African Market Can’t Stop Laughing When I Speak Swahili
Recently I visited Nairobi Kenya and went to various local street markets to practice my Swahili and other East African languages including Maasai and Kikuyu. People were definitely surprised to see an American speaking these languages! Me and my friend @SeaboltSpeaks had the most amazing time trying the local produce and street food which was uniformly excellent.
Thanks so much to Francis of Incredible Kenya Adventures who took us around - he’s a Nairobi local with his own tour company which you can check out here: www.incrediblekenyaadventures...
0:00 Buying apple mango at a market
1:54 Are you really speaking Maasai?
4:42 You need a Kikuyu wife
5:51 Speaking Kikuyu?!
7:23 She cannot stop laughing when I speak Swahili
9:57 Will you buy me a soda?
11:16 A restaurant inside the fruit market
12:51 Trying cassava
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Do you offer a course in Hungarian?
I would be interested in taking your Golic Vulcan 101 course
bado uko nairobi?
Why didn’t you offer lunch for your guide? Is that expected not to in that country like in some countries no tips or your expected to barter? The 1st mango (apple mango?) looked so sweet n deep orange! And the finger banana too. We have those here and one called apple bananas. Great market all the fresh stuff!
Pass
hearing Hakuna Matata in regular conversation is wild
Also, asante sana, lol. Whenever they said that, I heard Rafiki chanting "Asante sana squash banana, wewe ndugu mimi hapana" (i.e. you're a baboon, and I'm not)
As a Kenyan filmmaker I can see both sides of the Hakuna matata audience 😆
What a wonderful phrase!
@@samawati432 first time I'm hearing it used regularly.
LOOOOOL
This is actually hilarious because I'm Kenyan, and I know it's already ridiculously impressive what you are doing, but I will tell you if you had pulled out a little bit of Kikuyu language instead of Maasai at that market, it would've been OVER! There aren't many Maasai speakers in Nairobi, so basically nobody understands it, but Kikuyu speakers are everywhere in Nairobi. But good for you. Very impressive. 😂
Very true
He speaks it at minute 5……
If he had done that, he would’ve been married off before he knew what even happened 😂
@@megami.x Married off, given shares in the business, the whole nine yards. Crazy. 😂
@@alexcarlough5768 Yes. And that just one word ( a greeting) he had picked up from an earlier interaction. From just that, he had already impressed and was given a Kikuyu name. Imagine if he had basic Kikuyu vocabulary to actually start a conversation. It would've been pandemonium in the best possible terms. 😅
Such genuine ppl, "taste first before you buy." Such a beautiful culture and people.
Except for the gold digger near the end 🤣 everyone else was very cool Seems good looking women are the same world over lol
@@beanscollections2020 that's just nature
Xiaoma is seriously the coolest. Unbothered and doesn't get anxious or stressed speaking languages ( at least it never shows). Just a simple man going along the road while eating a giant carrot, making friends left and right :)
😅
He does get kind of stressed because he stutters a lot.
@@jan-3356he just stuttering because he's speaking a different language and he's trying to get it right not because he's nervous
we will start calling him Tuzi now, Rabbit with the carrot.
@@jan-3356 that is because his brain is going 1000 miles a minute figuring out the language and getting it out, those 1000 hampsters turning wheels. My 1 little sleeping hampster wouldn't have a chance.
Sad that different peoples fought over land, resources, religion, etc., instead of just arguing over *what Ari is studying in Kenya now*
😂😂
😂 💚
"What. Are. You. Studying. In. Kenya??" "I am in Kenya now. Indeed." 😂😂
@@HJ-si7hd "What we have here, is a failure to communicate!"
eoples youtubeeeeu.com/watch?v=GosSbY7X5ZL peoples fought over land, resources, religion, etc., instead of jus
Seeing people have their eyes light up when their native tongue is spoken to them is always heart warming 🔥❤️
There's a saying, if you talk to a man in a language he understands, it'll get to his head. If you talk to a man in his language, it'll get to his heart.
Yes! Enormously so!
@@JoCaTen "it'll get to his head" . Could you elaborate?
@@nedcramdon1306 oh yeah, bad phrasing on my end. I meant to say "that goes to his head" as in he'll understand, not "get annoyed"
@@JoCaTen I think that you said it right the first time. "goes to his head" as a saying, typically means that it will inflate his ego.
As a Kenyan I have to say,"Umejairbu sana" which means you have really tried. Your Kiswahili and Kikuyu trial was good. Happy to see you were in our country and learning new languages. Karibu Kenya tena.
the astonishing thing is how good he is in understanding what they are saying
@@god6384 I know man! Crazy! The dude is impressive. I hope he comes back to Kenya.
