RANGI [COLORS]

eusi	[black]
rangi ya bluu	[blue]
rangi ya shaba	[bronze]
rangi ya maji ya kunde/kahawia	[brown (coffee)]
rangi ya bluu giza	[dark blue]
rangi ya giza	[dark color]
rangi ya almasi	[diamond]
rangi ya dhahabu	[gold]
rangi ya kijivu	[gray]
rangi ya kijani	[green (color of leaves)]
rangi ya bluu mwangaza	[light blue]
rangi ya mwangaza	[light color]
Nyekundu nzito	[maroon]
rangi ya hudhurungi	[mustard]
rangi ya machungwa	[orange]
rangi ya waridi	[pink (color of roses)]
rangi ya zambarau	[purple (tropical fruit)]
ekundu	[red]
rangi ya fedha	[silver]
samawati; samawi / bluu	[sky blue]
rangi ya urujuani	[violet]
eupe	[white]
rangi ya manjano / njano	[yellow (color of turmeric)]
Rangi za Upinde wa mvua	[rainbow colours]
nyekundu	[red]
rangi ya machungwa	[orange]
rangi ya manjano / njano	[yellow]
rangi ya kibichi/majani (kijani)	[green]
samawati / samawi	[blue]
nili	[indigo]
rangi ya urujuani	[violet]

 

Noun Agreements

There are three colors that behave like adjectives. They have to agree with the nouns they represent;

-ekundu [red]

-eupe [white]

-eusi [black]

 

NGELI [noun]	JINA [name]	-EUPE [white]	-EUSI [black]	-EKUNDU [red]
M/WA	Mtu [person]	Mweupe	Mweusi	Mwekundu
	Watu [people]	Weupe	Weusi	Wekundu
KI/VI	Kitabu [book]	Cheupe	Cheusi	Chekundu
	Vitabu [books]	Vyeupe	Vyeusi	Vyekundu
M/MI	Mpira [ball]	Mweupe	Mweusi	Mwekundu
	Mipira [balls]	Mieupe	Mieusi	Miekundu
JI/MA	Gari [car]	Jeupe	Jeusi	Jekundu
	Magari [cars]	Meupe	Meusi	Mekundu
N	Nyumba [house]	Nyeupe	Nyeusi	Nyekundu
	Nyumba [houses]	Nyeupe	Nyeusi	Nyekundu
U	Uzi [thread]	Mweupe	Mweusi	Mwekundu
	Nyuzi [threads]	Nyeupe	Nyeusi	nyekundu

 

Exercise

Which of the following is not a color?

Nyeusi

Buluu

Samawati

Rangile

What color is the sky?

Nyeusi

samawati

Nyekundu

Nyeupe

What is black in Kiswahili?

Nyeupe

Nyekundu

Nyeusi

Nyeupe

What is green in Kiswahili?

Nyasi

Nyeusi

Kijani

Buluu

What is white in Kiswahili?

Nyekundu

Nyeupe

Nyeusi

Samawati

What is brown in Kiswahili?

Nyeusi

Kibichi

Kahawia

Manjano

Translate: She is in an orange coat.

Amevaa koti rangi ya machungwa

Amevaa koti rangi ya zambarau

Amevaa koti rangi ya kijani

Amevaa koti rangi ya manjano

Translate: The leaf is green

Kijani ni rangi ya kijani

Kijani ni rangi ya manjano

Kijani ni rangi nyeupe

Kijani cheusi

ADVERBS

Adverbs are descriptive words used to qualify (mostly) verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.

 

1.     Time (when something happens)

Siku hizi [lately/these days]	Siku hizi ninachoka sana [I get tired so much lately]
Wiki ijayo [next week]	Tutaonana wiki ijayo [We’ll see each other next week]
Hivi karibuni [soon]	Wageni watafika hivi karibuni [The guests will arrive soon]
Usiku huu [tonight]	Nitakuona usiku huu [I will see you tonight]
Sasa [now]	Sasa unaenda wapi [Where are you going now?]
Baadaye [later]	Tuonane baadaye [Let’s see each other later]
Jana usiku [last night]	Jana usiku sikulala [I did not sleep last night]
Leo asubuhi [this morning]	Amefika leo asubuhi [He/she arrived this morning]
Tayari [already]	Umemaliza tayari? [Are you done already?]
Zamani [long ago]	Nilimwona zamani sana [I saw him/her a long time ago]

