Entries | Shona Living Dictionary

Entries

Nzou hairemerwe nenyanga dzayo.— An elephant never finds its own tusks heavy.
-pofomara— be blind
kurwara— ill, become
zuva— sun, day
kusvika— arrive
mweya— smell
tupuka— insects
kupatsanura— split
-kurumidza— fast
makakanje— crabs
ndeme— bat
kudoka— pass the night
Aive madziva, ave mazambuko.— Pools have become shallow crossings.
kunaka— be good
kuhwanda— hide
-uya— come
Sango rinopa aneta— It's when you are about to give up that you get a breakthrough
musoro— head (anatomic)
bhururuka— fly
kucheka— cut
kutuma— send
kuhukura— bark (dog)
kupofomara— be blind
gore— cloud (not fog), year
mombe— cow, cows, cattle
bako— cave
gakanje— crab
kurutsa— vomit
tsoka— foot (not leg)
-oma— hard
weti— urine
sekuru— maternal grandfather
kupukuta— wipe
kusimudza— raise
kare kare— long ago
dope— mud
vanhu— people
icho— that
mumwe— another
rurimi— tongue (anatomical)
Mukutanda makudo ndimo mukunonga hohwa— Where you chase away baboons is where you discover mushrooms. (In solving a problem, opportunities arise.)
churu— thousand
sviba— dirty
sango— forest
rupfumbu— brown-ness
-da— want
mukaka— milk
nhenga— feather (large, not down)
barika— polygamy
bhuruu— blue
kuziva— know (facts)
ibwe— stone
zai— egg
bhasiketi— basket
bvupa— bone
-bhadhara— pay
hanga— guinea fowl, guinea fowls
nyaya— story
nhoro— kudu, kudus
moyo— heart
kusvina— squeeze
kukanga— fry
sekuru— paternal grandfather
chii— what?
mazizi— owls
kuuya— come
tsuvuku— red (colour)
bhanana— banana
murarabungu— rainbow
kuzvarwa— born, be
gadheni— garden
-hukura— bark (dog)
mukuru— elderly
dombo— rock
Chimedza matoo, akazodzipwa neganda remhuru.— The cow-hide eating expert was choked by a calf's hide.
kusumuka— stand
kunzwisisa— understand
pfumo— spear
jongwe— cock
murume— man (adult male human)
nyanga— horn (of bull etc.)
machongwe— cocks
inwa— drink
kurova— hit
kupindura— answer
ziso— eye
amai— mother
kudzvanya— press
gokora— elbow
kuita magwiriri— snore
makarwe— crocodiles
Tsambatsi/sambasi/zambiringa
kutsenga— chew
kumira— stop
kudzivirira— protect
-cheka— cut
uri kutyei?— What are you afraid of?
mikoko— hives
-tsauka— turn
kuvandzika— hidden, be
kunwa— drink
hove— fish
pamusoroi— Excuse Me
kuurayiwa— killed, be
-chema— cry
-ita— do
-batsira— help
mbada— leopard, leopards
mhara— impala, impalas
jecha— sand
chikosoro— cough
kupa— give
kuviga— bury
duku— young
dota— ash(es)
kupedza— finish
ndatenda chaizvo— Thank You
-donha— fall
mbabvu— rib
ndinoda kudya sadza— I want to eat sadza
mumvuri— shadow
-shama nyai— yawn
garo— buttocks
bapiro— wing
garwe— crocodile
kufuridza— blow
nherera— orphan
zvaita sei?— What's the matter?
kuyamwa— suck (breast)
chipoko— ghost
kufema— breathe
ishe— chief
twiza— giraffe, giraffes
jecha— sand (opposite to following)
vhudzi— hair (on head of humans)
-ona— see
kuzvara— give birth
Mwana wamambo, muranda kumwe.— The son of a king loses his honour in a foreign land (literally becomes just a servant elsewhere)
miti— trees
kufamba— walk
nhasi— today
-seka— laugh
mambure— net
kufa— die
buri— hole
guvi— baby
mabhanana— bananas
kunyorova— become wet
-rota— dream
kuerera— flow
bhiriji— bridge
kudya— to eat
musikana— girl
kurapa— nurse
mapatya— twin
uri kuitei?— what are you doing? (informal)
Gwande/Gwati
kubvisa zvipfeko— undress
tsiye— eyelash
-naka— good
rwara— sick
-verenga— count
kuva nenyota— thirsty, be
imba— house
-nzwa— understand
ruoko— hand
munhu— person (individual human)
kusunda— push
kufunga— think
Chinoziva ivhu kuti mwana wembeva ari kurwara.— The soil knows when a baby mouse is sick. (Someone close can feel anything going on in your life).
fufura— butterfly
rurimi— tongue (anatomical)
matendere— nests
nyanza— sea, lake; seas, lakes
kuvhura— open
shamwari— friend
kupisa— be hot, set on fire
shato— python, pythons
-kanda— throw
Mbira
dumbu— belly (lower part of body, abdomen), stomach
kubaya— stab
kuoma nechando— freeze
bete— cockroach
mhutu— mosquito
guruva— dust
kunyarara— quiet, be
ganda— skin (person's)
pofomara— blind
mazino— teeth
-rutsa— vomit
kubhururuka— fly
Chitsanana
-vhara— close
kupa— to give
kuseka— laugh
-svipa— spit
tsinga— vein, veins
kunzwa— to hear
muvhimi— hunter

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