Swahili for Beginners

Question	Answer
accident (N/N class)	ajali
if he is afraid / when he is afraid	akiogopa
If he hunts a shark, he will eat this shark.	Akiwinda papa, atakula papa huyu.
which / who (M/Wa- pl)	ambao
which / who (M/Wa- sg)	ambaye
trustworthy / honest	aminifu
he has / she has	ana
She has problems.*	Ana matata. *btw I only allowed this intruder for the sake of Lion King vocabulary :XD We didn't study the right word class yet.
he/she goes	anaenda
He is going to the harbour.	Anaenda bandarini
he eats	anakula
he drinks	anakunywa
he drinks	anakunywa
He/she is afraid	Anaogopa
he is afraid	anaogopa
He is afraid of crocodiles.	Anaogopa mamba.
He /she likes	Anapenda
He loves seagulls.	Anapenda shakwe.
He likes giraffes.	Anapenda twiga.
thank you	asante
thank you very much	asante sana
morning	asubuhi true N/N noun class
morning	asubuhi
Good morning	Asubuhi njema
he will drink	atakunywa
The Atlantic is a large ocean.	Atlantiki ni bahari kubwa.
or	au
Bar	baa
father	baba
Dad drinks tea in the morning.	Baba anakunywa chai asubuhi.
our fathers and mothers	baba na mama zetu
the father of their friend	baba wa rafiki yao
His father is severe.	Baba yake ni mkali.
our father	baba yetu
sea / ocean	bahari true N/N noun class
harbour	bandari true N/N noun class
a big harbour / big harbours	bandari kubwa
the biggest harbour in the country of Mozambique	bandari kubwa zaidi nchini Msumbiji
the biggest port of the country	bandari kubwa zaidi ya nchi
the seaport	bandari ya bahari
a port on the Pacific Ocean / a Pacific Ocean port	bandari ya bahari ya Pasifiki
road	barabara true N/N noun class
The streets are not going to the seaport.	Barabara haziendi kwenye bandari ya bahari.
the street goes	barabara inaenda
The street goes home.	Barabara inaenda nyumbani.
a long road / long roads	barabara ndefu
their road	barabara yao
country roads	barabara za nchi
the streets go	barabara zinaenda
The streets go to the sea	Barabara zinaenda baharini
The streets are going to the harbour.	Barabara zinaenda bandarini.
ice	barafu
a letter	barua
bank	benki
Which bank ?	Benki ipi?
spider(s)	buibui
a small spider and a big spider	buibui mdogo na buibui mkubwa
spiders and cockroaches	buibui na mende
those spiders	buibui wale
Those spiders are so small.	Buibui wale ni wadogo sana.
pufferfish	bunju N/N class noun - Animal no plural / behaves like M/Wa nouns
when the pufferfish is afraid	bunju akiogopa
When the pufferfish is afraid, he drinks (future) a lot of water and becomes bigger.	Bunju akiogopa, atakunywa maji mengi na kuwa mkubwa zaidi.
The pufferfish is a fish.	Bunju ni samaki.
tea	chai
iced tea	chai ya barafu
chalk	chaki
chalk or pen	chaki au kalamu
Your chalk is short	Chaki yako ni fupi.
oyster	chaza N/N class noun - Animal no plural / behaves like M/Wa nouns
under	chini ya
under the sea	chini ya bahari
Where is the toilet?	Choo kiko wapi?
The toilet is here.	Choo kipo hapa.
leopard	chui
Those leopards are big.	Chui wale ni wakubwa.
salt	chumvi
a bottle	chupa
this bottle and these bottles	chupa hii na chupa hizi
these bottles	chupa hizi
these bottles and those bottles	chupa hizi na chupa zile
The bottle flies.	Chupa inaruka. N/N class noun sg
a big bottle of iced tea	chupa kubwa ya chai ya barafu
a small bottle of medecine	chupa ndogo ya dawa
a bottle of iced tea	chupa ya chai ya barafu
a bottle of juice	chupa ya juisi
The bottles fly.	Chupa zinaruka. N/N class noun - pl
sister	dada
this sister	dada huyu
The sister of my mother is beautiful.	Dada wa mama yangu ni mzuri.
My sister is afraid of tall people.	Dada yangu anaogopa watu warefu.
her sisters	dada zake
Her sisters are nice.	Dada zake ni wazuri. = His sisters are nice.
your sisters	dada zako
Your (pl) sisters are shorter than she.	Dada zenu ni wafupi zaidi kuliko yeye.
medecine	dawa
The medecine is bad.	Dawa ni mbaya.
horse	farasi
That horse is bigger than the donkey.	Farasi yule ni mkubwa zaidi kuliko punda.
news	habari
How is the morning ? / How are you doing ? / What's up? / (lit. the news (sg) of the morning)	Habari ya asubuhi ?
How is the morning ? / How are you doing ? / What's up? / (lit. the news (pl) of the morning)	Habari za asubuhi ?
How is work?	Habari za kazi?
How is home? ( How is the family? )	Habari za nyumbani ?
How is/was the trip?	Habari za safari ?
How is school?	Habari za shule?
he /she doesn't go	haendi
He is not going to school. (never ever)	Haendi shule.
it doesn't go ( used for N/N sg nouns)	haiendi M/Wa sg : a-na-enda e.g. Mpishi anaenda. - The cook goes M/Wa sg neg. : ha-end-i e.g. Mpishi haendi. - The cook doesn't go N/N sg : i-na-enda e.g. Barabara inaenda. - The road goes N/N sg neg. : ha-i-end-i e.g. Barabara haiendi. - The road doesn't go
he doesn't eat	hali
You (pl) don't eat	hamli
You (pl) don't eat vegetables.	Hamli mboga.
you (pl) don't have	hamna
You (pl) don't have birds.	Hamna ndege.
you ( pl) don't drink	hamnywi
You (pl) don't drink iced tea in the morning.	Hamnywi chai ya barafu asubuhi.
You (pl) don't like	Hampendi
you (pl) don't go	hamwendi * Did you notice the extra 'w'. HamWendi ?
