Animals

1. Mbwa

   Dog

   Usage

   "Nimeumwa na mbwa" means "a dog bit me". Rabies is present, so always see a doctor

2. Paka

   Cat

   Usage

   Stone Town in Zanzibar is known for its cats — an easy conversation starter

3. Ndege

   Bird

   Usage

   The same word also means "aeroplane" — "uwanja wa ndege" is the airport. Let the context tell you which

4. Samaki

   Fish

   Usage

   Works for ordering and for snorkelling talk. Lake Victoria's Nile perch is "sangara"

5. Simba

   Lion

   Usage

   The headline animal of any safari. "Ninataka kuona simba" is "I want to see lions"

6. Tembo

   Elephant

   Usage

   "Ndovu" means the same thing.

7. Twiga

   Giraffe

   Usage

   Tanzania's national animal, and the word you will hear at Nairobi's Giraffe Centre

8. Pundamilia

   Zebra

   Usage

   "Punda" (donkey) plus "milia" (stripes) — the striped donkey. Seen on the migration in the Serengeti and the Mara

9. Kifaru

   Rhinoceros

   Usage

   One of the Big Five, and scarce — Ngorongoro and the Ol Pejeta conservancy are the usual places to see one

10. Kiboko

    Hippopotamus

    Usage

    Reckoned the deadliest large animal in Africa. Riverside lodges often ask guests not to walk around after dark

11. Nyati

    Cape buffalo

    Usage

    One of the Big Five, also called "mbogo". Lone bulls are dangerous, so follow your guide

12. Chui

    Leopard

    Usage

    The hardest of the Big Five to spot. Guides scan the branches, since leopards often lie in trees

13. Duma

    Cheetah

    Usage

    Often confused with the leopard ("chui") but a different animal — it hunts by day on open grassland

14. Fisi

    Hyena

    Usage

    They do come into camps at night. Aimed at a person the word is an insult meaning "scavenger", so keep it to animals

15. Swala

    Antelope / Gazelle

    Usage

    The general word for mid-sized antelope — the animal you will see most on safari. The impala is "swala pala"

16. Nyani

    Baboon

    Usage

    They raid car parks and picnic sites — never leave a car window open

17. Tumbili

    Vervet monkey

    Usage

    The small monkey that hangs around lodges, smaller than a baboon. Do not show them food

18. Ng'ombe

    Cow

    Usage

    The "ng'" is a single nasal sound, as in English "sing". For the Maasai, cattle are wealth itself. Beef is "nyama ya ng'ombe"

19. Mbuzi

    Goat

    Usage

    "Nyama choma ya mbuzi" (grilled goat) is an East African staple — use the word to check what is on the grill

20. Kondoo

    Sheep

    Usage

    Usually kept alongside goats. Use it when checking whether a dish is lamb

21. Kuku

    Chicken

    Usage

    Constantly useful. "Kuku choma" is grilled chicken

22. Bata

    Duck

    Usage

    Kept on farms. Note that "bata mzinga" is the separate word for turkey

23. Nguruwe

    Pig

    Usage

    Handle with care in Zanzibar and along the Muslim coast. The warthog has its own word, "ngiri"

24. Farasi

    Horse

    Usage

    From Arabic. It comes up around horseback safaris

25. Mamba

    Crocodile

    Usage

    In Swahili "mamba" is a crocodile — not the venomous snake the English word names. Seen in the Mara and Grumeti rivers

26. Nyoka

    Snake

    Usage

    "Nimeumwa na nyoka" means "a snake bit me" — an emergency phrase. Watch your feet in long grass

27. Kobe

    Tortoise / Turtle

    Usage

    The giant Aldabra tortoises on Prison Island off Zanzibar are the famous ones

28. Chura

    Frog

    Usage

    They form a chorus on rainy nights. The plural is "vyura"

29. Mjusi

    Lizard / Gecko

    Usage

    One word for lizards and geckos alike. The little one on your wall is harmless and eats the insects. The plural is "mijusi"

30. Panya

    Rat / Mouse

    Usage

    For reporting a hygiene problem. One word covers rats and mice alike

31. Sungura

    Rabbit / Hare

    Usage

    The recurring trickster hero of Swahili folk tales

32. Popo

    Bat

    Usage

    Seen in caves and roosting trees. The Pemba flying fox is endemic to the island

33. Mbu

    Mosquito

    Usage

    The most important one here. Mosquitoes carry malaria, so a net ("chandarua") and repellent are essential. "Kuna mbu" means "there are mosquitoes"

34. Mende

    Cockroach

    Usage

    Show it to raise a hygiene problem — no need to argue, the screen says it

35. Siafu

    Safari ants / Driver ants

    Usage

    The column-marching ants that bite hard if you step in the line. They appear after rain, and they are the ants you actually meet while camping or trekking

36. Nyuki

    Bee

    Usage

    Used to report a sting. "Asali" is honey, a classic East African souvenir

37. Buibui

    Spider

    Usage

    The same word also names the black outer garment worn by women on the coast. Let the context tell you which

38. Kipepeo

    Butterfly

    Usage

    The butterfly projects at Kakamega and Arabuko Sokoke in Kenya are well known. The plural is "vipepeo"

39. Nzi

    Fly

    Usage

    Used when you are worried about hygiene at an eatery. The form is the same in singular and plural

40. Mbung'o

    Tsetse fly

    Usage

    Its bite hurts sharply. In areas such as the western Serengeti, guides advise against dark blue and black clothing, which attracts them

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