Amejitahidi lakini kiswahili chake hakijafika 🤣
@@LaurelinTheOther Ndio Ala! Wewe unajua aje Kiswahili kaka?
@@LaurelinTheOther oh cmon it was good 😅 wacha zako..
Ari is going to save the world and bring world peace by learning ALL the languages.
and buy hoes soda
If it was so easy xD
*Hakuna matata* means "no worries" in Swahili. That's the part we all understood, right away. 😆
🦁🦁🦁
It's our problem freeeeee philosophyyyy
Fr fr
It means "no worries" for the rest of your days
Hakuna matata is informal, hakuna shida is formal 😄
"What is your Tribe" "I'm jewish" lol I died laughing
I don't get why that is funny.
I think because jews way back when had 12 or so tribes, only 2 or 3 exist now
Thats not funny though. Jews had 12 tribes back then.
@@brianjschumer Well Ashkenazi are converted pagans not actual jewish tribes. It's easy to confuse so it's ok. Not sure if it's blackface whitewashing or what.
Same, when they said, "from heaven", meaning Jesus Christ was Jewish too... and he said, no. New York.
The first minute of this video is a masterclass in learning language through immersion. Instead of freezing up when you forget a word, you make your best substitution and the listener politely corrects you. You immediately repeat the word to increase the chances of retention and so that your pronunciation can be corrected if necessary. I love your videos and if I wasn't signing away my paychecks to make Denver rent I'd check out your program for sure.
6:43 was such a sweet moment. A moment when a man lets you stroke his beard because it's so rare to come in contact with one :) I know many people who would pull away. I'm so glad Jon is one of the better people in this world. That made my day.
I would’ve pulled away
“Take my number, I show you around” 😂 “Buy me soda” 😂
It was like a speed relationship,he went through the process of dating, marriage and divorce in under a minute 😂
@@Actionronnie she's a gold digger .Very embarrassing .
Not the brightest fellas
I would've gone to town with her 😘
@@Actionronnie lmaooo
Knew that lady who wanted a "soda" was trouble from the second I saw her on the screen lol
same! i saw that trouble coming from a mile away.
She was fine though
@@Weeeeeeeeeee1334 ladies who are trouble always are :P
then why didnt his guide help him out with her
😂😂😂😂
I love the idiom that translates to "the tea has gone to school" meaning it's very good. We need to start using this, give positive vibes to education
the tea has attained an education
Haha yeah. "imeenda shule" or gone to school is usually a phrase used to show something has been done well
Xiaoma isn’t just teaching people new languages but a way of living. Just strolling through life, doing his thing; open arms & open mind. THAT is what we should all be doing!! Embrace. Not hate. ✌🏼♥️
Xiaoma: "This is my first time in Kenya" Random woman: "ahhh take my number..." Well that escalated quickly 😮
When she said “buy me a soda” I knew exactly what type of woman she was lol
@@s.d.2833 so true lol!
That’s a set up for sure haha
She's a con artist
You knew as soon as you saw her what the deal was
That woman took the money for the soda and dipped. 😂
@Seis At first I thought she ran a booth. Did she ask him for soda money? She sure was giving him bedroom eyes to work him over, lol.
@@oogieboogie848 immediately knew that girl belonged to the streets. She was going to eat him alive.
lol i laughed at that too
She wasn't just getting him change ?
@@SkydivingSquid He was so shy. 😆🤭🥰
I had a Russian teacher once who spoke 7 or 8 languages, maybe more. She was absolutely brilliant. At the time, she was studying Swahili and said it was one of the hardest languages she had ever encountered. Good for you, dude 👍
That's odd. It's not tonal. It's a lingua franca of regional Bantu, Arabic, and other languages related to trading around Indian Ocean. Tonal and click languages of most of Africa south of Sahara are usually more difficult. Very convenient in days of British Empire and subsequent Commonwealth
It's quite easy to pick up 7 languages that are variations, eg Romance languages of southern Europe. My father had 5 very different languages: his native English; French & German learned at school in England and in pre-war Switzerland and Germany till university in 1938-39; Hausa learned as the operating language in Nigeria Regiment in WW2 from 1940 to subsequent career after war; and Tiv in his final Nigeria placement from 1956 to 1961. Also a bit of Welsh from his first posting in WW2 from 1939 to 1940.
Swahili is actually quite simple for native english speakers since the grammar rules are relatively relaxed. For a russian speaker, transitioning to such a simplified language is probably a nightmare
@@cuebjnot at all easy
@@cuebj Is it not true that learning a language and its difficulties are based off how similar to your native language? Like why it's far easier for native English speakers to pick up romance languages like French and Spanish than it is to learn Mandarin.