You (pl) don't go in the morning	Hamwendi asubuhi.
you (pl) are not afraid*	Hamwogopi * Did you notice the additional 'w'? This is the only exception. HamWogopi
he/she doesn't have	hana
he doesn't drink	hanywi
here	hapa
no	hapana
No, we are not going to our country now.	Hapana, hatuendi kwenye nchi yetu sasa,
No, I am a teacher.	Hapana, mimi ni mwalimu.
No, I am not Asha.	Hapana, mimi si Asha.
No, I don't go to the sea today.	Hapana, siendi baharini leo.
No, I am not jumping.	Hapana, siruki.
No, they are not men.	Hapana, wao si wanaume.
No, they are not cooks, they are nurses.	Hapana, wao si wapishi, wao ni wauguzi.
he/she doesn't like	hapendi
She doesn't like mice.	Hapendi panya.
dangerous	hatari
we don't go	hatuendi
We don't go home now.	Hatuendi nyumbani sasa.
we don't eat	hatuli
We don't eat porc.	Hatuli nyama ya nguruwe.
we don't have	hatuna
We don't have problems.*	Hatuna matata. *at least as long as you don' try to use this word on your own. Remember we didn't learn yet the correspondant word class.
we don't drink	hatunywi
We don't drink from bottles.	Hatunywi kutoka kwa chupa.
We are not afraid of dogs.	Hatuogopi mbwa.
we don't like	hatupendi
We don't like big spiders	Hatupendi buibui wakubwa.
We don't like that man.	Hatupendi mwanaume yule.
these (M/Wa)	hawa
these (M/Wa)	hawa
they don't go	hawaendi
They don't go every morning.	Hawaendi kila asubuhi.
They don't go to school today.	Hawaendi shuleni leo.
they don't eat	hawali
They don't eat snails.	Hawali konokono.
they don't have	hawana
They don't have a brother.	Hawana kaka.
they don't drink	hawanywi
They don't like	Hawapendi
They don't like to eat fish.	Hawapendi kula samaki.
they don't go ( used for N/N pl nouns)	haziendi M/Wa pl : wa-na-enda e.g. Wapishi wanaenda. - The cooks go M/Wa pl neg. : hawa-end-i e.g. Wapishi hawaendi. - The cooks don't go N/N pl : zi-na-enda e.g. Barabara zinaenda. - The roads go N/N pl neg. : ha-zi-end-i e.g. Barabara haziendi. - The roads don't go
this (N/N)	hii
these (N/N)	hizi
May I come in? / Knock knock	Hodi hodi
May I come inside (the house) ?	Hodi nyumbani ?
hotel	hoteli
Which hotel ?	Hoteli ipi?
Where is our hotel?	Hoteli yetu iko wapi?
you don't go	huendi
Hallo	Hujambo
you don't eat	huli
You don't eat goat meat.	Huli nyama ya mbuzi.
You don't have.	huna
You don't have an engineer.	Huna mhandisi.
you don't drink	Hunywi
You don't drink iced coffee.	Hunywi kahawa ya barafu.
You don't like	hupendi
You don't like the cook.	Hupendi mpishi.
this (M/Wa)	huyu
this (M/Wa)	huyu
that (N/N)	ile
it goes (for N/N sg words)	inaenda
which (N/N class sg)	ipi
(is ?) (optional question particle to introduce a yes/no question)	je ?
Is Emilian your best friend?	Je Emilian ni rafiki yako mkubwa?
Don't you like cockroaches?	Je hampendi mende ?
You (pl) don't like the giraffe?	Je hampendi twiga?
Aren't you (pl) afraid of crocodiles?	Je hamwogopi mamba?
Are you not going to the sea?	Je huendi baharini?
Do you (pl) have cockroaches?	Je mna mende ?
Are you (pl) going to your country?	Je mnaenda kwenye nchi yenu?
Are you (pl) afraid of sharp dogs?	Je mnaogopa mbwa wakali?
Are you fishermen?	Je ninyi ni wavuvi?
Is this zebra nicer than the donkey?	Je punda milia huyu ni mzuri zaidi kuliko punda?
Do you have a dog?	Je una mbwa?
Are you afraid of rhinos?	Je unaogopa vifaru?
Do you like tea and coffee?	Je unapenda chai na kahawa ?
Do you like cats?	Je unapenda paka?
Are they going to the harbour?	Je wanaenda bandarini?
Is Asha a good friend of yours?	Je, Asha ni rafiki yako mzuri?
kitchen	jiko * intruder from a class we didn't see yet. (So: careful!)
juice	juisi
juice with ice	juisi na barafu
above / on top of	juu ya
above the sea	juu ya bahari
over the sea sand	juu ya mchanga wa bahari
crab	kaa N/N class noun - Animal no plural / behaves like M/Wa nouns = kururu N/N class noun - Animal no plural / behaves like M/Wa nouns
The crab walks in the sea sand.	Kaa anatembea kwenye mchanga wa bahari.
The crab is walking on the rock.	Kaa anatembea kwenye mwamba.
coffee	kahawa
coffee or tea?	kahawa au chai?
iced coffee	kahawa ya barafu
brother	kaka
the brother of my mother	kaka wa mama yangu
my brother and my cat	kaka yangu na paka wangu
my brothers	kaka zangu
Brother, are you going now?	Kaka, je unaenda sasa?
pen / pencil	kalamu
a pen and paper	kalamu na karatasi
a long pencil and a short pencil	kalamu ndefu na kalamu fupi
sharp / fierce (N/N)	kali
lobster	kambakoche N/N class noun - Animal no plural / behaves like M/Wa nouns
The lobster lives under the sea.	Kambakoche anaishi chini ya bahari.
The lobster walks on the sand.	Kambakoche anatembea juu ya mchanga.
The lobster is fierce.	Kambakoche ni mkali.
paper	karatasi
paper for letters	karatasi kwa barua
Welcome	Karibu
near the	karibu na
Near the bar.	Karibu na baa.
Near the cinema	Karibu na sinema.
in / inside	katika
in	katika
work	kazi
Kenia is our beautiful country.	Kenya ni nchi yetu nzuri.
(verb infix for when/if clause)	ki
shoe	kiatu
a potato in a basket	kiazi katika kikapu
match(stick)	kiberiti
hippopotamus	kiboko
A hippopotamus is quite dangerous.	Kiboko ni hatari sana.
