This section provides tools to convert Swahili text in Roman script into Arabic script.

Please note that it is a good idea to check any output given here before re-using it in other contexts. Andika! is a work in progress, and improvements can still be made.

General notes

• The default is to show sakani (sukun) on a consonant where it does not have an accompanying vowel (eg kwa, kuboreshwa, sayansi). This can be changed by ticking Do not show sakani (sukun) on consonants - then no sakani will be shown.
• The default is to show numerals in Western-Arabic form (1234567890). This can be changed by ticking Convert numerals to Arabic-Indic forms - then numerals will be shown as ١٢٣٤٥٦٧٨٩٠.
• Some writers use sakani on و and ي when used as long vowels in the penultimate syllable. The default is not to show this, but this can be changed by ticking Show sakani (sukun) on و and ي as long vowels
• Andika! is not a translator - non-Swahili words are simply transliterated letter-for-letter from Roman script into Arabic script. English c is transliterated as ڮ, and x as كْس. Examples: Shrewsbury شْرٖوسبُري, Creative Commons License ڮرٖئَتِيڤٖ ڮٗممٗنْس لِڮٖنْسٖ. A sakani (sukun) is used where it would occur in Swahili (depending on the settings above), but is not applied elsewhere.
• Andika! is not a spelling or punctuation corrector - any errors in the text entered will be carried over into the transliteration.
• The conversion may contain lines with out-of-sequence words if the source contains a mixture of Swahili and another language with letters that do not occur in the standard Swahili Roman orthography (the Swahili will be converted to RTL Arabic script, but the non-Swahili letters will be passed through as LTR Roman script). The transliteration equivalents chosen here mean that line continuity is not a problem where the "other language" is English. However, be aware that problems may occur if the "other language" is French, German, or something else.

Notes on the Convert text tool

• This tool is intended for chunks of text, which can be typed or pasted into the input box. The output can then be cut and pasted into documents (see the LibreOffice tab in the Swahili keyboard section).
• Two short samples of Swahili in Roman script from Wikipedia are given on the Samples for testing tab to enable instant testing of the conversion by pasting them into the box.
• Input is truncated to 900 characters, but if your text is longer than this all you need to do is convert it in chunks. If you have large amounts of text to convert, you may find it easier to use the offline converter (currently being tested).
• Note that the converter will always use the "commonest" Arabic letter. For instance, it will convert dh to ذ instead of to ض or ظ, which might be the original Arabic letter in the word. There is no way around this, since the standard Swahili Roman orthography does not preserve these distinctions, and the only option in such cases is to edit the output afterwards.

Sample 1

Kila mtu anaweza kuhariri makala yoyote, kutoa makosa ya lugha, kutohoa maneno na kuendeleza na kukuza makala, kwa kuandika kwa ufupi au kwa urefu. Angalia Msaada wa kuanzisha makala ili ujifunze unavyoweza kuhariri au kusanifisha ukurasa.

Sample 2

Leo ulimwenguni mathalan, kuna lugha karibu 6,700, zikiwa 1,000 katika bara la kaskazini na kusini ya Marekani, 2,000 zikiwa kwenye bara la Afrika, 230 katika bara la Ulaya, 2,200 katika bara la Asia, na 1,300 katika bara la Oshania (Australia na nchi jirani nayo).

Notes on the Convert a webpage tool

• Although this tool should work on most webpages, most testing has been done with Wikipedia pages.
• While there should be no problems with the main text of the webpage, some peripheral "page furniture" (eg menus, lists of links, etc) may or may not be converted properly.
• Only a subset of characters are allowed in the web address: alphanumeric characters (a-z, 0-9), full-stops (.), hyphens (-), underscores (_), single quotes ('), colons (:) and slashes (/).
• Non-existent web-addresses will produce a blank conversion page.
• The initial http:// can be omitted from the web address if desired.
• Links on the converted page will go to unconverted (Roman script) pages. If you wish to convert a large number of pages, you may find it easier to use the offline converter (currently being tested).