If you're trying to learn Swahili Vocabulary which is also called Kiswahili, check our courses about vocabulary and expressions... to help you with your Swahili grammar. Try to concentrate on the lesson and notice the pattern that occurs each time the word changes its place. Also don't forget to check the rest of our other lessons listed on Learn Swahili. Enjoy the rest of the lesson!
Learning the Swahili Vocabulary displayed below is vital to the language. 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 |
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. 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.
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