The hippopotamus is in the water.	Kiboko yuko majini.
head	kichwa
a big head	kichwa kikubwa
finger	kidole
a long finger	kidole kirefu
rhinoceros	kifaru
The rhinoceros is very big.	Kifaru ni mkubwa sana.
village	kijiji
the village on top of the hill	kijiji juu ya kilima
spoon	kijiko
Which spoon ?	Kijiko kipi?
The spoon on the table.	Kijiko kwenye meza.
basket	kikapu
cup	kikombe
The cup is small.	Kikombe ni kidogo.
every	kila
every morning	kila asubuhi
everything	kila kitu
hill	kilima
hawk	kipanga
The hawk eats a mouse.	Kipanga anakula panya.
The hawk is flying over the sea.	Kipanga anaruka juu ya bahari.
The hawk is hunting fish.	Kipanga anawinda samaki.
butterfly	kipepeo
The butterfly flies.	Kipepeo anaruka. Ki/Vi class noun - Animal Ki/Vi plural / behaves like M/Wa nouns
The little butterfly is so beautiful.	Kipepeo mdogo ni mzuri sana.
which - Ki/Vi class sg	kipi
it is (at the place) - Ki/Vi class sg	kipo
It (Ki/vi) is next to the spoon.	Kipo karibu na kijiko.
a well	kisima
a well on the island	kisima kwenye kisiwa
island	kisiwa
a small island	kisiwa kidogo
knife	kisu
a sharp knife	kisu kikali
The knife is on a table.	Kisu kiko mezani.
Where is the knife ?	Kisu kiko wapi ?
The knive flies.	Kisu kinaruka. Ki/Vi class noun sg
The long knife is not sharp.	Kisu kirefu si kikali.
book	kitabu
Where is the book?	Kitabu kiko wapi?
bed	kitanda
a nice bed and a long book	kitanda kizuri na kitabu kirefu
chair	kiti
a big chair	kiti kikubwa
onion	kitunguu
computer	kompyuta
Your computer is better than mine.	Kompyuta yako ni nzuri zaidi kuliko kompyuta yangu.
My computer is nice.	Kompyuta yangu ni nzuri.
sheep	kondoo
This sheep is so nice.	Kondoo huyu ni mzuri sana.
snail	konokono N/N class noun - Animal no plural / behaves like M/Wa nouns
sea snail	konokono wa baharini N/N class noun - Animal no plural / behaves like M/Wa nouns
The sea snail has a house.	Konokono wa baharini ana nyumba.
The sea snail walks on the the sand at the bottom of the sea.	Konokono wa baharini anatembea juu ya mchanga chini ya bahari.
Sea snails are snails which live in the sea.	Konokono wa baharini ni konokono ambao wanaishi baharini.
to live	kuishi
to live	kuishi
chicken	kuku
these chickens and those chickens	kuku hawa na kuku wale
this chicken and that chicken	kuku huyu na kuku yule
those chickens	kuku wale
to eat	kula
to eat	kula
than	kuliko
to drink	kunywa
to swim	kuogelea
to swim	kuogelea
to be afraid of	kuogopa
to be afraid of	kuogopa
to love /like	kupenda
to love	kupenda
to fly / to jump	kuruka
to fly / jump	kuruka
to want	kutaka
to walk	kutembea
to walk	kutembea
to walk over the sea sand	kutembea juu ya mchanga wa bahari
from / out of	kutoka kwa
to be	kuwa
to have	kuwa na
to hunt	kuwinda
to hunt	kuwinda
to (a person)	kwa
for	kwa
Bye.	Kwa heri.
to the engineer	kwa mhandisi
to your place*	kwako kwa and possessive = to yours - meaning to your place
to go	kwenda
to go	kwenda
to go to school / to attend school *	kwenda shule There is no -ni suffix on the word shule. We are talking of habital going, of being inscribed, of taking classes. If you add -ni (shuleni) it would be like : Are you going to school right now? Are you going to the school (building)?
to (a place - used for combos e.g. bandari ya bahari)	kwenye
near / in / at / on	kwenye
but	lakini
but	lakini
today	leo
special	maalum
a lot of water	maji mengi
mother	mama
Mum likes her kids.	Mama anapenda watoto wake.
Mum doesn't have a nurse.	Mama hana muuguzi.
Mum doesn't like my friends.	Mama hapendi rafiki zangu.
her mother	mama yake
your mother	mama yako
my mother	mama yangu
our mother	mama yetu
their mothers	mama zao
Your (pl) mothers are so honest.	Mama zenu ni waaminifu sana.
our mothers	mama zetu
crocodile(s)	mamba
The crocodile is not afraid of the mouse.	Mamba haogopi panya
The crocodile is more fierce than the fish.	Mamba ni mkali zaidi kuliko samaki.
Crocodiles are big and bad.	Mamba ni wakubwa na wabaya.
My crocodiles are bigger than yours.*	Mamba wangu ni wakubwa zaidi kuliko wako. *How do we know that there are crocodileS and not just one for each of us? Wangu and Wake don't tell us anything about the number, but there is Wakubwa in the sentence which is definitely plural. Had we each only one crocodile it should be Mkubwa.
that crocodile	mamba yule
bad (M/Wa Class sg)	mbaya
vegetables	mboga
goat	mbuzi
The goat eats salt.	Mbuzi anakula chumvi.
The goat doesn't eat meat.	Mbuzi hali nyama.
these goats	mbuzi hawa
these goats and these coconuts	mbuzi hawa na nazi hizi
this goat	mbuzi huyu
seahorse	mbuzi wa bahari N/N class noun - Animal no plural / behaves like M/Wa nouns = farasi wa bahari N/N class noun - Animal no plural / behaves like M/Wa nouns
The seahorse is a small animal.	Mbuzi wa bahari ni mnyama mdogo.
The seahorse is very beautiful.	Mbuzi wa bahari ni mzuri sana.
that goat	mbuzi yule
dog(s)	mbwa
The dog is afraid of the farmer.	Mbwa anaogopa mkulima .
The dog is not afraid of children.	Mbwa haogopi watoto.
Dogs don't like cats.	Mbwa hawapendi paka.
The small dog has a big basket.	Mbwa mdogo ana kikapu kikubwa.
The farmer's dogs are fierce.	Mbwa wa mkulima ni wakali.
