Kamusi ya Kiswahili
Learn Swahili with our comprehensive dictionary featuring pronunciation guides and example sentences
/'tumba/
English: A small shoot growing from an old stem.
Tumba mpya zinamea shambani.
New shoots are sprouting in the field.
/tum'baku/
English: Tobacco (plant or leaves).
Wakulima walivuna tumbaku nyingi mwaka huu.
Farmers harvested a lot of tobacco this year.
/tum'basi/
English: See tambazi¹ (a veranda).
Angalia neno tambazi¹ kwa maana.
See the word tambazi¹ for the meaning.
/tumbatu'mba/
English: To be agitated; to move about restlessly.
Watoto walikuwa wakitumbatumba uwanjani.
The children were moving restlessly in the yard.
/tum'bawe/
English: Coral; limestone.
Bahari hii ina matumbawe mazuri sana.
This sea has very beautiful corals.
/'tumbi/
English: A large quantity of things (e.g., a tumbi of fruits).
Walileta tumbi la maembe sokoni.
They brought a large pile of mangoes to the market.
/'tumbi/
English: See pakacha¹ (a bundle).
Angalia neno pakacha¹ kwa maana kamili.
See the word pakacha¹ for the full meaning.
/tum'bili/
English: See tumbiri (a colobus monkey).
Angalia neno tumbiri kwa maana.
See the word tumbiri for the meaning.
/tum'biri/
English: A colobus monkey (grey monkey).
Tumbiri waliruka kutoka mti mmoja hadi mwingine.
The colobus monkeys jumped from one tree to another.
/tum'biri/
English: The red flower on a banana plant before the fruit appears.
Tumbiri ilianza kuonekana kwenye mgomba.
The red banana blossom began to appear on the plant.
/'tumbo/
English: The stomach; the belly.
Ana maumivu ya tumbo tangu jana.
He has had stomach pain since yesterday.
/'tumbo/
English: A stomach illness (e.g., diarrhea, colic); (figurative) anxiety, fear.
Mtoto anaumwa tumbo baada ya kula chakula baridi.
The child has a stomach upset after eating cold food.
/'tumbo/
English: A swollen part of a tree (like on a baobab or mvumo tree).
Mti wa mibuyu una matumbo makubwa.
The baobab tree has large swellings on its trunk.
/'tumbo/
English: Children of one mother in a polygamous family.
Watoto wa tumbo moja wanashirikiana vizuri.
Children of the same mother cooperate well.
/tumbu'a/
English: To burst or prick something (like a boil); to pierce; (idiom) to open one's eyes wide.
Alitumbua jipu lililokuwa mguuni.
He burst the boil on his leg.
/tumbu'a/
English: To squander wealth on pleasure; to waste.
Alitumbua mali yake yote kwa starehe.
He squandered all his wealth on pleasure.
/tumbu'iza/
English: To entertain with songs, music, or poetry; to lull a child to sleep with songs.
Mama alimlaza mtoto kwa kumtumbuiza.
The mother lulled her baby to sleep with a song.
/tumbu'izo/
English: Entertainment (song, music, poem).
Kulikuwa na tumbuizo la muziki kwenye tamasha.
There was a musical performance at the festival.
/tumbu'juka/
English: (Of a fruit or boil) to burst and ooze liquid; to rot or decay.
Embe limeanza kutumbujuka kwa sababu ya joto.
The mango has started to rot because of the heat.
/tumbu'ka/
English: (Of a boil) to burst open.
Jipu lilitumbuka baada ya siku mbili.
The boil burst after two days.
Quick Learning Tips
Practice Pronunciation
Pay attention to the pronunciation guides to improve your speaking skills.
Use Example Sentences
Study the example sentences to understand how words are used in context.