Basic Nouns

38 phrases · Swahili with romanization, English and audio

  1. Maji

    Water

    Usage

    Ask for drinking water; pair it with “bottle” if you want sealed water

    Grammar Note

    "Maji" belongs to noun class 6 and has no singular form. Bantu nouns change their prefix by class.

  2. Chakula

    Food

    Usage

    The general word for food; useful when hunting for somewhere to eat

    Grammar Note

    A class 7 (ki-) noun; the plural takes the vi- prefix: "vyakula."

  3. Pesa

    Money

    Usage

    The base word for paying and changing currency

  4. Choo

    Toilet

    Usage

    Combine it with the “where” question

    Grammar Note

    Class 7 — "ch-" is a variant of the ki- prefix. Plural: "vyoo."

  5. Tishu

    Tissue

    Usage

    Many toilets have no paper — use this word to buy some

    Grammar Note

    A loan from English "tissue."

  6. Dawa

    Medicine

    Usage

    At a pharmacy; combine it with gestures for your symptom

  7. Mzigo

    Luggage

    Usage

    For checking in, carrying on, or reporting lost bags

    Grammar Note

    A class 3 (m-) noun; the plural is "mizigo."

  8. Ufunguo

    Key

    Usage

    At hotel reception when collecting or returning it

    Grammar Note

    A class 11 (u-) noun; the plural is "funguo."

  9. Tikiti

    Ticket

    Usage

    Covers both transport tickets and admission tickets

  10. Pasipoti

    Passport

    Usage

    Comes up at check-in, currency exchange, and any police check

  11. Simu

    Phone

    Usage

    When you need to borrow one or ask for a number

  12. Chaja

    Charger

    Usage

    To borrow one at a hotel or café, or buy one in a shop

    Grammar Note

    A loan from English "charger."

  13. Stesheni

    Station

    Usage

    A landmark word when asking for directions

  14. Hospitali

    Hospital

    Usage

    The first word you need if you fall ill

  15. Polisi

    Police

    Usage

    For theft or accidents; combine it with “where?”

  16. Duka

    Shop

    Usage

    When looking for somewhere to buy something

    Grammar Note

    A class 5 (ji-/ma-) noun; the plural is "maduka."

  17. Chumba

    Room

    Usage

    Use it when asking a hotel about vacancies

    Grammar Note

    A class 7 noun; the plural is "vyumba."

  18. Barabara

    Road

    Usage

    The base word when asking the way

  19. Familia

    Family

    Usage

    A guaranteed small-talk topic; showing photos goes a long way

  20. Jina

    Name

    Usage

    For introductions and for giving your name at a counter

    Grammar Note

    A class 5 noun; the plural is "majina."

  21. Kichwa

    Head

    Usage

    Point to this for a headache; "kichwa kinauma" is "my head hurts"

    Grammar Note

    A class 7 (ki-) noun; the plural is "vichwa."

  22. Jicho

    Eye

    Usage

    Point to this for eye pain, redness, or something in your eye; for both eyes use the plural "macho"

    Grammar Note

    A class 5 noun with an irregular plural: "macho", not "majicho". The plural is the form you meet in compounds such as "miwani ya macho" (eyeglasses).

  23. Jino

    Tooth

    Usage

    Point to this for toothache; a dentist is "daktari wa meno", using the plural

    Grammar Note

    A class 5 noun with the irregular plural "meno."

  24. Koo

    Throat

    Usage

    Point to this for a sore throat; the outside of the neck is a different word, "shingo"

    Grammar Note

    Usually used unchanged for singular and plural; the plural form is "makoo."

  25. Tumbo

    Stomach / Belly

    Usage

    Point to this for stomach pain; "tumbo linauma" is "my stomach hurts"

    Grammar Note

    A class 5 noun. The plural "matumbo" means the intestines, and on a menu it means tripe — worth knowing before you order.

  26. Mgongo

    Back

    Usage

    Point to this for back pain

    Grammar Note

    A class 3 (m-) noun; the plural is "migongo."

  27. Kiuno

    Waist / Lower back

    Usage

    Point to this for lower-back pain; the upper back is "mgongo"

    Grammar Note

    A class 7 noun; the plural is "viuno."

  28. Mguu

    Leg / Foot

    Usage

    Swahili uses one word for the whole leg and the foot, so point at your own body to show where it hurts; the ankle is "kifundo cha mguu"

    Grammar Note

    A class 3 noun; the plural "miguu" is what you use for both legs or both feet.

  29. Mkono

    Hand / Arm

    Usage

    Swahili uses one word for the hand and the arm, so point at your own body to show where it hurts; a finger is a separate word, "kidole"

    Grammar Note

    A class 3 noun; the plural is "mikono."

  30. Kifua

    Chest

    Usage

    The chest as a body part, for chest pain or breathing trouble. Careful: "nina kifua" idiomatically means "I have a chest cold"; for pain say "kifua kinauma"

    Grammar Note

    A class 7 noun; the plural is "vifua."

  31. Hoteli

    Hotel

    Usage

    In Tanzania and Kenya "hoteli" very often means a small eatery. If you are looking for somewhere to sleep, say "hoteli ya kulala" or "gesti" (guest house)

    Grammar Note

    A class 9/10 loanword; the plural has the same form.

  32. Uwanja wa ndege

    Airport

    Usage

    For negotiating a taxi or asking the way; the same wording in both Tanzania and Kenya

    Grammar Note

    "Uwanja" is a class 11 noun meaning a field or ground; its plural is "viwanja", giving "viwanja vya ndege."

  33. Kituo cha basi

    Bus stop

    Usage

    Understood in both countries. Tanzania also says "stendi ya basi", and a minibus stop is "kituo cha daladala"; in Kenya the everyday word is the English-derived "stage"

    Grammar Note

    "Kituo" is a class 7 noun; the plural is "vituo."

  34. Ubalozi

    Embassy

    Usage

    Where to head after a lost passport or a serious incident; "ubalozi wa Japani" is the Japanese embassy

    Grammar Note

    "Ubalozi" is a u- abstract noun and normally has no plural. The ambassador (person) is a different word, "balozi" (plural "mabalozi") — do not confuse the two.

  35. ATM

    Usage

    Both the signage and everyday speech use "ATM"; the Swahili description is "mashine ya kutolea pesa"

  36. Sehemu ya kubadilisha fedha

    Money changer

    Usage

    The word for a currency exchange; the shopfront sign reads "FOREX BUREAU" in Kenya and "BUREAU DE CHANGE" in Tanzania, rarely anything in Swahili

    Grammar Note

    "Fedha" is a class 9 noun for money or silver; you can substitute the everyday word "pesa."

  37. Dobi

    Laundry service

    Usage

    The shop or person who does your washing. Self-service coin laundries barely exist in Tanzania and Kenya — you hand your clothes to the hotel or a local "dobi"

    Grammar Note

    A class 9/10 loan from Hindi, unchanged in the plural; it covers both the launderer and the laundry itself.

  38. Ubalozi mdogo

    Consulate

    Usage

    Where to head in a provincial city when the embassy ("ubalozi") is only in the capital

    Grammar Note

    "Ubalozi" (embassy) plus "mdogo" (small); the adjective takes the m- form because the noun is class 11.

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