je

umelalaje?

A clitic placed at the end of a verb, meaning how.


labda

Borrowed from Omani Arabic لابد (lābid, “perhaps”), from Arabic لَا بُدَّ (lā budda, “it is absolutely necessary”). Given the frequent use of this phrase, the meaning was gradually weakened; compare Persian لابد (lâbod, “probably”).


tiki

completely (in the context of tiredness)


heri

better (when beginning a clause, "it is better that...")


ka

and then (used between a series of actions that happened soon closely together)


jana

Takribani wiki moja baada ya Rais John Magufuli na Edward Lowassa kupeana sifa, jana kiongozi mkuu huyo wa nchi amemtaja tena waziri mkuu huyo wa zamani, safari hii akimhusisha na ombi la mbunge wa Monduli kuhusu uhaba wa maji.

2018 December 3, “MAGUFULI AMTAJA LOWASSA SHIDA YA MAJI”, in Taifa Leo, archived from the original on 2019-08-09:

About one week after President John Magufuli and Edward Lowassa exchanged praise, yesterday the head of state mentioned the former prime minister again, this time involving a request to MP Monduli's request about water shortages.


mara

[…] lakini mara alijikuta akisema kichinichini, "Potelea mbali, nitakwenda."

1973, Mohammed S. Abdulla, Duniani kuna watu, page 3:

[…] but suddenly he found himself saying secretly, "To hell, I'll go."


salama

From the Arabic root س ل م (s l m), most likely سَلَامَة (salāma).


karibu

karibu na (canonical)
karibu ya (canonical)

From Arabic قَرِيب (qarīb, “nearby”), also used to welcome a visitor in Omani Arabic. The sense "you're welcome" is a calque of English you're welcome.


chini

Nilianguka chini

down (from a high to a low position, downwards)


abadi

Borrowed from Arabic أَبَدِيّ (ʔabadiyy).


mapema

early (at a time in advance of the usual)


jinsi

Nakupenda jinsi ulivyo.


barabara

Kumbukumbu la Sheria 5:32, Biblia Habari Njema:
Nyinyi muwe waangalifu mkafanye kama Mwenyezi-Mungu alivyowaamuru; tekelezeni kila kitu barabara.
Be careful to do as the Lord has commanded; implement everything precisely.


milele

milele na milele

forever (for all time, for all eternity; for an infinite amount of time)


jamii

From Arabic جَمِيع (jamīʕ) and/or جَامِع (jāmiʕ).


mwaka jana

Mazungumzo na Korea Kaskazini kujaribu kuishawishi kuachana na mradi wa nyukilia ambao ulifikia kilele mwaka jana wakati Trump na Kim walipokutana nchini Singapore.

2019 June 30, “Trump na Kim wakubaliana kuanza tena mazungumzo”, in BBC Swahili:

Talks with North Korea to try to convince them to abandon the successful nuclear project last year when Trump and Kim met each other in Singapore.


ghafla

Borrowed from Omani Arabic غفلة (ḡafla, “suddenly”), from Arabic غَفْلة (ḡafla, “inattention, carelessness”).


chopi

limply (done in a limp manner, flaccid, flabby, or weak)

excessively (done to an excessive degree)


majuzi

recently (in the recent past); several days ago


kimataifa

From ki- (adverbial prefix) + mataifa (“nations”).


makusudi

intentionally (in an intended or planned way)


fajaa

Borrowed from Arabic فَجْأَةً (fajʔatan).


taratibu

From Arabic تَرْتِيب (tartīb, “order, sequence”).


nusura

Borrowed from Arabic نَزْر (nazr, “little, trifle”).


tena

Compare Egyptian Arabic تاني (tāni, [tɛːnɪ], “again”), from Arabic ثانٍ (ṯānin, “second”). The similarity may be coincidental, however.

Nitacheza mpira wa miguu tena

Sisi sio marafiki tena

Sijui tena


kulia

See -la. The directional sense comes from mkono wa kulia (“right hand”).


zaidi

Kwa mara kwanza, zaidi ya kesi 100,000 zimeripotiwa nchini Uingereza ndani ya siku moja.

2021 December 23, “Utafiti: Omicron inaonekana kuwa dhaifu lakini wasiwasi bado upo”, in BBC News Swahili:

For the first time, more than 100,000 cases have been reported in the UK in one day.


kitaifa

From ki- (adverbial prefix) + taifa (“nation”).


nadra

Borrowed from Arabic نَادِرًا (nādiran, literally “rarely”).


zamani

Borrowed from Arabic زَمَن (zaman) or زَمَان (zamān).


kamwe

From the fossilized class 12 prefix and an older form of "one" related to moja, from Proto-Bantu *-mòì.

(in a negative sentence or question) at all


ovyo

ovyoovyo (alternative)
ovyo ovyo (alternative)


kwani

kwa nini (alternative)
kwanini (alternative)


shashimamishi

Aliniangalia shashimamishi nikajiona mpumbavu mkubwa!

1977, C. G. Mung'ong'o, Mirathi ya hatari, page 52:


kadogo

From a dialectal form of kidogo, using ka-.


kadhalika

Borrowed from Arabic كَذٰلِكَ (kaḏālika).


kwa sababu

From kwa + sababu, literally “for the reason”.

compound

Gazeti la Mail on Sunday linaripoti kuwa Sir Kim alimwandikia Bw Johnson akimuelezea kuwa rais Trump kutoka chama cha Republican anavunja mkataba huo kwa sababu za "utashi binafsi" - kwa sababu makubaliano hayo yalifikiwa na mtangulizi wake kutoka chama cha Democrat, Barack Obama.

2019 July 14, “Barua mpya iliyovuja yadai Trump amevunja mkataba wa nyukilia 'ili kumkera Obama'”, in BBC News Swahili:

Mail on Sunday reports that Sir Kim wrote to Mr Johnson explaining that President Trump from the Republican Party was breaking the agreement because of "personality reasons" - because the agreement was reached by his predecessor from the Democratic Party, Barack Obama.


katakata

kukataa katakata

Nilikubembeleza hapa nikuoze mke, nawe ukakataa katakata.

1973, Mohammed S. Abdulla, Duniani kuna watu, page 5:

I coaxed you here to marry, and you flatly refused.


ingawa

though; although; albeit; notwithstanding


kutwa

kesho kutwa


daima

Borrowed from Arabic دَائِمًا (dāʔiman).


saivi

(Slang) right now (at this precise moment)


mnamo

at about (roughly during a certain time)


binafsi

Borrowed from Arabic بِنَفْسِهِ (binafsihi).


takribani

alternative form of takriban (“almost, about”)


faragha

Borrowed from Arabic فَرَاغ (farāḡ, “empty space”).


mithili

-embamba mithili ya sindano


kwa shingo upande

Baada ya kumaliza maongezi Mtikila aliamua kuweka sahihi na kuchukua fomu hizo kwa shingo upande huku akisema atakiwakilisha vyema chama chake hicho.

2015, “Mtikila achukua fomu ya urais kwa shingo upande”, in Mwananchi:

After the conversation, Mtikila decided to sign and reluctantly took the forms, saying he would represent his party well.


mtondo

two days after tomorrow
two days after tomorrow


hususan

Borrowed from Arabic خُصُوصًا (ḵuṣūṣan).


ajmaina

Borrowed from Arabic أَجْمَعِين (ʔajmaʕīn).


pole pole

alternative spelling of polepole (“slowly, carefully”)


mrama

-enda mrama

take a the wrong direction, go the wrong way


kwasababu

alternative spelling of kwa sababu (“because”)