The boy's dog is big.	Mbwa wa mvulana ni mkubwa.
The boy's dogs are big.	Mbwa wa mvulana ni wakubwa.
Sharp dogs are not nice.	Mbwa wakali si wazuri.
your dog(s)	mbwa wako
The dogs are outside.	Mbwa wako nje. This sentence could also translate as: Your dog is outside. However it would be more correct to add 'yuko' in that case. Mbwa wako yuko nje.
Your (pl) dog is big.	Mbwa wenu ni mkubwa.
Our dog and our cat are friends.	Mbwa wetu na paka wetu ni rafiki.
sand	mchanga M/Mi class noun (We will discuss this later but let me give one secret away... in sg it uses 'wa' for of - mchanga wa bahari = sea sand)
sea sand	mchanga wa bahari
small (M/Wa Class sg)	mdogo
smaller than	mdogo zaidi kuliko
cockroach	mende
A cockroach is small.	Mende ni mdogo.
Cockroaches are bad.	Mende ni wabaya.
His cockroaches are worse than your (pl) spiders.	Mende wake ni wabaya zaidi kuliko buibui wenu.
table	meza
a big table	meza kubwa
The long table is nice.	Meza ndefu ni nzuri.
short (M/Wa Class sg)	mfupi
a guest	mgeni
engineer	mhandisi
This engineer doesn't have cooks.	Mhandisi huyu hana wapishi.
an engineer and a farmer	mhandisi na mkulima
The engineer is a tall man.	Mhandisi ni mwanaume mrefu.
Where is the engineer ?	Mhandisi yuko wapi ?
coral reef	miamba ya matumbawe M/Mi class noun -pl We will treat that later
I	mimi
I am a cat. I am not a dog.	Mimi ni paka. Mimi si mbwa.
I am Emilian.	Mimi ni Emilian.
I am a farmer and you are an engineer.	Mimi ni mkulima na wewe ni mhandisi.
I am a cook.	Mimi ni mpishi.
I am a girl.	Mimi ni msichana.
I am a man.	Mimi ni mwanaume.
I live in a house.	Mimi ninaishi katika nyumba.
I live at home.	Mimi ninaishi nyumbani.
I am not short.	Mimi si mfupi.
I am not a fish.	Mimi si samaki.
sharp / fierce / severe (M/Wa class sg)	mkali
You (pl) are (at a place)	mko
Are you (pl) somewhere at the sea?	Mko baharini?
Are you here ? / Are you there?	Mko hapa?
big (M/Wa class sg)	mkubwa
bigger than	mkubwa zaidi kuliko
a farmer	mkulima
The farmer is afraid of lions	Mkulima anaogopa simba.
The farmer likes his dog.	Mkulima anapenda mbwa wake.
The farmer is taller than the fisherman.	Mkulima ni mrefu zaidi kuliko mvuvi.
That farmer has a sharp dog.	Mkulima yule ana mbwa mkali.
you (pl) have	mna
you (pl) go	mnaenda
You (pl) go to the seaport.	Mnaenda kwenye bandari ya bahari.
You (pl) eat	mnakula
Do you (pl) eat bananas?	Mnakula ndizi ?
You (pl) drink	mnakunywa
Do you (pl) drink iced tea?	Mnakunywa chai ya barafu ?
You (pl) are afraid	Mnaogopa
Are you (pl) afraid of nurses?	Mnaogopa wauguzi?
you (pl) love/like	mnapenda
Do you (pl) like those people?	Mnapenda watu wale?
animal	mnyama M/Wa noun class
a sea animal	mnyama wa bahari
a cook	mpishi
The cook likes to go to the sea.	Mpishi anapenda kwenda baharini.
a bad cook	mpishi mbaya
The cook is a tall person.	Mpishi ni mtu mrefu.
the cook is a man	mpishi ni mwanaume
Their cook is better than ours.	Mpishi wao ni mzuri zaidi kuliko wetu.
You (pl) are (at the place)	mpo
You (pl) are at the post office.	Mpo kwenye posta.
gentle	mpole
tall / long (M/Wa Class sg)	mrefu
traveler	msafiri
The traveler has a dog.	Msafiri ana mbwa.
This traveler is my guest.	Msafiri huyu ni mgeni wangu.
the traveler and the girl	msafiri na msichana
The traveler is a guest.	Msafiri ni mgeni.
The traveler is a teacher.	Msafiri ni mwalimu.
girl	msichana
The girl has a bird.	Msichana ana ndege.
The girl has short fingers.	Msichana ana vidole vifupi.
a pretty girl	msichana mzuri
The girl is small.	Msichana ni mdogo.
The girl is on the rock.	Msichana yuko kwenye mwamba.
Mozambique	Msumbiji
child	mtoto
a big child	mtoto mkubwa
The child is a student.	Mtoto ni mwanafunzi.
Where is her child?	Mtoto wake yuko wapi?
person	mtu
this person	mtu huyu
This person is not a teacher.	Mtu huyu si mwalimu.
a good person (morally upright/kind)	mtu mwema
nurse	muuguzi
The nurse has medicine.	Muuguzi ana dawa.
The short nurse is African.	Muuguzi mfupi ni mwafrika.
the nurse and the child	muuguzi na mtoto
The woman's nurse is beautiful.	Muuguzi wa mwanamke ni mzuri.
my nurse	muuguzi wangu
That nurse is honest.	Muuguzi yule ni mwaminifu.
This boy doesn't have my dog.	Mvulana huyu hana mbwa wangu.
The little boy has a big head.	Mvulana mdogo ana kichwa kikubwa.
The boy is at the harbour.	Mvulana yuko bandarini.
a fisherman	mvuvi
The fisherman likes fish.	Mvuvi anapenda samaki.
The fisherman doesn't drink juice.	Mvuvi hanywi juisi.
the fisherman and his fish	mvuvi na samaki wake
That fisherman doesn't have fishes.	Mvuvi yule hana samaki.
African (person)	mwafrika
This African is so tall.	Mwafrika huyu ni mrefu sana.
teacher	mwalimu
The student's teacher is tall.	Mwalimu wa mwanafunzi ni mrefu.
our teacher	mwalimu wetu
rock	mwamba M/Mi class its plural is 'miamba' = rocks as we have seen in 'miamba ya matumbawe' = rocks of corals = coral reef
student	mwanafunzi
woman	mwanamke
The woman wants nice shoes.	Mwanamke anataka viatu vizuri.
