A1 Expression Neutral 1 Min. Lesezeit

Simama hapa

Stop here

Jetzt üben

Phrase in 30 Seconds

Use 'Simama hapa' to tell a driver or someone walking with you to stop at your current location.

  • Means: 'Stop here' or 'Stand here'.
  • Used in: Taxis, daladalas (minibuses), or when guiding a friend.
  • Don't confuse: 'Simama' (stop/stand) with 'Kaa' (sit/stay).
Hand signal + 'Simama hapa' = Safe arrival

Erklärung auf deinem Niveau:

This phrase means 'stop here'. You use it when you are in a car or walking and you want to stop at this place.
This is an imperative phrase. 'Simama' is the verb to stop or stand, and 'hapa' means here. It is very useful for giving directions to drivers or friends.
The phrase 'Simama hapa' functions as a direct imperative. It is the standard way to request a halt in movement. While simple, it is essential for navigating urban environments in Swahili-speaking regions.
Functionally, 'Simama hapa' serves as a locative directive. It is highly efficient, reflecting the pragmatic nature of Swahili communication in transit contexts. When used without modifiers, it is a direct command, but it can be softened with 'tafadhali'.
The phrase demonstrates the imperative mood in Swahili, where the verb root 'simama' acts as the base. Its usage is context-dependent; in the high-frequency domain of public transport, it is a pragmatic necessity. Its simplicity belies the complex social negotiation of space that occurs in daily Swahili interaction.
From a cognitive linguistics perspective, 'Simama hapa' maps the concept of 'cessation of motion' onto a specific spatial anchor ('hapa'). It is a prototypical example of a deictic expression in Swahili, where the speaker's current location defines the boundary of the action. The phrase is a cornerstone of transactional discourse in East African urban centers.

Bedeutung

Giving directions to a driver.

🌍

Kultureller Hintergrund

In Dar es Salaam, 'Simama hapa' is the standard way to exit a daladala.

💡

Politeness

Always add 'tafadhali' to be polite.

💡

Politeness

Always add 'tafadhali' to be polite.

Teste dich selbst

Fill in the blank to complete the phrase.

Dereva, ________ hapa.

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: simama

Simama means stop, which is what you say to a driver.

🎉 Ergebnis: /1

Aufgabensammlung

2 Aufgaben
Wähle die richtige Antwort Fill Blank

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort:
Fill in the blank to complete the phrase. Fill Blank A1

Dereva, ________ hapa.

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: simama

Simama means stop, which is what you say to a driver.

🎉 Ergebnis: /2

Häufig gestellte Fragen

1 Fragen

Only if you don't say 'tafadhali'.

Verwandte Redewendungen

🔗

Simama kidogo

similar

Stop for a little while

Wo du es verwendest

🚕

Taxi Ride

Passenger: Dereva, simama hapa tafadhali.

neutral
📸

Taking Photos

Photographer: Simama hapa, mwanga ni mzuri.

informal

Einprägen

Eselsbrücke

Think of 'See-ma-ma' (See my mama) standing right here.

Visuelle Assoziation

Imagine a taxi driver looking at you, and you pointing to the ground saying 'Simama hapa!'

Rhyme

Don't go far, just stop where you are: Simama hapa!

Story

Juma was in a hurry. He jumped into a taxi. He saw his house. He shouted, 'Simama hapa!' The driver stopped immediately.

In Other Languages

Similar to 'Para aquí' in Spanish or 'Arrête ici' in French. It is a universal way to command a stop.

Word Web

SimamaHapaDerevaTafadhaliGariKaaSubiri

Herausforderung

Next time you are in a car, whisper 'Simama hapa' to yourself when you reach your destination.

Review in 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, and 30 days.

Aussprache

Stress Penultimate syllable stress.

Three syllables, stress on the second 'ma'.

Formalitätsspektrum

Formell
Tafadhali simama hapa.

Tafadhali simama hapa. (Giving directions)

Neutral
Simama hapa.

Simama hapa. (Giving directions)

Informell
Simama hapa basi.

Simama hapa basi. (Giving directions)

Umgangssprache
Hapa, mwanangu!

Hapa, mwanangu! (Giving directions)

Derived from the Proto-Bantu root *-tím- (to stand).

Pre-colonial:

Wusstest du?

The word 'Simama' is also used in the national anthem of Tanzania!

Kulturelle Hinweise

In Dar es Salaam, 'Simama hapa' is the standard way to exit a daladala.

“Dereva, simama hapa!”

Gesprächseinstiege

“

How do you tell a taxi driver to stop?

Häufige Fehler

✗

Simama hapa tafadhali

✓

Simama hapa, tafadhali

wrong register
While both are understood, adding a comma in writing helps with the cadence of the request.

L1 Interference

0

In Other Languages

Spanish Very Similar

Para aquí

Swahili is more agglutinative, but the phrase structure remains simple.

French Very Similar

Arrête ici

French requires more formal conjugation depending on the person.

German moderate

Halten Sie hier

German grammar is more rigid regarding formality.

Japanese moderate

Koko de tomatte

Word order is reversed.

Arabic Very Similar

Qif huna

Arabic has gendered imperatives.

Chinese moderate

Ting zai zheli

Swahili uses a direct adverb.

Korean moderate

Yeogi-seo meomchwo

Korean is highly agglutinative.

Portuguese Very Similar

Pare aqui

Pronunciation of 'Pare' vs 'Simama'.

Spotted in the Real World

📱

(2023)

“Simama hapa, dereva!”

A tourist filming their trip in Zanzibar.

Leicht verwechselbar

Simama hapa vs. Kaa hapa

Learners mix 'stop' (simama) and 'sit' (kaa).

Simama is for standing/stopping; Kaa is for sitting/staying.

Häufig gestellte Fragen (1)

Only if you don't say 'tafadhali'.

usage contexts

Learning Path

Prerequisites

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