Swahili Vocabulary
Learning the Swahili Vocabulary is very important because its structure is used in every day conversation. The more you practice the subject, the closer you get to mastering the Swahili language. But first we need to know what the role of Vocabulary is in the structure of the grammar in Swahili.
Swahili vocabulary is the set of words you should be familiar with. A vocabulary usually grows and evolves with age, and serves as a useful and fundamental tool for communication and acquiring knowledge. Here are some examples:
| English Vocabulary | Swahili Vocabulary |
| Vocabulary | Msamiati |
| Countries | Nchi |
| Australia | Australia |
| Cambodia | Cambodia |
| Canada | Canada |
| China | Uchina |
| Egypt | Misri |
| England | Uingereza |
| France | Ufaransa |
| Germany | Ujerumani |
| Greece | ugiriki |
| India | Bara Hindi |
| Indonesia | Indonesia |
| Italy | Italia |
| Japan | Japan |
| Mexico | Mexico |
| Morocco | Morocco |
| Peru | Peru |
| Spain | Hispania |
| Thailand | Thailand |
| USA | Merikani |
| |
| Languages | Lugha |
| Arabic | Kiarabu |
| Chinese | Kichina |
| English | Kiingereza |
| French | Kifaransa |
| German | Kijerumani |
| Greek | Kigiriki |
| Hebrew | Kiyahudi |
| Hindi | Kihindi |
| Italian | Kiitaliano |
| Japanese | Kijapani |
| Korean | Kikorea |
| Latin | Kilatini |
| Russian | Kiurusi |
| Spanish | Kihispania |
| Urdu | Kiurdu |
| |
| Days | Siku |
| Monday | Jumatatu |
| Tuesday | Jumanne |
| Wednesday | Jumatano |
| Thursday | Alhamisi |
| Friday | Ijumaa |
| Saturday | Jumamosi |
| Sunday | Jumapili |
| |
| time | wakati |
| hour | saa |
| minute | dakika |
| second | pili |
List of Vocabulary in Swahili
Below is a list of the vocabulary and expressions in Swahili placed in a table. Memorizing this table will help you add very useful and important words to your Swahili vocabulary.
| English Vocabulary | Swahili Vocabulary |
| Vocabulary | |
| colors | rangi |
| black | Nyeusi |
| blue | bluu |
| brown | hudhurungi |
| gray | kijivu |
| green | Kijani Kibichi |
| orange | Chungwa |
| purple | zambarau |
| red | nyekundu |
| white | nyeupe |
| yellow | manjano |
| |
| sizes | Kimo/Vimo |
| big | Ukubwa |
| deep | kina kirefu |
| long | urefu |
| narrow | Wembamba |
| short | Ufupi |
| small | Udogo |
| tall | Urefu |
| thick | Unene |
| thin | Wembamba |
| wide | upana |
| |
| tastes | ladha |
| bitter | Chungu |
| fresh | upya |
| salty | chumvi |
| sour | chacha |
| spicy | chenye viungo |
| sweet | tamu |
| |
| qualities | sifa |
| bad | mbaya |
| clean | safi |
| dark | giza |
| difficult | Ngumu |
| dirty | chafu |
| dry | kavu |
| easy | rahisi |
| empty | tupu |
| expensive | ghali |
| fast | Haraka |
| foreign | Geni |
| full | Jaa |
| good | Njema |
| hard | ngumu |
| heavy | nzito |
| inexpensive | Bei rahisi |
| light | Nyepesi |
| local | Kienyeji |
| new | Mpya |
| noisy | kelele |
| old | zee |
| powerful | hodari |
| quiet | tulivu |
| correct | sahihi |
| slow | polepole |
| soft | laini |
| very | sana |
| weak | dhaifu |
| wet | loa |
| wrong | makosa |
| young | Ujana |
| |
| food | chakula |
| almonds | almonds |
| bread | mkate |
| breakfast | kifungua kinywa |
| butter | siagi |
| candy | peremende |
| cheese | jibini/chizi |
| chicken | kuku |
| cumin | kisibiti |
| dessert | jangwa |
| dinner | chakula cha jioni |
| fish | samaki |
| fruit | matunda |
| ice cream | ice cream |
| lamb | mwana kondoo |
| lemon | ndimu |
| lunch | chakula cha mchana |
| meal | chakula |
| meat | nyama |
| oven | jiko |
| pepper | pilipili |
| plants | mimea |
| pork | nguruwe |
| salad | mchanganyiko wa mboga/matunda |
| salt | chumvi |
| sandwich | sandwichi |
| sausage | soseji |
| soup | supu |
| sugar | sukari |
| supper | karamu |
| turkey | bata mzinga |
| apple | tofaa |
| banana | ndizi |
| oranges | machungwa |
| peaches | mafyulizi |
| peanut | njugu |
| pears | mapea |
| pineapple | mananasi |
| grapes | zabibu |
| strawberries | jordgubbar |
| vegetables | mboga |
| carrot | karoti |
| corn | mahindi |
| cucumber | tango |
| garlic | kitunguu saumu |
| lettuce | kabeji |
| olives | mizaituni |
| onions | vitunguu |
| peppers | pilipili |
| potatoes | viazi |
| pumpkin | malenge |
| beans | maharagwe |
| tomatoes | nyanya |
| |
| alligator | mamba |