This woman is the girl's mother.	Mwanamke huyu ni mama wa msichana.
a nice woman	mwanamke mzuri
man	mwanaume
a tall man	mwanaume mrefu
The man is on an island.	Mwanaume yuko kisiwani.
The man is on a small island.	Mwanaume yuko kwenye kisiwa kidogo. We can't use 'kisiwani' here. The '-ni' suffix cannot be combined with adjectives.
that man	mwanaume yule
That man is my father.	Mwanaume yule ni baba yangu.
pleasant / nice (M/Wa)	mwema
parent	mzazi
beautiful / nice /good / pretty (M/Wa Class sg)	mzuri
better than / nicer than	mzuri zaidi kuliko
and	na
who	nani
coconut	nazi
this coconut and that coconut	nazi hii na nazi ile
these coconuts	nazi hizi
Coconuts are not vegetables.	Nazi si mboga.
those coconuts	nazi zile
country	nchi true N/N noun class
The biggest country of Africa is Algeria and the smallest country are the Seychelles.	Nchi kubwa zaidi ya Afrika ni Algeria na nchi ndogo zaidi ni Shelisheli.
a small country / small countries	nchi ndogo
my country	nchi yangu
Our country is a country of farmers.	Nchi yetu ni nchi ya wakulima.
Our country is beautiful.	Nchi yetu ni nzuri.
Our countries are countries of farmers.	Nchi zetu ni nchi za wakulima.
bird(s) / airplanes	ndege
The bird eats the butterfly.	Ndege anakula kipepeo.
Birds don't like cats.	Ndege hawapendi paka.
Birds are beautiful.	Ndege ni wazuri.
The girl's bird is beautiful.	ndege wa msichana ni mzuri.
Her bird is very beautiful.	Ndege wake ni mzuri sana.
Birds like fish.	Ndege wanapenda samaki.
Birds fly.	Ndege wanaruka.
My bird and the bird of your sister	Ndege wangu na ndege wa dada yako.
yes	ndiyo
Yes, I am Asha.	Ndiyo, mimi ni Asha.
Yes, I am an African.	Ndiyo, mimi ni mwafrika.
Yes, they are going to the harbour as well.	Ndiyo, wanaenda bandarini pia.
banana	ndizi
this banana	ndizi hii
that banana and those bananas	ndizi ile na ndizi zile
cow / ox	ng'ombe
these cows	ng'ombe hawa
a nice cow	ng'ombe mzuri
nice cows	ng'ombe wazuri
that cow	ng'ombe yule
that cow and that butter	ng'ombe yule na siagi ile
squid	ngisi N/N class noun - Animal no plural / behaves like M/Wa nouns
The squid is swimming near the coral reef.	Ngisi anaogelea kwenye miamba ya matumbawe.
clothes	nguo
big clothes and small clothes	nguo kubwa na nguo ndogo
nices clothes	nguo nzuri
pig	nguruwe
these pigs	nguruwe hawa
this pig	nguruwe huyu
this pig and this banana	nguruwe huyu na ndizi hii
am / is / are	ni
to (a place) / suffix	ni
If I eat vegetables, I will get big.	Nikila mboga, nitakuwa mkubwa.
If I eat fish, I will drink water.	Nikila samaki, nitakunywa maji.
If I eat I, I will drink, too.	Nikila, nitakunywa pia.
When I am afraid	nikiogopa
When I am big... (when I grow up...)	Nikiwa mkubwa
I am (at a place)	niko
I am here.	Niko hapa. This doesn't NOT mean: Turn around, I am right behind you. It is more like: I am close by, you ll see me in a minute.
I am home.	Niko nyumbani.
I was there. / I was somewhere in the area.	nilikuweko
I have	Nina
I have a basket.	Nina kikapu.
I have a cat. I don't have dogs.	Nina paka. Sina mbwa.
I have shoes.	Nina viatu.
I have shoes.	Nina viatu.
I have children.	Nina watoto.
I go	ninaenda
I go home.	Ninaenda nyumbani.
I eat	Ninakula
I eat meat.	Ninakula nyama.
I eat potatoes with salt.	Ninakula viazi na chumvi.
I eat onions.	Ninakula vitunguu.
I drink	ninakunywa
I drink coffee every morning.	Ninakunywa kahawa kila asubuhi.
I swim in the sea.	Ninaogelea baharini.
I am afraid of	Ninaogopa
I am afraid of spiders.	Ninaogopa buibui.
I am afraid of this man.	Ninaogopa mwanaume huyu.
I am afraid of tall women.	Ninaogopa wanawake warefu.
I love/like	ninapenda
I like your letter.	Ninapenda barua yako.
I love coffee.	Ninapenda kahawa.
I like to swim.	Ninapenda kuogelea.
I like the hyrax a lot.	Ninapenda pimbi sana.
I like that donkey.	Ninapenda punda yule.
I like your trousers.	Ninapenda suruali yako.
I like cups.	Ninapenda vikombe.
I love butterflies.	Ninapenda vipepeo.
I love books.	Ninapenda vitabu.
I love children.	Ninapenda watoto.
I like honest people.	Ninapenda watu waaminifu.
I love you.	Ninapenda wewe.
I want shoes.	Ninataka viatu.
I walk over the sea sand.	Ninatembea juu ya mchanga wa bahari.
you (pl)	ninyi
You (pl) are afraid of crocodiles.	Ninyi mnaogopa mamba.
You (pl) and your dogs and your cats.	Ninyi na mbwa wenu na paka wenu.
You are girls.	Ninyi ni wasichana.
I am here .	Nipo hapa.
I will have a cat.	Nitakuwa na paka.
I will be a cat.	Nitakuwa paka.
I will swim	nitaogelea
outside	nje
pleasant /nice (N/N)	njema
Come ! *	Njoo ! We didn't have this verb yet. The imperative is irregular. Just learn it like this for now.
