetings are incompatible with Duolingo's system. Like, marahaba, by itself, translated as "thanks," seems so odd
I wasn't saying that "thanks" is unacceptable, its just more polite to use "thank you"
"Response to Shikamoo." is shown as a clue/hint; however it is not accepted as a solution - I reported it.
I remember Marahaba (Arabic) being translated, "As it should be," in response to shikamoo (also Arabic) for "I hold your feet," implying respect. In Swahili, "Thanks" or "thank you" is translated "asante" (bantu), or "shukran/shukuru" (Arabic). So to me, "thanks" is not an appropriate translation for marahaba. Better to simply say, "response to shikamoo."
I agree completely. Shikamoo/marahaba is an extremely respectful greeting that has no useful translation. These terms cannot be used in other circumstances and "thanks" "thank you" translations are just misleading to Swahili learners.
Some of the other courses solve this problem by combining them in a single translation.
E.g. Shikamoo. Marahaba.
Translation: (actually, I’m still struggling to find a good one. But as a pair it would be easier to find the right translation I think).
I like "Thank you for your respect." even though it is more complicated to learn and write because it incorporates mentioned aspect of the culture and complexity...
"I acknowledge your respect" is marked as wrong, with a correct answer "Thanks!" Next time it comes up, "Thanks!" is marked as wrong, with a correct answer "Thank you for your respect."
Marahaba is the response to Shikamoo as stated below and means "I accept your respect"
