Kamusi ya Kiswahili

Learn Swahili with our comprehensive dictionary featuring pronunciation guides and example sentences

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Badia

ba-di-a

English: See bajia (a type of food/snack)

Example (Swahili):

Aliagiza badia sokoni.

Example (English):

He ordered badia at the market.

Badii¹

ba-dii

English: Strange; unusual; extraordinary

Example (Swahili):

Waliona kiumbe badii msituni.

Example (English):

They saw a strange creature in the forest.

Badii²

ba-dii

English: Unusual things; ornaments

Example (Swahili):

Alinunua badii za kupamba nyumba.

Example (English):

She bought unusual ornaments to decorate the house.

Badili¹

ba-di-li

English: To exchange one thing for another; to change

Example (Swahili):

Alibadili nguo kabla ya sherehe.

Example (English):

He changed clothes before the ceremony.

Badili²

ba-di-li

English: To break; to get a small amount of money

Example (Swahili):

Alienda kubadili shilingi mia moja.

Example (English):

He went to break a hundred-shilling note.

Badili³

ba-di-li

English: Instead of; in place of

Example (Swahili):

Alikuja badili ya kaka yake.

Example (English):

He came in place of his brother.

Badilifu

ba-di-li-fu

English: Changeable; unstable

Example (Swahili):

Hali ya hewa ni badilifu mwaka huu.

Example (English):

The weather is changeable this year.

Badilika

ba-di-li-ka

English: To become different from before

Example (Swahili):

Tabia yake imebadilika sana.

Example (English):

His behavior has changed a lot.

Badilikia

ba-di-li-ki-a

English: To show changes concerning a particular person

Example (Swahili):

Rafiki yake alimbadilikia baada ya kupata kazi.

Example (English):

His friend changed toward him after getting a job.

Badiliko

ba-di-li-ko

English: Change; transformation

Example (Swahili):

Badiliko la tabianchi linaathiri kilimo.

Example (English):

Climate change affects agriculture.

Badilisha

ba-di-li-sha

English: To transform from one state to another

Example (Swahili):

Aliamua kubadilisha maisha yake.

Example (English):

He decided to change his life.

Badilishana

ba-di-li-sha-na

English: To exchange with each other

Example (Swahili):

Wanafunzi walibadilishana vitabu.

Example (English):

The students exchanged books.

Badilisho

ba-di-li-sho

English: The act of transforming from one state to another

Example (Swahili):

Badilisho la mfumo wa elimu limeanza kutekelezwa.

Example (English):

The reform of the education system has begun to be implemented.

Badilishwa

ba-di-li-shwa

English: Changed and made into something else

Example (Swahili):

Nyumba ilibadilishwa kuwa hoteli.

Example (English):

The house was converted into a hotel.

Badini

ba-di-ni

English: Large; thick

Example (Swahili):

Alivaa shati badini siku ya baridi.

Example (English):

He wore a thick shirt on the cold day.

Badiri

ba-di-ri

English: A full moon; shining moon

Example (Swahili):

Usiku huu kuna badiri angani.

Example (English):

Tonight there is a full moon in the sky.

Badiria

ba-di-ri-a

English: See halbadiri (type of full moon)

Example (Swahili):

Waliona badiria usiku wa manane.

Example (English):

They saw the bright moon at midnight.

Badizo

ba-di-zo

English: A tool used for castrating bulls

Example (Swahili):

Mkulima alitumia badizo kwa fahali wake.

Example (English):

The farmer used a castrating tool on his bull.

Bado

ba-do

English: Not yet; something that has not happened

Example (Swahili):

Chakula bado hakijaiva.

Example (English):

The food is not ready yet.

Badu¹

ba-du

English: Desert; an area without much vegetation

Example (Swahili):

Walivuka badu kubwa jangwani.

Example (English):

They crossed a wide desert.

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