I can’t believe I missed you coming to my city Nairobi 😢 am such a follower of your channel. I truly wish I met you. Asante for coming
I love that you took the effort to learn our languages👏🏽🇰🇪
You should do your best to learn the language of the land.
@@jamingaming9251 you should shut your swine ass mouth
@@jamingaming9251 It’s interesting how people talk about “cultural appropriation” not realizing the more you try to be like a certain culture of people, the more they respect you and like you. They think they’re doing these other cultures a favor by “speaking on their behalf” but all it does it just make them feel better about themselves
@@itsZombieMan yeah virtue signaling just makes them feel better about not having any virtue. People with virtue don't need to signal, it radiates out of them.
@@itsZombieMan cultural appropriation is just a american thing and it doesnt even exist, they obsess about other cultures and how one should respect them but they just want to make us more divided
so good to see Africa being represented in such good light! carry on the good work sir!
I LOVED the laughter.
From an outsider looking in (USA native) we have a very negative view of Africa. I don't really think it's for bad reason when you consider Somalia and South Sudan being some of the highest crime rate in the world. However, it's great to see a video displaying the daily life of African people that make an honest living. I'd love to see a video on Morocco and Egypt.
All the ladies working the stands seem so nice.
@@Noah-go8xc Well this is a problematic comment. Some of the most dangerous cities in the world are in the US. Not to mention the fact that we can't even send our kids to school without worrying about mass shootings. The US needs to stop acting like it's above everyone else in the world. We're a laughingstock to pretty much every other country.
@@Noah-go8xc you realise africa is very Diverse you can't just generalise
What amazes me is how he keeps all the languages straight. I speak Swahili and Spanish and also understand some Maasai and the few Kikuyu words he is using. But my issue is that I keep wanting to mix up Swahili and Spanish! This guy is amazing for trying so many languages and understanding what people are saying to him!
Being an American growing up and living the first 10 years of my life in Kenya this warms my heart and even though I lived in Kenya for 10 years I never got the chance to learn Kiswahili (almost everyone around Nairobi speaks English) . I know a few greetings and simple words/phrases however I would love to learn and go back and speak to people in Kiswahili.
Karibu tena Kenya,
I love the consistency of this channel. “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it”!
"From heaven? No I'm from New York" LMAOOO
I think before that was "heaven?" "no, I wish,New York". Omg laughing so hard😂
Obviously his skill is crazy no doubt but the thing that keep pulling me back to Ari's videos is watching so many different types of people engage and interact in a way that most of us cannot because of language barriers. It really makes you feel more connected to everyone when you engage with different cultures 🎉
One of the fun things I enjoy in every video, is while we have different languages. We all laugh the same, and smile the same.. Its a universal message.
I've been and lived in a couple african countries in the past. You have no idea how delicious and sweet the fruits are over there unless you've tasted it. I miss them so much.
i remember growing up in za and the watermelons are so good just one of the pleasures of living in africa
The other thing African countries do better than anywhere else is beer. I've liked every African beer I've tried.
The fruit would be a lot more tastier in Africa as they are naturally ripened on the tree, not gas ripened. I went to Asia (Indonesia to be exact) and the fruit was SOOOOO much BETTER than it is here in Australia.
@@janellek21 tusker is delicious. But even soda is better tasting there
Unfortunately most fruit is bred for shelf life instead of flavor 🙃
This takes me back to my time in Africa. I spent two months learning conversational Kiswahili and I was amazed at the doors it opened for me, when others saw me stumble through their native tongue. They so appreciated me making the effort!
It really does go to show how things could be so much different in the world if we would all spend more time speaking to one another.
Kiswahili is a very easy language to pick up and very fun to speak as well. I used to live in TZ and everyone is so nice.
Man I wish I could afford to go to Kenya. The people seem wonderful and the fruit out of this world
How friendly those people were when they asked you to come sit and have some food and tea!! So lovely.
I love that he tips and gives money. So many people go to these places and bargain when they dont even know if theyre getting scammed for 15 cents usd more than the average citizen.
Would you rather tip someone that gave you the right price and was nice or someone who gave you a tourist price because they knew they could get away with it.
I enjoy watching this guy interact with different cultures and languages. But the one thing that I see in all of these videos is how friendly people get when you just talk to them on their level. A lesson we could all use.
I love this video and I love all the people who wanted you to come over and speak to them. Watching these interactions really showed that there is still kindness in the world
This was such an amazing video. I had a smile on my face the whole time, was super cool to see everyone light up when you spoke. Kenya seems dope.