Come to my place !	Njoo kwangu !
meat	nyama
chicken (meat)	nyama ya kuku
goat meat	nyama ya mbuzi
beef	nyama ya ng'ombe
beef with bell pepper	nyama ya ng'ombe na pilipili hoho.
porc	nyama ya nguruwe
whale	nyangumi N/N class noun - Animal no plural / behaves like M/Wa nouns
Whales are very big.	Nyangumi ni wakubwa sana.
Whales are sea animals.	Nyangumi ni wanyama wa bahari.
The whale is not a fish.	Nyangumi si samaki.
baboon	nyani
The baboon eats a banana.	Nyani anakula ndizi.
A baboon is not a buffalo.	Nyani si nyati.
buffalo	nyati
Those buffalos are very fierce.	Nyati wale ni wakali sana.
house	nyumba true N/N noun class
The house has light.	Nyumba ina taa.
a nice house	nyumba nzuri
Where is your (pl) house?	Nyumba yenu iko wapi?
your houses	nyumba zako
(to) home	nyumbani
Fine / I am fine./ Everything is fine.	Nzuri.
gazelle / deer	paa
This little gazelle is very gentle.	Paa mdogo huyu ni mpole sana.
cat(s)	paka
The cat is afraid of the dog.	Paka anaogopa mbwa.
The cat loves mice.	Paka anapenda panya.
a small cat and a big lion	paka mdogo na simba mkubwa
cats and dogs	paka na mbwa
cats and mice	paka na panya
the cats and their mouse / mice*	paka na panya wao * paka is plural because of wao (their) panya can be either sg or pl
The cook's cat(s) / the cat(s) of the cook	paka wa mpishi
her cat(s)	paka wake
Where are your cats?	Paka wako wako wapi?
Where is your cat?	Paka wako yuko wapi?
my cat(s)	paka wangu
My cat is afraid of water.	Paka wangu anaogopa maji.
My cat doesn't swim.	Paka wangu haogelei.
My cat doesn't like water.	Paka wangu hapendi maji.
My cat is my friend.	Paka wangu ni rafiki yangu.
My cats are here.	Paka wangu wapo hapa.
The cat is on a bed.	Paka yuko juu ya kitanda.
mouse /mice	panya
The mouse is afraid of the cat.	Panya anaogopa paka.
Mice are small.	Panya ni wadogo.
the mouse /mice of the cat(s)	panya wa paka
Sharks don't drink coffee.	Papa hawanywi kahawa.
Sharks eat little fishes.	Papa wanakula samaki wadogo.
too / as well	pia
also / too	pia
pepper	pilipili
bell pepper / Paprika	pilipili hoho
hyrax*	pimbi * You don't know what I am ? Look at the lecture file and you ll see my photo. I am sooooo cute.
Cool. / Calm. / I am fine.	Poa.
dolphin	pomboo
The dolphin jumps out of the water.	Pomboo anaruka nje ya maji.
A dolphin is very gentle.	Pomboo ni mpole sana.
Dolphins are very gentle.	Pomboo ni wapole sana.
Dolphins are not fish.	Pomboo si samaki.
When the dolphins swim in the sea, they also jump out of the water.	Pomboo wakiogelea baharini, pia wataruka nje ya maji.
Dolphins live in the sea.	Pomboo wanaishi baharini.
Dolphins swim in the sea and jump.	Pomboo wanaogelea baharini na wanaruka.
donkey	punda
zebra	punda milia
octopus	pweza N/N class noun - Animal no plural / behaves like M/Wa nouns
The octopus lives in the sea.	Pweza anaishi baharini.
The octopus is swimming under the water.	Pweza anaogelea chini ya maji. Maji is from the Ji/Ma noun class. Nothing to worry about for now
The octopus is very big.	Pweza ni mkubwa sana.
The octopus is a big animal.	Pweza ni mnyama mkubwa.
friend	rafiki
The big elephant's best friend is the little mouse.	Rafiki mkubwa wa tembo mkubwa ni panya mdogo.
The best friend of the elephant is the mouse.	Rafiki mkubwa wa tembo ni panya.
the friend of their father	rafiki wa baba yao
the friends of your sister	rafiki wa dada yako
His friend is more trustworthy than him.	Rafiki yake ni mwaminifu zaidi kuliko yeye.
my best friend	rafiki yangu mkubwa
a good friend of mine	rafiki yangu mzuri
My friend is tall.	Rafiki yangu ni mrefu.
My friend is nicer than yours.	Rafiki yangu ni mzuri zaidi kuliko yako.
soap	sabuni
a special soap	sabuni maalum
a special soap for children's clothes	sabuni maalum kwa nguo za watoto
a good soap for clothes	sabuni nzuri kwa nguo
trip / journey	safari
clean / pure / I am fine.	Safi.
plates	sahani
The plates are on a table.	Sahani ziko kwenye meza.
Peaceful / I am fine. / Everything is peaceful.	Salama.
sorry	samahani
Fish	Samaki
The fish swims in the sea.	Samaki anaogelea baharini.
Fishes don't like birds.	Samaki hawapendi ndege.
Fishes are beautiful.	Samaki ni wazuri.
your fish and his fish	samaki wako na samaki wake
The fishes swim in the sea.	Samaki wanaogelea baharini.
very	sana
now	sasa
seagull	shakwe N/N class noun - Animal no plural / behaves like M/Wa nouns
The seagull flies over the sea.	Shakwe anaruka juu ya bahari.
The seagull walks over the sand.	Shakwe anatembea juu ya mchanga.
A seagull is a bird.	Shakwe ni ndege.
When the seagulls fly over the sea they will hunt for fish and crabs.	Shakwe wakiruka juu ya bahari, watawinda samaki na kaa.
When the seagulls hunt for crabs, they also hunt for sea snails.	Shakwe wakiwinda kaa, pia watawinda konokono wa baharini.
the Seychelles	Shelisheli
school	shule true N/N noun class
am not / are not / is not	si
I am not.	Si
butter	siagi
that butter	siagi ile
cow butter	Siagi ya ng’ombe
I don't go	siendi
I am not going to school (I will go tomorrow)	Siendi shuleni.
I don't live in the sea.	Siishi baharini.
I don't eat	Sili
I don't eat pepper.	Sili pilipili.
I don't eat sugar.	Sili sukari.
lion(s)	simba
A lion is a big cat.	Simba ni paka mkubwa.
