Swahili, also known as Kiswahili, is a Bantu language spoken primarily in East Africa. It is the official language of several countries, including Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Swahili is also widely spoken as a second language in neighboring countries and across the African Great Lakes region.

Key Features of Swahili:

Geographic Distribution: Swahili is spoken as a first language by millions of people in East Africa, especially along the coast and on nearby islands. It is the lingua franca in the region, facilitating communication between speakers of different ethnic languages.

Bantu Language Family: Swahili belongs to the Bantu language family, which is one of the largest and most diverse language families in Africa. As a Bantu language, Swahili shares many linguistic features with other Bantu languages, such as noun class systems and agglutinative word structures.

Arabic Influence: Swahili has a significant Arabic influence, as a result of centuries of historical trade and cultural interaction along the East African coast with Arabic-speaking traders and settlers. Many Swahili words and expressions have Arabic origins.

Loanwords: Swahili has also borrowed words from various other languages, including English, Portuguese, Hindi, and Persian, due to its role as a trading language in the region.

Noun Class System: Like other Bantu languages, Swahili has a complex system of noun classes, where nouns are grouped into classes based on prefixes. Each class has its own agreement patterns with verbs and adjectives.

Table of content

• Part 1: 30 Swahili language quiz questions & answers
• Part 2: Download Swahili language questions & answers for free
• Part 3: Free online quiz platform – OnlineExamMaker

Part 1: 30 Swahili language quiz questions & answers

1. Swahili belongs to which language family?
a) Afroasiatic
b) Bantu
c) Nilo-Saharan
d) Niger-Congo
Answer: b) Bantu

2. Which region primarily speaks Swahili as a first language?
a) North Africa
b) West Africa
c) East Africa
d) South Africa
Answer: c) East Africa

3. Swahili is the official language of which countries?
a) Tanzania and Kenya
b) Tanzania and Uganda
c) Kenya and Rwanda
d) Kenya and Uganda
Answer: a) Tanzania and Kenya

4. Swahili has a significant influence from which language due to historical trade interactions?
a) Portuguese
b) English
c) Arabic
d) French
Answer: c) Arabic

5. Swahili is widely used as a _______________ in the African Great Lakes region.
a) First language
b) Second language
c) Third language
d) Fourth language
Answer: b) Second language

6. How many noun classes are there in Swahili?
a) 5
b) 9
c) 14
d) 18
Answer: b) 9

7. Swahili exhibits vowel harmony, meaning certain vowels must harmonize with each other in terms of:
a) Tense
b) Pitch
c) Length
d) Tongue height and backness
Answer: d) Tongue height and backness

8. Swahili nouns are grouped into classes based on:
a) Gender
b) Size
c) Shape
d) Prefixes
Answer: d) Prefixes

9. What is the primary word order in Swahili sentences?
a) Subject-Verb-Object
b) Object-Subject-Verb
c) Verb-Object-Subject
d) Subject-Object-Verb
Answer: a) Subject-Verb-Object

10. Which language has had the least influence on Swahili vocabulary?
a) English
b) Arabic
c) Portuguese
d) French
Answer: d) French

11. Swahili plays a crucial role in promoting unity and communication among people of diverse linguistic backgrounds in which region?
a) West Africa
b) East Africa
c) Southern Africa
d) North Africa
Answer: b) East Africa

12. Which of the following is NOT a country where Swahili is spoken as an official language?
a) Tanzania
b) Kenya
c) Uganda
d) Rwanda
Answer: d) Rwanda

13. How many letters are in the Swahili alphabet?
a) 23
b) 26
c) 29
d) 32
Answer: c) 29

14. Swahili has a significant influence from which language due to historical trade interactions?
a) Portuguese
b) English
c) Arabic
d) French
Answer: c) Arabic

15. Swahili is widely used as a _______________ in the African Great Lakes region.
a) First language
b) Second language
c) Third language
d) Fourth language
Answer: b) Second language

Part 2: Download Swahili language questions & answers for free

16. How many noun classes are there in Swahili?
a) 5
b) 9
c) 14
d) 18
Answer: b) 9

17. Swahili exhibits vowel harmony, meaning certain vowels must harmonize with each other in terms of:
a) Tense
b) Pitch
c) Length
d) Tongue height and backness
Answer: d) Tongue height and backness

18. Swahili nouns are grouped into classes based on:
a) Gender
b) Size
c) Shape
d) Prefixes
Answer: d) Prefixes

19. What is the primary word order in Swahili sentences?
a) Subject-Verb-Object
b) Object-Subject-Verb
c) Verb-Object-Subject
d) Subject-Object-Verb
Answer: a) Subject-Verb-Object

20. Which language has had the least influence on Swahili vocabulary?
a) English
b) Arabic
c) Portuguese
d) French
Answer: d) French

21. Swahili is spoken as a first language by millions of people in which region?
a) West Africa
b) North Africa
c) East Africa
d) Central Africa
Answer: c) East Africa

22. Swahili is a member of which language family?
a) Indo-European
b) Afroasiatic
c) Niger-Congo
d) Bantu
Answer: d) Bantu

23. Which language has significantly influenced Swahili due to colonial history and trade interactions?
a) French
b) Portuguese
c) German
d) Arabic
Answer: b) Portuguese

24. How are Swahili nouns grouped into classes?
a) By gender
b) By size
c) By shape
d) By prefixes
Answer: d) By prefixes

25. Swahili has a rich cultural history and is often considered a symbol of ____________.
a) West African unity
b) East African unity
c) Southern African unity
d) North African unity
Answer: b) East African unity

26. How many letters are in the Swahili alphabet?
a) 26
b) 28
c) 30
d) 32
Answer: c) 30

27. Swahili is a lingua franca, facilitating communication among people with different ____________ backgrounds in East Africa.
a) Religious
b) Linguistic
c) Ethnic
d) Political
Answer: c) Ethnic

28. What is the primary word order in Swahili sentences?
a) Subject-Verb-Object
b) Object-Subject-Verb
c) Verb-Object-Subject
d) Subject-Object-Verb
Answer: a) Subject-Verb-Object

29. Swahili has a significant influence from which language due to historical trade interactions?
a) Portuguese
b) English
c) Arabic
d) French
Answer: c) Arabic

30. Swahili is widely used as a _______________ in the African Great Lakes region.
a) First language
b) Second language
c) Third language
d) Fourth language
Answer: b) Second language

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