Verbs Swahili:English wa:be wa na:have,had acha:leave,left adhibu:punish ambia:tell,told amini:believe amka:awake,awoke,awakened amkia:greet andika:write,wrote,written angalia:look at/take,took,taken care anguka:fall,fell,fallen anza:begin,began,begun badili:change badilisha:exchange bahatisha:guess baki:remain bariki:bless beba:carry on back chafua:soil chagua:choose,chose,chosen changanya:mix cheka:laugh chelewa:be late chemka:be boiling chemsha:boil cheza:play chimba:dig,digged chinja:slaughter choka:be tired chokesha:tire choma:roast/burn/pierce chora:draw,drew,drawn chukua:take,took,taken/carry danganya:deceive dondoka:fall,fell,fallen over dhuru:harm/hurt* elea:be clear elewa:understand,understood eleza:explain enda:go,went,gone endelea:continue/progress endesha:drive,drove,driven fa:die faa:be suitable fagia:sweep,swept fahamu:understand,understood/know,knew,known fanana:resemble fanya:do,did,done faulu:succeed ficha:hide,hid,hidden fika:arrive fikiri:think,thought fua:wash fuata:follow fukuza:drive,drove,driven off/chase fundisha:teach,taught funga:close fungua:open funika:cover furahi:be happy futa:wipe fyeka:slash gawa:divide geuka:turn around gombana:quarrel gonga:knock/strike,struck gusa:touch hakikisha:ensure hama:emigrate hamia:immigrate haribika:be destroyed haribu:damage/destroy hesabu:add hitaji:need hubiri:preach husu:concern iba:steal,stole,stolen imba:sing,sang,sung ingia:enter ingiza:insert inua:lift isha:be finished ita:call/summon iva:ripen/get,got cooked ja:come,came,come jaa:be filled jaribu:try jaza:fill jenga:build,built jibu:reply/answer jifunza:learn jitahidi:make,made an effort jitolea:volunteer jua:know,knew,known kaa:stay kaanga:fry kagua:inspect kamata:seize/arrest/catch kamua:squeeze karibia:draw,drew,drawn near kasirika:get,got angry/be angry kata:cut* kataa:refuse kataza:forbid,forbade,forbidden kauka:become,became,become dry kausha:make,made dry kaza:fix/tighten/make,made fast keti:sit,sat kimbia:run,ran,run kodi:rent/hire kohoa:cough kopa:borrow kopesha:lend,lent koroga:stir,stirred kosa:fail/be wrong/be without kubali:agree kumbuka:remember kunja:fold kunya:excrete kusanya:collect kuta:find,found/meet,met kutana:meet,met kwama:get,got stuck la:eat,ate,eaten lainisha:smoothen lala:lie,lay,lain down lazimisha:compel,compelled/force legea:be loose legeza:loosen leta:bring,brought lewa:be drunk/be inebriated lia:cry/make,made sound lima:plant/cultivate/plow linda:protect/guard lipa:pay,paid lisha:feed,fed maliza:finish menya:peel mwaga:pour out/waste nawa:wash hands and face nenepa:get,got fat (people) ng'aa:shine,shone ng'oa:uproot ngoja:wait nona:get,got fat nuka:smell bad nukia:smell good nunua:buy,bought nusa:sniff nyamaza:be quiet nyesha mvua:rain nyoa:shave hair nyoka:be straight nyosha:stretch out nywa:drink,drank,drunk oa:marry (man) oga:bathe ogopa:fear oka:bake okoa:save okota:pick up olewa:be married (woman) omba:beg/ask/pray ona:see,saw/feel/think ondoa:remove ondoka:leave,left onekana:look like ongea:converse ongeza:increase ongoza:lead onyesha:show,showed,shown osha:wash ota:grow,grew,grown/dream oza:rot,rotted pa:give,gave,given paka:paint pakua:dish up pamba:decorate panda:climb/plant/sow panga:arrange/hire panua:widen pasua:split*/tear,tore,torn/saw pata:get,got/obtain peleka:send,sent/take,took,taken away penda:like/love pendeza:please pendekeza:suggest/advise piga:hit*/beat,beat,beaten piga chapa:type piga chiafya:sneeze piga filimbi:blow,blew,blown a whistle piga fundo:tie a knot piga kelele:shout/make,made noise piga kengele:ring,rang,rung a bell piga kura:vote piga mabawa:flap,flapped wings piga magoti:kneel piga makofi:clap,clapped hands piga miayo:yawn piga mluzi:whistle piga mstari:draw,drew,drawn a line piga pasi:iron clothes piga picha:photograph piga shauri:take,took,taken advice piga simu:telephone piga teke:kick pika:cook pima:measure/test pinda:turn pinga:obstruct pita:pass poa:get,got cool pokea:receive pona:get,got well potea:be lost poteza:lose,lost pungua:decrease punguza:reduce rudi:return rudisha:send,sent back ruka:jump/fly,flew,flown sadiki:believe safiri:travel safisha:clean sahau:forget,forgot,forgotten saidia:help/assist sali:pray salimu:greet sambaa:be scattered samehe:forgive,forgave,forgiven sawazisha:put* in order sema:speak,spoke,spoken shiba:be finished eating shida:be defeated shika:catch,caught/hold,held shinda:defeat/conquer/win shona:sew shugulika:be busy shuka:go,went,gone down/descend shukuru:thank shusha:drop/lower sifu:praise sikia:hear,heard/feel,felt/obey sikiliza:listen sikitika:grieve/be sorry simama:stand,stood/halt simamia:supervise simulia:narrate sisha:involve sogea:move over soma:read*/study starehe:be at ease sukuma:push sumbua:trouble/annoy/disturb tafuna:chew tafuta:search/look for taja:mention taka:want tambaa:crawl tambua:recognize tambulisha:introduce tandika:spread* out over tangulia:precede tapika:vomit tatua:solve tawala:rule/govern tayarisha:prepare tazama:look at tega:trap,trapped tegemea:depend upon telemka:descend tembea:walk tembelea:visit tengeneza:repair tia:put*/place toa:put* out/give,gave,given out/offer toka:come,came,come from/go,went,gone out toroka:run,ran,run away tosha:be enough/suffice timua:flee,fled tuma:send,sent tumaini:hope tumia:use tunza:care for tupa:throw,threw,thrown/discard/dispose of ua:kill uliza:ask uma:bite,bit,bitten/sting,stung/hurt*/be in pain unga:join uza:sell,sold vaa:wear,wore,worn/dress valisha:dress vimba:swell vua:undress/fish vuja:leak vuka:cross vuna:harvest vunja:break,broke,broken vunjika:be broken vuruga:stir,stirred vuta:pull/drag wahi:be early waka:be burning washa:light,lit/itch weka:put* weza:be able winda:hunt zaa:give,gave,given birth/bear,bore,born offspring zaliwa:be born zama:sink,sank,sunk ziba:shut* off/stop up/block zidi:increase zika:bury zima:extinguish zimia:faint zoea:get,got used to zuia:prevent zunguka:encircle zungumza:converse zuru:visit