Learn how to ask, "How much is it?"
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| INTRODUCTION |
| The Kenyan public transport is very extensive. It comes in several types - buses, trains, and matatus, which is a general term for smaller forms of transportation, such as mini-buses and vans. Buses are quite slow, but somewhat comfortable and reliable. Matatus are the most common means of transport. They leave from designated areas called stages. They can also be caught along the road. It is common to be asked for a fare when the matatu is on its way. However, at major stages, you pay for the ticket before it sets off. The charges to some places are fixed. You should ask other customers about the prices, to avoid being cheated when you’re going to places whose prices are not determined. |
| BODY |
| Let’s imagine you are taking a matatu from Langata to Kencom. To ask for a ticket, you will say; |
| tiketi moja, tafadhali. |
| Let’s break it down: |
| (slow) tiketi moja, tafadhali. |
| Once more: |
| tiketi moja, tafadhali. |
| First we have tiketi which means “ticket”. |
| (slow) ti - ke - ti |
| tiketi |
| Next comes moja, meaning “one” |
| In Kenya a ticket is used only once. |
| Don’t forget to add tafadhali for “please” at the end! |
| So the whole request, “One ticket, please” in Swahili is |
| tiketi moja, tafadhali. |
| If you are not sure of the charges, it is a good idea to ask how much it costs. This is easy to say, it’s just tiketi ni pesa ngapi? as we have learned before. |
| The first word tiketi means “ticket” |
| Next we have ni pesa which literally means “is money” but when ngapi meaning “how much” is added to ni pesa, it becomes ni pesa ngapi and means “how much money.” |
| (slow) ni pesa ngapi |
| ni pesa ngapi |
| Altogether, we then have |
| (slow) Ti - ke - ti ni pe - sa nga - pi? |
| Tiketi ni pesa ngapi? |
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