Lions are big.	Simba ni wakubwa.
I don't have	sina
I don't have children.	Sina watoto.
cinema	sinema
I don't drink	Sinywi
I don't drink coffee with sugar.	Sinywi kahawa na sukari.
I don't like	Sipendi
I don't like cockroaches.	Sipendi mende.
I don't like fish.	Sipendi samaki
I don't like you.	Sipendi wewe.
we	sisi
Are we friends again?	Sisi ni rafiki tena?
We are guests.	Sisi ni wageni.
We are teachers.	Sisi ni walimu.
We are men.	Sisi ni wanaume.
Are we travelers?	Sisi ni wasafiri?
We are girls.	Sisi ni wasichana.
We are not fishes. We don't live in the sea.	Sisi si samaki. Sisi hatuishi baharini.
socks	soksi
Socks and trousers are clothes.	Soksi na suruali ni nguo.
pots / pans	sufuria
big pots	sufuria kubwa
pots and plates	sufuria na sahani
sugar	sukari
sugar and salt	sukari na chumvi
The trousers are very big.	Suruali ni kubwa sana.
(verb infix for future tense)	ta
light	taa
Tanzania is the land of the farmer.	Tanzania ni nchi ya mkulima.
elephant	tembo
elephants	tembo
The elephant is afraid of the mouse.	Tembo anaogopa panya.
The elephant is not afraid of crocodiles.	Tembo haogopi mamba.
The elephant is big.	Tembo ni mkubwa.
African elephants are not small.	Tembo wa Afrika si wadogo.
big elephants	tembo wakubwa
again	tena
When we go to the sea, we will swim.	Tukienda baharini, tutaogelea.
when we are afraid	tukiogopa
we are (in a place)	tuko
We are on a hill.	Tuko juu ya kilima.
we have	tuna
We have a girl and a boy.	Tuna msichana na mvulana.
We have knives.	Tuna visu.
we go	tunaenda
We go to the island.	Tunaenda kisiwani.
We go to our country.	Tunaenda kwenye nchi yetu.
we eat	tunakula
We eat chicken (meat).	Tunakula nyama ya kuku.
We eat butter every morning.	Tunakula siagi kila asubuhi.
we drink	tunakunywa
We drink a bottle of juice.	Tunakunywa chupa ya juisi.
We are afraid	Tunaogopa
We are afraid of big cockroaches.	Tunaogopa mende wakubwa.
we love/ like	tunapenda
We love birds	Tunapenda ndege.
We want beds.	Tunataka vitanda.
We are walking on the sand.	Tunatembea juu ya mchanga.
We walk on the hill.	Tunatembea kwenye kilima.
We are also walking on the rocks.	Tunatembea pia juu ya miamba.
We are (at the place)	tupo
We are at the bar.	Tupo kwenye baa.
giraffe(s)	twiga
The giraffe is taller than the lion.	Twiga ni mrefu zaidi kuliko simba.
The giraffe is tall.	Twiga ni mrefu.
The giraffes are tall.	Twiga ni warefu.
When you go to the sea, you will walk on the sand.	Ukienda baharini, utatembea juu ya mchanga.
When you swim in the sea, you will be afraid of sharks.	Ukiogelea baharini, utaogopa papa.
if you are afraid	ukiogopa
You are (at a place)	uko
You are in a kitchen.	Uko jikoni.
Are you in a house? / Are you home?	Uko nyumbani?
Where are you?	Uko wapi ?
Where are you?	Uko wapi?
you have	una
Do you have a match?	Una kiberiti?
You go	unaenda
You go to the sea.	Unaenda baharini.
You eat	Unakula
You eat beef.	Unakula nyama ya ng'ombe.
you drink	unakunywa
Do you drink juice ?	Unakunywa juisi ?
you are afraid	unaogopa
You are afraid of lions.	Unaogopa simba.
You love/like	Unapenda
Do you like books.	Unapenda vitabu?
Are you jumping?	Unaruka?
Do you want a chair?	Unataka kiti?
You are (at the place)	upo
You are right here.	Upo hapa.
shoes	viatu
The small shoes are bad.	Viatu vidogo ni vibaya.
nice shoes	viatu vizuri
potatoes	viazi
big potatoes and small onions	Viazi vikubwa na vitunguu vidogo
potatoes, garlic and onions	viazi, vitunguu saumu na vitunguu
matches	viberiti
long matches	viberiti virefu
hippos	viboko
hippos in the Nile	viboko katika Nile
hippos and rhinos	viboko na vifaru
The hippos live in the water.	Viboko wanaishi majini.
heads and fingers	vichwa na vidole
rhinos	vifaru
spoons	vijiko
spoons and knives	vijiko na visu
cups	vikombe
hills	vilima
hills and villages	vilima na vijiji
Hawks are birds.	Vipanga ni ndege.
butterflies	vipepeo
The butterflies fly.	Vipepeo wanaruka. Ki/Vi class noun - Animal plural Ki/Vi pl / behaves like M/Wa nouns
they are (at the place) - Ki/Vi pl	vipo
wells	visima
wells and islands	visima na visiwa
islands in the ocean	visiwa katika bahari
knives	visu
sharp knives	visu vikali
The knives are on the big table over there.	Visu viko kwenye meza kubwa. We can't use 'mezani' here. The '-ni' suffix cannot be combined with adjectives.
The knives are on a table.	Visu viko mezani.
The knives fly.	Visu vinaruka. Ki/Vi class noun pl
books	vitabu
Where are the books?	Vitabu viko wapi ?
beds	vitanda
chairs	viti
Chairs and a bed	Viti na kitanda
onions	vitunguu
garlic	vitunguu saumu
The toilets are at the hotel.	Vyoo vipo hotelini.
Africans	waafrika
The Africans are students.	Waafrika ni wanafunzi.
The tall Africans are engineers.	Waafrika warefu ni wahandisi.
The guests are Africans.	Wageni ni waafrika.
The guests of the engineer are African people.	Wageni wa mhandisi ni watu wa Afrika.
Where are the guests ?	Wageni wako wapi ?
The guests have children.	Wageni wana watoto.
My guests don't like spiders.	Wageni wangu hawapendi buibui.
Where are their guests?	Wageni wao wako wapi?