The laughter was infectious and true.🤙
i agree..i just commented saying that this was one of his best
Do you plan on a possibility to learn Swahili with Fluyo in the future?
I've always dreamt of learning a language to visit a foreign country to make people's day.. They feel so respected when you take time to learn their culture and dialect.. I've never had a brain that really soaks up knowledge like that but it's a life goal. I'm only 34 I guess I have time. I wish I had a guy like this to teach me. He has such an amazing personality.
He has websites that give you tips to help with learning and absorbing languages. I think it's posted on his channel here on KZhead.
👍🏻🙏🏼👍🏻
@@Kleng121 thanks so much!!
My father became fluent in Spanish at 40 and in Russian at 50!
U must buy his course and report back!
The way that people connect with you because you learn the language and can actually communicate is truly beautiful! There is a joy and appreciation that it brings that is so wholesome! You can tell people really enjoy your genuine enthusiasm to connect.
I know you have family but this is what you should always do, travelling around world and speaking native language. This worldwide spreading positves feelings, is what we need. You are a ambassador of the world.
Can we make Xiaoma Americas ambassador to the world ?
YES PLEASE! :D
I was literally about to make the same suggestion.
that’s actually a good idea
He already is...?
@@Happy_Biker hes definitely an ambassador of good will :)
That woman totally swindled Xiaoma 🤣
He's just in the business of buying souls like Jules in Pulp Fiction.
When traveling you never what situation or set up you run into. It seems like he was able to get rid of her pretty well. She seemed abnormally abrasive, so he had to watch out.
@@vanderwielcompany1252 wtf are you talking about “he was able to get rid of her pretty well”? He gave her money as soon as she asked for it. He didn’t get rid of anyone; she took from him what she wanted and then left once she had it.
@@porlorlorl Thats not all she wanted, but she probably realised its all she can get from him. She was out to properly clean him
@@porlorlorl that money is worth basically nothing. She likely wanted something more scary like organs or everything you own
everyone was so friendly and fun in this video, i loved the vibes!
I love how your intelligence and talent makes people smile. It's beautiful.
The timing of this couldn’t be anymore perfect! I just started relearning Swahili for my trip to Tanzania!
Twende, me too! Best of luck.
Going to Tanzania...I wouldn't worry too much about speaking Swahili. But you might want to learn to speak Asante Twi.
@@fanbutton I believe that’s more spoken in Ghana my friend
@@atiliolavoie5986 Same to you! Climbing Mount Kili
Same here!! So excited to visit
A wife offered herself to you! That was too funny :D
I can't get enough of watching content in and around Africa, there is an abundance of kind people all around the markets and rural places around the continent!
I was drooling over the food and drinks. Food and kindness and language - brings people together
You have had more offers of marriage than the show Married at first sight
Its so cool to see you traveling to the actual countries and speaking to people on they home turf, gives happiness! Thank you brother🙏
You are an ambassador for America. Your friendly nature, willingness to not only learn about - but to immerse yourself in culture and language, will leave a lasting impression on all of those you come in contact with. How nice that the people you meet will be left with such a positive experience with The American Visitor. Love your videos.
My dad could speak swahili and in the last year's of his life in cape town the parking attendants couldn't do enough for him. His car was totally safe when he went shopping. Just 6 years ago. Rest in peace Pete.
Bantu languages are by far one of my favorite languages families of all. I need to start learning Swahili again. Such a beautiful and rich language.
Soda girl saw you and said OPPORTUNITY!!!!!!! ahaha
These are some of the most heart warming videos on yt Thank you for all the hours you put into connection different cultures
All these people seem to be so happy.They are all laughing and super friendly.
You make a great ambassador for our country. I’m sure there’s lots of people around the world who respect that someone came there took the time and spoke thier language 😮
Everyone is so friendly, and generous, and kind! What a wonderful place! Kenya is now on my list places I absolutely must visit! And hopefully Francis is available when the time comes.
Yeah ,, but that woman @10:47 is a bad representation of the country . She's clearly a GD and wanted more....
I have been to Kenya and Tanzania many times for work. They are great places to visit. The weather is great and the people are very friendly. I still have many friends that I keep in touch with.
@@pietrojenkins6901 Nah....she can be found in any country. Good looks+bad morals She is a bad representation of women, not Kenya.
I visited Kenya in August and fell in love! Beautiful country! This was fun to watch!!
