Swahili Word List

The purpose of this list is to give a rough idea of the Swahili language. The words listed below
are not the most common words, but a broad sampling of words. See the Word Lists page for
more details.
English

Swahili
(kiswahili)

mimi

you (singular)

wewe

he

yeye

we

sisi

you (plural)

nyinyi

they

wao

this

huyu (person), hii, hiki, hili, huu

that

lile, ule, yule, ile, kile

here

hapa

there

pale

who

nani *(interrogative)*

what

nini *(interrogative)*

where

wapi *(no movement, interrogative)*

when

lini *(interrogative)*

how

vipi *(interrogative)*

not

si

all

-ote

many

sana *(very)* / -ingi *(numerous)*

some

baadhi ya / chache

few

kidogo

other

-ingine

one

moja

two

mbili

three

tatu

four

nne

five

tano

big

-kubwa

long

-refu

wide

-pana

thick

-nene

heavy

-zito

small

-dogo

short

-fupi

narrow

-embamba

thin

-anana

woman

bibi, gashi

man (adult male)

mwanamume

man (human being)

mtu

child

mtoto

wife

mke

husband

mume

mother

mama

father

baba

animal

mnyama

fish

samaki

bird

ndege

dog

mbwa

louse

chawa

snake

nyoka

worm

funza, uchango

tree

mti

forest

msitu

stick

fimbo

fruit

tunda

seed

mbegu

leaf

jani

root

mzizi

bark (of a tree)

gamba

flower

ua

grass

nyasi

rope

kamba

skin

ngozi

meat

nyama

blood

damu

bone

mfupa

fat (noun)

mori

egg

yai

horn

pembe

tail

mkia

feather

unyoya

hair

nywele

head

kichwa

ear

sikio

eye

jicho

nose

pua

mouth

kinywa

tooth

jino

tongue (organ)

ulimi

fingernail

ukucha

foot

mguu

leg

mguu

knee

goti

hand

mkono

wing

bawa, ubawa

belly

tumbo

guts

utumbo

neck

shingo

back

mgongo

breast

kifua

heart

moyo

liver

ini

to drink

-nywa

to eat

-la

to bite

-donoa

to suck

-amwa

to spit

-tema

to vomit

-tapika

to blow

-puliza

to breathe

-pumua

to laugh

-cheka

to see

-ona

to hear

-sikia

to know

-fahamu, -jua

to think

-fikiri, -dhani, -waza

to smell

-nukilia

to fear

-ogopa

to sleep

-lala

to live

-ishi (in a place)

to die

-fa

to kill

-ua

to fight

-pigana

to hunt

-winda

to hit

-gonga, -piga

to cut

-kata

to split

-pasua

to stab

-choma

to scratch

-kuna, -parua

to dig

-chimba

to swim

-ogelea

to fly

-paa

to walk

-tembea

to come

-ja

to lie (as in a bed)

-gona *(action)*

to sit

-kaa

to stand

-simama *(action)*

to turn (intransitive)

-pindua

to fall

-anguka

to give

-pa

to hold

-shika

to squeeze

-kaba, -minya, -kamua

to rub

-sugua

to wash

-safisha

to wipe

-futa

to pull

-vuta

to push

-guta

to throw

-tupa

to tie

-funga

to sew

-shona

to count

-hesabu

to say

-sema

to sing

-imba

to play

-cheza

to float

-elea

to flow

-tiririka

to freeze

-ganda

to swell

-fura

sun

jua

moon

mwezi

star

nyota

water

maji

rain

mvua

river

mto

lake

ziwa

sea

bahari

salt

chumvi

stone

jiwe

sand

mchanga

dust

vumbi

earth

ardhi

cloud

wingu

fog

ukungu

sky

mbingu

wind

homu

snow

theluji

ice

barafu

smoke

moshi

fire

moto

ash

majivu

to burn

-waka

road

njia, barabara

mountain

mlima

red

-ekundu

green

kijani

yellow

manjano

white

-eupe

black

-eusi

night

usiku

day

siku

year

mwaka

warm

moto

cold

baridi

full

-nene

new

-pya

old

-zee

good

-ema

bad

-baya

rotten

-bovu

dirty

-chafu

straight

nyofu

round

duara

sharp (as a knife)

chungu

dull (as a knife)

butu

smooth

-ororo

wet

kimaji

dry

-kavu

correct

sahihi

near

karibu

far

mbali

right

kuume, kulia