Entries | Shona Living Dictionary

Entries

gwati— bark (of tree)
denderedzwa— circle
muromo— mouth, lip
Imbwa hora, inoziva pekuruma— An old dog knows where to bite (There is no substitute for experience)
guvi— depression in rock
kapuka— insect or small wild animal
-nyorova— wet, become
-hwanda— hide
Hotoki yemukwiri, kuwa netsotso.— The expert tree climber will be made to fall by a twig.
-imba— sing
kugeza maoko— wash hands
mwanakomana— son
musana— back
zhinji— many
-dzoka— return
ruoko— arm
kutonhora— be cold (of weather)
ose— all
masikati— good afternoon
pisa— burn, be hot
ruva— flower
-famba— walk
nekuti— because
mhofu— eland
kugadzirirwa— prepared, be
-ba— steal
kubhadhara— pay
nyoka— snake
-taura— speak
ndinoda nyika yangu— I love my country
kuverenga— count
-chera— dig
kuzorora— lie (on side, recline)
-tarisa— watch
nzara— claw, claws
tanhatu— six
-rasa— throw away
kutyora— break
munhukadzi— female
gunguwo— crow
kusimuka— stand
mhembwe— buck
padyo— near
-nyarara— quiet, be
kubvunza— ask
kufara— become happy
-sarudza— choose
gumi— ten
vhudzi— hair (on head of humans)
mutsipa— neck (not nape)
kuzivana— know each other
hombe— big
banga— knife
taura— say
guvi— puddle
ino— this
ndinofarira sadza— I like sadza
isu— we
mapeche— vaginas
kumhanya— run
kutsva— burn
kutambira— receive
chibhakera— fist
babamunini— uncle
kudyisa— feed
Chakanaka chakanaka, mukaka haurungwe.— What's good is good — milk can't be made into a ball. (You can never add anything to what is already perfect.)
tete— thin
mvuu— hippopotamus, hippopotamuses
-muka— awake
na-— and
iwe— you
kubatsira— help
nyanga— horn (of bull etc.)
-kama— comb
kunhowa— smell
nzou— elephant, elephants
denga— sky, heaven, roof
kuchengetedza— save (money)
nezuro— yesterday
kuona— see
ambuya— grandmother (paternal or maternal), mother-in-law
tezvara— father-in-law
gomo— mountain (not hill)
shoma— little
muchero— fruit
kugara— sit, live or dwell (somewhere), remain
kusvipa— spit, salivate
juru— ant hill
kuzivana— recognize
mipata— valleys
mwedzi— month
mbeva— mouse, mice
nguruve— pig, pigs
kukwiza— rub
ndaperekedza mwana kuchikoro— I accompanied my child to school
mbizi— zebra
kuzvitakura— pregnant, be
nguva yechando— winter
-pinda— enter
zizi— owl
huku— chicken
makomo— mountains
ropa— blood
Totenda maruva tadya chakata— Signs are not the same as results

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