In Kiswahili, descriptive words come after the
noun that they describe unlike in English where they appear before the noun.
|
-refu |
tall, long |
|
-chache |
a few |
|
-kubwa |
big |
|
-fupi |
short |
|
-ingi |
a lot, much, many |
|
-zuri |
beautiful, good |
|
-baya |
bad |
|
-dogo |
small |
|
-bivu |
ripe |
|
-eupe |
white |
|
-ekundu |
Red |
|
-vivu |
Lazy |
|
-zee |
Old |
|
-erevu |
Clever |
|
-nono |
Fat |
|
-zito |
heavy |
|
-eusi |
black |
|
-choyo |
mean/ stingy |
|
-bovu |
bad |
|
-ovu |
evil |
|
-ema |
fine |
|
-bichi |
unripe |
|
-bivu |
ripe |
When using descriptive words in
Kiswahili, you must attach the proper adjective prefix.
Mifano [Examples]
Mtu mfupi [short person]
Watu wafupi [short people]
Mti mrefu [tall tree]
Miti Mirefu [tall trees]
Ukuta mfupi [short wall]
Kuta fupi [short walls]
Kijiko kirefu [long spoon]
Vijiko virefu [long spoons]
Mifano katika mistari
1. Matunda
hayo ni mabichi. [Those
fruits are unripe.]
2. Simba
yule ni mnono sana. [That
lion is very fat.]
3. Nyanya
alinunua viatu vyeusi. [My
grandmother bought black shoes.]
4. Chakula
hiki ni kitamu. [This
food is delicious.]
5. Chumba
chake kilikuwa kidogo. [His/her
room was small.]
6. Watu
wengi walikuwa wamekusanyika nyumbani kwao. [Many people had gathered at their home.]
7. Tulibeba
vitu vingi. [We carried a lot of
things.]
There are some adjectives that do not take the
prefixes.
|
safi |
clean |
|
bora |
better/ suitable |
|
rahisi |
easy /not expensive |
|
ghali |
expensive |
|
hodari |
skilled |
|
jasiri |
brave |
|
tele |
abundant |
|
haba |
rare |
|
bingwa |
champion |
|
muhimu |
important |
|
baridi |
cold |
|
duni |
inferior |
Mifano
1. Nyumba
hii ni safi. [This house is clean.]
2. Msichana
yule ni jasiri. [That
girl is brave.]
3. Maji
yamekuwa haba katika eneo hili. [Water has been scarce in this area.]
4. Bidhaa
hizi ni bora kuliko nyingine. [This
product is better than the others.]
5. Magari
haya ni ghali sana. [These
cars are very expensive.]
Exercise
What is being said: Mvulana huyo ni mrefu
That man is tall
That boy is short
That boy is tall
This boy is tall
What is being said: Meza hii ni fupi sana
This chair is very short
That table is very short
This table is very short
This chair is very big
What is being said: Farasi huyu si mnono
This horse is fat
This horse is not fat
This horse is tall
This horse is short
Translate to Kiswahili: 'The rabbit is a small animal'
Sungura ni mnyama mdogo
Sungura ni mnyama mkubwa
Tembo ni mnyama mkubwa
Tembo si mnyama mdogo
Translate to Kiswahili: 'My house is small'
Nyumba yake ni ndogo
Nyumba yangu ni ndogo
Nyumba yetu ni ndogo
Nyumba yenu ni ndogo
Translate to Kiswahili: 'Soft'
Ngumu
nyembamba
nyororo
tamu
Aiskrimu ni........
Moto
baridi
kali
maji
Translate to Kiswahili: 'hard'
ngumu
nyembamba
nyororo
tamu