The guests are at the hotel.	Wageni wapo hotelini.
our guests	wageni wetu
engineers	wahandisi
(at) the time of	wakati wa
at the time of the accident	wakati wa ajali
At the time of the accident I was there.	Wakati wa ajali nilikuweko. However, that doesn't necessarily imply that I was an eye witness. It might rather mean I was not far off, just two blocks around...
If they like lobster, they will eat everything.	Wakipenda kambakoche, watakula kila kitu.
They are (at a place)	wako
They are in a house. / They are home.	Wako nyumbani.
the farmers and their dog(s)	wakulima na mbwa wao
farmers and engineers	wakulima na wahandisi
farmers are not fishermen	wakulima si wavuvi
Those farmers don't have cats.	Wakulima wale hawana paka.
those (M/Wa)	wale
those (M/Wa)	wale
teachers	walimu
these teachers and those students	walimu hawa na wanafunzi wale
The teachers are Africans.	Walimu ni waafrika.
they have	wana
they go	wanaenda
They go to your place.	Wanaenda (nyumbani) kwako.
They are going to the sea.	Wanaenda baharini.
They go to the engineer.	Wanaenda kwa mhandisi.
They go home.	Wanaenda nyumbani.
students	wanafunzi
Students are not teachers.	Wanafunzi si walimu.
the teacher's students / the students of the teacher	wanafunzi wa mwalimu
their students	wanafunzi wao
They eat	wanakula
They eat fish.	Wanakula samaki.
they drink	wanakunywa
They drink tea at home.	Wanakunywa chai nyumbani.
They are afraid	Wanaogopa
They are afraid of their teacher.	Wanaogopa mwalimu wao.
They like	Wanapenda
They like the beds.	Wanapenda vitanda.
They love tall women.	Wanapenda wanawake warefu.
They want spoons.	Wanataka vijiko.
men	wanaume
men and woman	wanaume na wanawake
The men are teachers.	Wanaume ni walimu.
tall men	wanaume warefu
women	wanawake
women and children	wanawake na watoto
Those women have beautiful girls.	Wanawake wale wana wasichana wazuri.
The women are afraid of mice but I am not .	Wanawake wanaogopa panya lakini mimi siogopi.
animals	wanyama M/Wa noun class - pl
sea animals	wanyama wa bahari
they	wao
Are they men?	Wao ni wanaume?
Are they cooks?	Wao ni wapishi?
They are tall people..	Wao ni watu warefu.
where ?	wapi
These cooks are better than ours.	Wapishi hawa ni wazuri zaidi kuliko wapishi wetu.
These chiefs are dishonest.	Wapishi hawa si waaminifu.
the cooks and the guests	wapishi na wageni
The teacher's cooks are bad.	Wapishi wa mwalimu ni wabaya.
bad cooks	wapishi wabaya
They are (at the place)	wapo
They are at the hotel.	Wapo hotelini.
They are at the bank.	Wapo kwenye benki.
The travelers are worse than my guests.	Wasafiri ni wabaya zaidi kuliko wageni wangu.
The travelers are men.	Wasafiri ni wanaume.
The short travelers are guests.	Wasafiri wafupi ni wageni.
The girls are students.	Wasichana ni wanafunzi.
girls are children	wasichana ni watoto
they will walk	watatembea
Children don't drink coffee.	Watoto hawanywi kahawa.
The children are not afraid of the dog.	Watoto hawaogopi mbwa.
children are people	watoto ni watu
The children are nice.	Watoto ni wazuri.
Children are not big people.	Watoto si watu wakubwa.
the children of our cook	watoto wa mpishi wetu
Her children are home.	Watoto wake wako nyumbani.
Where are her children?	Watoto wake wako wapi?
big children	watoto wakubwa
The children eat coconuts.	Watoto wanakula nazi.
The children like their mother.	Watoto wanapenda mama yao.
nice children	watoto wazuri
people	watu
these people	watu hawa
These people are honest, but those people are bad.	Watu hawa ni waaminifu lakini watu wale ni wabaya.
The people are guests.	Watu ni wageni.
If people eat lobsters, they also like oysters.	Watu wakikula kambakoche, pia watapenda chaza.
The people eat sugar, but they don't eat vegetables.	Watu wanakula sukari, lakini hawali mboga.
The people are afraid and jump.	Watu wanaogopa na wanaruka.
People like to eat oysters.	Watu wanapenda kula chaza.
People like to eat lobsters.	Watu wanapenda kula kambakoche.
People hunt whales.	Watu wanawinda nyangumi.
good people (morally upright / kind)	watu wema
the nurses	wauguzi
The nurses have soap.	Wauguzi wana sabuni.
The boys are bad.	Wavulana ni wabaya.
The boys are small.	Wavulana ni wadogo.
Those fishermen and their fishes.	Wavuvi wale na samaki wao.
The fishermen have fishes.	Wavuvi wana samaki.
The fishermen go to the sea every morning.	Wavuvi wanaenda baharini kila asubuhi.
parents	wazazi
parents and children	wazazi na watoto
the child's parents / the parents of the child	wazazi wa mtoto
His parents are so nice.	Wazazi wake ni wazuri sana.
you	wewe
you and your fish(es)	wewe na samaki wako
Are you Asha?	Wewe ni Asha?
You are an engineer.	Wewe ni mhandisi.
Are you an African?	Wewe ni mwafrika?
Are you a student?	Wewe ni mwanafunzi?
Who are you?	Wewe ni nani?
You are my best friend.	Wewe ni rafiki yangu mkubwa.
You are a good friend of mine.	Wewe ni rafiki yangu mzuri.
You are a lion.	Wewe ni simba.
he / she	yeye
Does he like to read books?	Yeye anapenda kusoma vitabu?
He is a boy.	Yeye ni mvulana.
He is a fisherman.	Yeye ni mvuvi.
She is a woman.	Yeye ni mwanamke.
he is / she is	yuko ako
He is at the sea.	Yuko baharini.
that (M/Wa)	yule
that (M/Wa)	yule
He/she is (at the place)	yupo
He is at the bank.	Yupo (kwenye) benki.
He is at the cinema.	Yupo kwenye sinema.
more	zaidi
those (N/N)	zile
they go (for N/N pl words)	zinaenda