 

 

 

2.   Place (where something happens)

Mahali popote [anywhere]	Siendi mahali popote leo [I’m not going anywhere today]
Kila mahali [everywhere]	Tutatembelea kila mahali [We will visit everywhere]
Hapa [here]	Niko hapa [I’m here]
Hapo [there]	Ondoka hapo [Get out of there]
Pale [over there, remote]	Pale kuna duka [There is a shop over there]
Mbali [far]	Usiende mbali [Don’t go far]
Karibu [near]	Keti karibu na mimi [Sit near me]

 

 

 

3.   Manner (how something happens)

Vibaya [badly]	Alianguka vibaya [He fell badly]
Vizuri [nicely, well]	Jibu vizuri [Answer properly]
Vigumu [difficult, toughly]	Ni vigumu kusahau [It’s difficult to forget]
Kidogo [slightly, a little]	Nitakula chakula kidogo [I’ll eat a little food]
Kwa haraka [quickly]	Tembea kwa haraka [Walk quickly]
Kwa kawaida [usually]	Kwa kawaida, anaongea kwa haraka [Usually, he speaks fast]
Kwa kifupi [briefly]	Eleza kwa kifupi [Briefly explain]
Kwa kweli [truthfully]	Kwa kweli, sijamwona [Truthfully, I have not seen him/her]
Kwa sauti [loudly]	Ita kwa sauti [Call out loudly]
Kwa bahati [fortunately]	Kwa bahati, hajaumia [Fortunately, he/she is not hurt]
Kwa ghafla [suddenly]	Siba alikufa ghafla [The lion died suddenly]

 

 

4.   Frequency (how often something occurs)

Mara chache [rarely]	Chui huonekana mara chache [The leopard is rarely seen]
Mara kwa mara [sometimes]	Wanatembea mara kwa mara [They walk from time to time]
Kamwe [never]	Sitasahau kamwe! [I will never forget!]
Mara moja [once; immediately]	Njoo hapa mara moja [Come here immediately]
Mara ya mwisho [last time]	Ninakwambia mara ya mwisho [I’m telling you for the last time]
Mara nyingi [many times]	Jogoo anawika mara nyingi  [The rooster crows many times]

 

 

5.    Degree  (to show the intensity of something)

Kabisa [completely]	Nimemaliza kabisa [I have finished completely]
Sana [very; a lot]	Nina kiu sana [I’m very thirsty]
Kiasi [a bit]	Nina njaa kiasi [I’m a little hungry]

 

 

 

Exercise 1: Translate into Kiswahili

a)    The week ended very badly.

b)    The examination was a little difficult.

c)     He cleaned this room well.

d)   Fortunately, the lion did not attack us.

e)    The rooster crows so loudly every morning.

f)      May I speak with you briefly?

g)    He fell and was hurt a little.

h)   They were completely shocked.

i)      The coffee was very hot.

j)      This is the last time I give you a chance.

k)    He travelled for the first time by air.

l)      Please, come here.

m) The thieves appeared suddenly.

Exercise 2

Translate the adverb in brackets into Kiswahili: Mama yule anatembea _____________ (slowly)

Kwa haraka

Siku hizi

Polepole

sana

Wanafunzi wazuri wanaandika______________ (well)

Wazuri

Vizuri

Vibaya

Haraka

Wageni walisafiri _____________(by car)

gari

na gari

Kwa gari

garini

Safari itaanza ________________ (the day after tomorrow)

Kesho

jana

siku

Kesho kutwa

Amina alifika darasani _________________(early)

asubuhi

jioni

Mapema

Alifika

Jua huchomoza _____________(in the east)

magharibi

Asubuhi

Mashariki

jioni

Wale huswali ______________ kwa siku. (five times)

mara tano

ya tano

tano

saa tano

Basi limeondoka __________________ (already)

hivi sasa

tayari

baadaye

sawa sawa

Meza hazijaoshwa ____________ (not yet)

bado

leo

tayari

sawa

Mgeni ataenda shuleni ___________ (next year)

Mwaka ujao

mwaka uliopita

mwaka huu

mwaka jana

Tulitembea ___________ (quickly)

polepole

sana

haraka

bado

Maria alinitembelea ________________ (again)

bado

tena

juzi

sana