This man is a lot, and he impresses as allways, i hope you never lose The proudness of yourself you deserve it, not just that, but so many people getting a healthy laugh of joy because of your personality and language skills, you bring nothing but happyness as far as i understand, been watching your vids for years. Thumbs up from norway
It’s so nice to see you speak different languages and enjoy experiencing different cultures ❤
"Buy me a soda" Speech: 100
@@colinrobinson4233 I would have been kidnapped with a smile on my face.
@@GGnumba4 If you even made it back alive, there would probably be little creepy crawlies in your nether regions. Very dangerous idea.
What absolutely beautiful people. Such happiness and bright smiles. The fruit looks delicious!
You being so respectful of the food and the people is just amazing man.
The woman at 10:15’s eyes lit up like 🤑 when she saw you 🤣🤣
When you are doing is great, it's breaking down barriers and making people laugh. Something we really need now. Thank you.
The people are all so beautiful and the energy is relaxing. I want to go so bad after watching this. I love friendly people ❤
Love your videos man! They have opened my eyes to how we can connect to each other through the power of language. Truly inspirational!
When you said your life is going really good it felt so genuine! I'm happy for you and glad you are doing well!
Thank you for being such a great represent of Americans. Thank you also for being such a great inspiration. Language is the greatest bridge. It’s also how we understand one another. I really appreciate you.
Wow those people are very welcoming and friendly they approach you and start conversations 😊
This is one of my favorite videos I've watched!! Love seeing what the culture is like down in Kenya!!
I love seeing your hard work makes others so happy ❤ I find myself just smiling at the screen, could watch this for hours 😊
I have Tanzanian work colleagues and I love saying Jambo to them. It feels so much better than simple hello
Wow. So nice to see such warmth between people. Love it.
I really loved Kenya when I visited for 6 weeks in 1999. The people were so friendly, they would give you the clothes off their backs even though they had nothing themselves 😢 The poverty was heartbreaking - I gave all my clothes away the last day I spent there.
There is not extreme poverty like you say. It exists in the slums but Kenya is one one the richest African nations otherwise
@@SactoKevin there was in 1999 mate
@@tomo870 you are talking to someone with dual citizenship there. Born in cali in 90. Been back 5 times
Really nice to see you doing many different languages. It reminds me of when I used to watch Moses aka Laoshu's videos ( may he rest in peace ). I also know that many youtubers took inspiration from him and you also made a video after his death about him. He was the first guy I saw speaking this language which I didnt even know existed. This is just nostalgic.
Amazing how much better of an experience one has, being able to speak the language of the people you are visiting. Thx4 sharin'. 😁👍
It's nice to see you actually in the country practicing. Hopefully you can go on more trips for videos like this.
You are a great ambassador for your tribe around the world!
Soda girl 😂
Love this, you’re so sweet and engaging. And respectful.
As a born Kenyan, you did well... Love your channel man
lmao the girl just took his money and dipped
just found this channel, this is amazing and your interactions in other peoples languages is both comedy gold and heartwarming
I wish I lived in a place like this that had all this fresh fruit and vegetables. Nice video. Everyone seemed so friendly.
Thank you for learning our language and you are always welcome❤️
This looks like heaven. I love fruit and it’s all probably ripe! Another day, another entertaining and enlightening video from Xiaoman! Thank you!
The joy you bring these people is amazing dude, dont ever stop. You make people proud.
This is honestly so amazing. Sending much love from Kenya. Hope to you visit here again!
I'm jealous of this man. Some of the people he meets you can just feel their charm through the video. You are doing great work
OMG that last just took your money for a ‘soda’ and bounced 😮
Thanks for visiting my country bro, I've followed your journey and it feels so good to see you in my country. I hope next time you visit the coast I'll show you the other side of Kenya
You got to have a special mind to be capable of learning languages like that.
You should do a video on how you set up your trips to other countries. Would love to know how you find your guides and what other things you take into consideration to make it a good and safe trip.
ive been to Nairobi and its amazing. The people are beautiful inside and out, and the food is incredibly fresh and delicious. I had SO much fun
One of the best videos in ages! Would love to see you and your friend explore countries like this!
The man at the beginning so simply and friendly asked “how is life”! Like it
I traveled to Kenya and Tanzania in 2012. I was there for 2 and a half weeks. By the end of the trip, I was speaking a little Swahili. It helps so much to be immersed into a culture to learn the language. Nairobi was nuts though, I only spent 3 days in Nairobi. The rest of the time was spent trekking around on 8 hour road trips every other day. Interestingly enough, the most incredible Italian pasta I've ever eaten was at an Italian restaurant in Nairobi. It was easily the most memorable trip I've ever taken.
it's not possible to "speak" a litte Swahili after 2 weeks. you may have known a few phrases, but that's about it. 😉
Oh, okay. Thanks for clearing that up.