"Tafadhali!"

Translation: Please!

[EileenRaff2]

It means please as in please do x or please don't do that. It has a slightly admonitory tone (I was told by a Kiswahili scholar) and is often used on official signs. For example 'Nenda polepole tafadhali' (Please drive slowly).

[kjbritt91]

I assume this is from the Arabic, (تفضل), usually meaning"please take" or "please enter".
Does it have any restricted uses, or does it always mean "please" in a general sense?

[SamiaELSharkawy]

yes, and it's actully feminine only in arabic masculine is tafadhal .. it can also be said if she said "can i ask you something?" -sure, tafadhali .. in arabic .. i'm not sure if it works in swahili too.

[Gazelle1596]

Tafadhali is used seldomly because of the (above) mentioned admonitory tone.
The polite form still is the bantu-based "Naomba." (short for - probably original origin - "Ninakuomba." I ask (from) you. The long form no longer or rarely is used.)

[rjhargrav]

Ninakuomba is a different tense than naomba. Naomba means "I ask," (or "I pray"), while Ninakuomba means "I am asking you." (As in, the activity in which I am currently engaged is the activity of making a request of you.)

[jo2dSY]

Thanks

[Mar145211]

it is as you have said

[EdwinThuku1]

Yes it is the same as in arabic

[awesomecheetah1]

it can mean for alot of things,but it is never really used when you are speaking. it is a word that is rarely be used.

[scrutr]

What cant this mean when exclaimed? Is it similar to the phrase "Oh please!" from English, used to express for example disbelief?

[Gazelle1596]

Not as far as I know, which is why I dislike its use without context (here).

[BillWarren2]

From the Arabic

[clar354072]

I was supposed to write please but instead i wrote pic

[Marcella628011]

Why isn't the voice speaker on to be able to hear the pronounciation of words and sentences?