Kamusi ya Kiswahili
Learn Swahili with our comprehensive dictionary featuring pronunciation guides and example sentences
gu-u
English: Big foot
Alitembea kwa guu¹ zito.
He walked with heavy feet.
gu-u
English: Wooden piece used to tighten a canoe
Walitumia guu² kufunga ngalawa.
They used a wooden peg to tighten the canoe.
gu-wa
English: See buwa (a type of plantain/banana)
Walikula guwa kwa chakula cha mchana.
They ate plantain for lunch.
gu-yu-gu-za
English: Rotate pestle in mortar
Waliguyuguza nafaka kwa kutumia kinu.
They rotated the pestle in the mortar to pound grain.
gwa
English: Fall; collapse
Mti mkubwa ulianguka kwa ghafula – uli-gwa.
A large tree suddenly fell down.
gwa-du
English: Sour; bitter taste
Embe bichi lina ladha ya gwadu.
The unripe mango has a sour taste.
gwa-du-ka
English: Get sour taste after eating unripe fruit
Nili-gwaduka baada ya kula embe bichi.
I got a sour sensation after eating the unripe mango.
gwa-fu-a
English: Bare teeth like a dog; grab suddenly
Mbwa alimgwafua mwizi.
The dog bared its teeth and caught the thief.
gwa-gu
English: Fierce animal like a lion
Simba ni gwagu¹ anayehofiwa na wanyama wengine.
The lion is a fierce animal feared by others.
gwa-gu
English: Wicked person; disobedient
Kijana huyo anajulikana kama gwagu² kijijini.
That young man is known as a wicked person in the village.
gwa-ju-ka
English: Skin peel off from burning
Ngozi yake iligwajuka kwa jua kali.
His skin peeled off from the strong sun.
gwan-da
English: Old or tattered clothes
Alivaa gwanda¹ lililochakaa.
He wore an old, tattered cloth.
gwan-da
English: Military uniform (Kenya)
Askari alivaa gwanda² jipya.
The soldier wore a new uniform.
gwa-ra
English: Scrape grass with hoe
Wakulima waligwara¹ nyasi shambani.
The farmers scraped grass from the field.
gwa-ra
English: Small coin of 5, 10, or 20 cents
Alinipa gwara² kumi kwa kubeba maji.
He gave me ten small coins for fetching water.
gwar-die
English: Group of soldiers standing in formation
Jeshi lilisimama kama gwardie mbele ya rais.
The army stood in formation before the president.
gwa-ru
English: Bean plant species
Walipanda gwaru¹ kwenye shamba.
They planted a bean crop in the farm.
gwa-ru
English: See gwara² (small cent coins)
Alikusanya gwaru² nyingi sokoni.
He collected many small cent coins at the market.
gwa-se
English: Wild pig; bush pig
Wawindaji walimkamata gwase msituni.
The hunters caught a bush pig in the forest.
gwa-ta
English: Knock down with feet; trample
Alimgwata adui wake chini.
He knocked his enemy down with his feet.
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