simplified_swahili Words 800 to 1000Swahili words
by mirhirekibo
jitu
a giant
jumba
mansion, hall, palace
ili
in order to (specifically)
lazima
necessity (... must)
sharti
obligation
afadhali
better, preferable
Yafaa
it is just as well / it is suitable
kukataza (follow with negative subjunctive)
to forbid, refuse (follow with negative subjunctive)
kuzuia (follow with negative subjunctive)
to prevent (follow with negative subjunctive)
-ki-
1. if [conditional infix]<div>2. [present participle infix--I saw him playing]</div>
-sipo- (isipokuwa)
1. if not [negative conditional infix]<br>2. unless
ukipenda, usipende
whether you like it or not
ukienda, usiende
whether you go or not
ni mamoja kwangu
"it's all the same to me"
ni mamoja kwetu
"it's all the same to us"
baada ya
after (only of time)
badala ya
instead of
habari ya
concerning, about (lit: news of...)
kabla ya
before (only of time)
zaidi ya
more than
karibu na
close to, near to, nearly, almost
mbali na (sometimes with ya)
far from, different to
pamoja na
together with (lit: in one place with)
sawa na
equal to, the same as
kisha
and then, afterwards (not halafu or baadaye)
mbalimbali
different
sawasawa
equally, just the same, just so, just right
peke(e) [+possessive]
alone, by oneself
ama...ama
either...or
wala...wala
neither...nor
kwa ajili ya
on account of, due to
kwa maana ya
due to (not kwa sababu ya or kwa ajili ya)
kwa kuwa
because (but only used with a verb)
kuchanganya
to mix
kucheka
to laugh
kuchimba
to excavate, dig
kuchinja
to slaughter
kufahamu
to know, understand (not kujua)
kugawa
to divide, share
kujenga
to build
kukusanya
to collect, gather up
kukuta
to find, meet
kukwama
to get stuck (in mud, etc.)
kulinda
to guard, protect
"kung'oa"
to uproot, pull out
kunyamaza
to keep quiet, silent
kunyoa
to shave hair
kuogopa
to fear, be afraid
kuonyesha
to show, point out
kupona
to recover, get well, get better
kuruka
to jump, to fly
kushika
to catch, hold (with less effort than kukamata)
kushona
to sew
kusikitika
to grieve, to be sorry
kusukuma
to push
kusumbua
to trouble, annoy
kutangulia
to precede, go in front/before
kutapika
to vomit
kutengeneza
to repair, put together
kutia
to put (same use as kuweka)
kutuma
to send
kutumaini
to hope
kutupa
to throw, throw away
kuuma
to bite, be in pain, sting, hurt
kuvuja
to leak, run out (of water or liquid, not run short of)
kuvuka
to cross
kuvuna
to harvest, gather a crop in, reap
kuwahi
to be early
kuziba
to shut off, cork off, block off
kuzima
to extinguish
kuzunguka
to go around, encircle
jinsi (ya+infinitive)
how, the manner in which
kadiri
as far as, to the limit of ability, etc
-po-
when
uhuru
freedom
wingi
plenty
Uislamu
Islam
ujamaa
brotherhood, relationship, socialism
ujana
youth
umoja
unity
urefu wa kwenda juu
height
urefu
length
urefu wa chini
depth
utajiri
wealth
uwezo
ability, power
udongo
soil
udongo ulaya
cement
uji
porridge
umande
dew
umeme
lighting, electricity
usingizi
sleep
wali
cooked rice
wino
ink
ua / nyua
courtyard, backyard
ubao / mbao
plank, board
udevu (rare) / ndevu
beard (used in plural)
ufa / nyufa
crack
ufunguo / funguo
key
ukoo / koo
clan
ukuni (rare) / kuni
firewood (used in plural)
ukurasa / kurasa
page (of a book, etc.)
ukuta / kuta
wall
ulimi / ndimi
tongue
uma / nyuma
fork (utensil)
unywele (rare) / nywele
hair (used in plural)
upande / pande
side; part of the country
upepo / pepo
wind, compressed air, (often means evil spirits when used in plural)
usiku / siku
night
uso / nyuso
face
uzi / nyuzi
string, thread
wakati / nyakati
period, time of year, etc., season
wembe / nyembe
razor, razor blade
ugomvi / magomvi
quarrel
ugonjwa / magonjwa
disease, sickness, (epidemic in plural)
Ulaya
Europe
Uhindi
India
Unguja
Zanzibar
Ureno
Portugal
kushindana
to compete, to conquer one another
kukutana
to meet one another, to hold a meeting
kupatana
to get together, to agree
kuvutana
to pull one another
kupeana
to give one another
mahali
place
pengine
sometimes, maybe
mahali pengine
another place
kuliko
[superlative comparison word]
-nge-
present conditional
-ngali-
past conditional
-singe-
negative present conditional
-singali-
past negative conditional
ndi-
the very people, indeed, the very same, etc [emphatic]
Mwizi hushikwa na mwizi mwenziwe
lit: a thief is usually caught by his fellow thief<br>fig: set a thief to catch a thief
haba na haba hujaza kibaba
lit: a little and a little fills the liters<br>fig: every little bit counts, small measures add up
paka akiondoka, panya hutawala
lit: if the cat goes away, the rats rule<br>fig: while the cats are away, the mice will play
mpanda ovyo, hula ovyo
lit: he who plants any old how, eats any old how<br>fig: you reap what you sow
-pi?
which?
kuto-
negative gerund
nilikuwa nimefanya (li+me)
I had done
sikuwa nimefanya (neg+me)
I had not done
ningekuwa nikifanya (nge+ki)
I would be doing
ningalikuwa nikifanya (ngali+ki)
I would have been doing
nisingekuwa nikifanya (singe+ki)
I would not be doing
nisingalikuwa nikifanya (singali+ki)
I would not have been doing
kupasi
to pass
kufeli
to fail
kuadmiti
to admit (to a hospital)
kucheki
to check
kumiksi
to mix
maji maji
watery stuff
Morani (wa-)
A Moran (Masai warrior)
mshale (mi-)
arrow
simba
lion
jeraha (ma-)
wound
kuenea
to spread
mshipa (mi-)
blood vessel/muscular tissue
sumu
poison
ajabu
wonder/marvel
asali
honey
bawa (ma-)
wing
kifua (vi-)
chest
kipepeo (vi-)
butterfly/moth
tumbo
stomach
ulimwengu
world
kushukuru
to thank, be grateful
pango (ma-)
cave
kiu
thirst
matumizi
use (noun)
taji
crown
guide
mwongozi (wa-)
kuajiri
to hire
mpagazi (wa-)
porter
kilele (vi-)
summit, peak
yaani
that is to say
Wakala
agent
mayengs
girls (Kenyan slang)
nk
etc
kwenye eneo hili
at this location
maendeleo
development
karafuu
spices, cloves
mapinduzi
union; revolution; the joining of Zanzibar and Tanganyika
shusha
stop (the bus)
muwa
sugarcane
sherehe
celebration; party
makumbusho
museum
kuingia demani
"lit: to enter a fish trap<br>fig: to get into problems that you don't know how to solve"
kisutu
a special type of kanga (chitenje) worn by a bride, especially on Zanzibar
Chondo
traditional musical instrument (drum) from mainland Tanzania
mfanya biashara
businessman
usijali
"don't worry (slang)"
dudu / madudu
pest (even a hippo)
lingine
irregular form of -ingine in ma- class
ebu / ebu nione
expression of a request / let me see