| alligators | mamba |
| bear | unknown |
| bears | unknown |
| bird | ndege |
| birds | ndege |
| bull | ng'ombe ndume |
| bulls | ng'ombe ndume |
| cat | paka |
| cats | paka |
| cow | ng'ombe |
| cows | ng'ombe |
| deer | swara |
| many deer | swara wengi |
| dog | mbwa |
| dogs | mbwa |
| donkey | punda |
| donkeys | punda |
| eagle | tai |
| eagles | tai |
| elephant | tembo |
| elephants | tembo |
| giraffe | twiga |
| giraffes | twiga |
| goat | mbuzi |
| goats | mbuzi |
| horse | farasi |
| horses | farasi |
| lion | simba |
| lions | simba |
| monkey | kima |
| monkeys | kima |
| mouse | panya |
| mice | panya |
| rabbit | sungura |
| rabbits | sungura |
| snake | nyoka |
| snakes | nyoka |
| tiger | chui wa mlia |
| tigers | chui wa mlia |
| wolf | mbwa mwitu |
| wolves | mbwa mwitu |
| |
| objects | vitu |
| bathroom | bafu |
| bed | kitanda |
| bedroom | chumba cha kulala |
| ceiling | dari |
| chair | kiti |
| clothes | nguo |
| coat | shati |
| cup | kikombe |
| desk | dawati |
| dress | mavazi |
| floor | sakafu |
| fork | uma |
| furniture | samani |
| glass | kioo |
| hat | kofia |
| house | nyumba |
| ink | wino |
| jacket | koti |
| kitchen | jikoni |
| knife | kisu |
| lamp | taa |
| letter | barua |
| map | ramani |
| newspaper | gazeti |
| notebook | daftari |
| pants | suruali |
| paper | karatasi |
| pen | kalamu |
| pencil | penseli |
| pharmacy | duka la dawa |
| picture | picha |
| plate | sahani |
| refrigerator | jokofu |
| restaurant | mkahawa |
| roof | paa |
| room | chumba |
| rug | rug |
| scissors | makasi |
| shampoo | Sabuni ya nywele |
| shirt | shati |
| shoes | viatu |
| soap | sabuni |
| socks | soksi |
| spoon | kijiko |
| table | meza |
| toilet | choo |
| toothbrush | mswagi |
| toothpaste | dawa ya meno |
| towel | kitambaa |
| umbrella | mwavuli |
| underwear | chupi |
| wall | ukuta |
| wallet | mkoba |
| window | dirisha |
| telephone | simu |
| |
| this | hii |
| that | hio |
| these | hii/hawa/haya/hizi |
| those | hao/hayo |
| |
| Questions | Maswali |
| how? | vipi? |
| what? | nini? |
| who? | nani? |
| why? | nini? |
| where? | wapi? |
| |
| different objects | vitu mbalimbali |
| art | sanaa |
| bank | benki |
| beach | pwani |
| book | kitabu |
| by bicycle | kwa baiskeli |
| by bus | kwa basi |
| by car | kwa gari |
| by train | kwa gari moshi |
| cafe | mkahawa |
| country | nchi |
| desert | njangwa |
| dictionary | kamusi |
| earth | ardhi |
| flowers | maua |
| football | football |
| forest | msitu |
| game | mchezo |
| garden | bustani |
| geography | jiografia |
| history | Historia |
| house | nyumba |
| island | kisiwa |
| lake | ziwa |
| library | maktaba |
| math | hesabu |
| moon | mwezi |
| mountain | mlima |
| movies | sinema |
| music | mziki |
| ocean | bahari |
| office | ofisi |
| on foot | kwa miguu |
| player | Mchezaji |
| river | mto |
| science | sayansi |
| sea | bahari |
| sky | anga |
| soccer | kandada |
| stars | nyota |
| supermarket | maduka makubwa |
| swimming pool | bwawa la kuogelea |
| theater | ukumbi |
| tree | mti |
| |
| weather | hali ya hewa |
| bad weather | hewa mbaya |
| cloudy | mawingu |
| cold | baridi |
| cool | poa |
| foggy | ukungu |
| hot | moto |
| nice weather | hewa njema |
| pouring | mtiririko |
| rain | mvua |
| raining | kunyesha |
| snow | theluji |
| snowing | kunyesha theluji |
| ice | barafu |
| sunny | jua |
| windy | upepo |
| spring | majira ya kuchipua |
| summer | majira ya joto |
| autumn | majira ya kupukutika |
| winter | majira ya baridi |
| |
| people | watu |
| aunt | shangazi |
| baby | mtoto |
| brother | ndugu |
| cousin | binamu |
| daughter | binti |
| dentist | daktari wa meno |
| doctor | daktari |
| father | baba |
| grandfather | babu |
| grandmother | nyanya |
| husband | mume |
| mother | mama |
| nephew | mpwa |
| niece | mpwa |
| nurse | muuguzi |
| policeman | polisi |
| postman | mtu wa posta |
| professor | profesa |
| son | mwana |
| teacher | mwalimu |
| uncle | mjomba |
| wife | mke |
Vocabulary and expressions have a very important role in Swahili, therefore they need very special attention. Once you're done with the Kiswahili Vocabulary, you might want to check the rest of our Swahili lessons here: Learn Swahili. Don't forget to bookmark this page.