Kirundi Study & Dictionary

only ▶ gusa, nyene
(adj.) -sa

En-En dictionary

-nzīnya adj ▶ tiny, minute (used only with 7th class)

copulate ▶ (to ~, of female animals only) kwīma

En-En dictionary

kuyongobeza (-yongobeje) v ▶ to eat by sucking only (as candy)

kuzirukanya (-zirukanije) v ▶ 1. to give penuriously, put in only a little (e.g. salt), 2. to infringe, violate, contravene

how ▶ (adv., not in questions) ukuntu, ingene, ubugene
(conj.) uko
(in questions only) -te, gute?

En-En dictionary

nde adj 1 class 1
singular: umu- ▶ who? (in questions and with 1. class sg. only)
(who is it?) ninde

bande adj 1 ▶ who? (in questions and with 1. class pl. only)

kurya (-riyrīye) v ▶ to eat (used for people and animals)
(more polite, for people only) gufungura

when ▶ (not in questions) aho, iyo, ni
(in questions only) ryari?

En-En dictionary

gucūra (-cūye) v ▶ 1. to marry a widow and go to her kraal, 2. to bring a wife back that's gone home, 3. to lead or send back (esp. cows), 4. to address the people (used only of king or other authority)

hurry ▶ kwīhūta, kwīruka, gukovya, gukōkōbereza, gukwākwānya, kunyānyasa, kunyaragasa, kunyaruka, gushibuka
(of child only) kudirigiza
(to go) kubāndānya
(to go and return) gutebūka
(along, as cows to better pasture, or child stumbling after something he wants) kurārāta
(to be in a ~) gufuruguta
(to do in a ~) kubanguka
(to not be in a ~) kwītōnda

En-En dictionary

ryari ▶ when? (in questions only)

ubwāto (am-) 8 5 sg. class 8: ubu-
pl. class 5: ama- ▶ 1. boat, 2. traditional dugout canoe
(plural only used for indefinite numbers)
amāto menshi = many boats, but
ubwāto bubiri = two boats

greedy ▶ (to be) gusahagura
(for a certain food and want that only) kunohorwa

En-En dictionary

leaves ▶ (young bean ~, when only the first two are there) ingāmba
(stripped from tree) udukōkōrwa
(used for perfume) imbazi
(see also 'leaf')
(to have abundant) gusagaba
(to put forth new) kurēmba
(to strip from tree or stick) gukōkōra

En-En dictionary

uburyarya 8 class 8
singular: ubu- ▶ (no pl.) itching, making others think you've done a miracle when it's only a deception

kunohorwa (-nohowe) v ▶ to be greedy for a certain food and want only that, to become thin from worry or work

kurūmba (-rūmvye) v ▶ to be fruitless (plants only)

deliver ▶ (sense of save) gukiza
(child) kuvyāra
(to be about to, cow only) kwerēra, kudigiriza
(help to) kuvyāza
(to take something out to an appointed place) gusokorora

En-En dictionary

miracle ▶ igitangāza, akūmiza
(not by God's power) amarēba
(making others think you've done a ~ when it's only a deception) uburyi

En-En dictionary

ikinege (ibi-) 4 class 4
singular: iki-,ic-
plural: ibi-,ivy- ▶ only child

ingāmba (in-) 3 class 3
singular: i-,in-
plural: i-,in- ▶ young bean leaves (when only the first two leaves are there)

urwārwa (inz-) 6 class 6
singular: uru- ▶ banana beer (also urwāgwa, urwāwa, the plural is only used when the beer is criticized)

kwerēra (-erēreye) v ▶ to be about to deliver (of cow only)

karyenda 3 class 3
singular: i-,in- ▶ traditional sacred royal drum, hidden in its sanctuary and only brought forth on very rare occasions like the umuganuro festival

kuyungubiza (-yungubije) v ▶ to eat by sucking only (as candy)

umukāngara (imi-) 2 class 2
singular: umu-
plural: imi- ▶ 1. young of animal, young bull, 2. teenager (traditionally boys only)
imikangara y'abakobwa teenage girls

intercourse ▶ (to have ~, to lie down together) kuryamana
(to marry, to have ~, only used of men) kurongora
(to be married, to have ~, only of women) kurongorwa
(to have ~ without being married) kurongorana
(to have ~, only used of men, rude) guswera
(to have ~, only used of women, rude) guswerwa
(to have ~, to fornicate) kwenda, kurya umwana
(to have homosexual ~) kwitomba, guswerana, kuryana akameka
(to have anal ~) kuryana inyuma
(to make love like dogs, to have homosexual ~, derogative) guswerana nk'imbwa

En-En dictionary

bite ▶ gushikura
(as animal, or pain) kurandagura
(of animal, insect) kuryāna
(insect) gusurira
(of person only) kuguguna, gutsontsomera
(serpent) gukomora

En-En dictionary

deceive ▶ kudendekeranya, kugūnga, guhēnda, guhūmba, guhumbūra, gukēkeza, kurema, kurementaniriza, guhemukira, gusuka
(~ another to make him give money) kurimānganya
(to ~ each other, be skillful at ~) guhēndana
(habitually) gusukasuka
(in light joking way) guhēndahēnda
(oneself) kwīhēnda, kwībesha
(making others think you've done a miracle when it's only a deception) uburyi

En-En dictionary

fuck ▶ (to ~, only used of men, rude) guswera
(to ~, only used of women, rude) guswerwa
(to ~, to fornicate) kwenda, kurya umwana

En-En dictionary

sex ▶ (to have ~, to lie down together) kuryamana
(to marry, to have ~, only used of men) kurongora
(to be married, to have ~, only of women) kurongorwa
(to have ~ without being married) kurongorana
(to have ~, only used of men, rude) guswera
(to have ~, only used of women, rude) guswerwa
(to have ~, to fornicate) kwenda, kurya umwana
(to have homosexual intercourse) kwitomba, guswerana, kuryana akameka, kuryana inyuma
(to make love like dogs, to have homosexual intercourse, derogative) guswerana nk'imbwa

En-En dictionary

where ▶ (not in questions) aho
(in questions only) hēhe ? hē ?

En-En dictionary

-sa adj ▶ alone, merely, only

hē ▶ where? (in questions only)

hēhe ▶ where? (in questions only)

te ▶ how? (in questions only)

uburiri (ama-) 8 5 sg. class 8: ubu-
pl. class 5: ama- ▶ bed (plural used only for an indefinite number)
amariri menshi many beds
uburiri bubiri two beds

kudirigiza (-dirigije) v ▶ to hurry (of child only)

kuguguza (-guguje) v ▶ to coo (dove only)

kujīsha (-jīshe) v ▶ 1. to weave, knit, tie cow's legs while milking, 2. to make wax for honey (bees), 3. to close doors (used only in speaking of royal palace)

-nyene adv ▶ 1. only, 2. the very one, 3. -self, (with pronoun prefix: myself, yourself, himself, herself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves) 4. exactly

gusa adv ▶ only, merely

guswera (-sweye) v ▶ to have sex, to have intercourse, to fuck (only used of men, rude)

guswerwa (-swerwe) v ▶ to have sex, to have intercourse, to be fucked (only used of women, rude)

kurongora (-rongoye) v ▶ 1. to marry (of groom), 2. to have sex (only used of men)

kurongorwa (-rongowe) v ▶ 1. to be married (of bride), 2. to have sex (only of women)

kwīma (-īmye) v ▶ 1. to deny, to refuse to give, to withhold, 2. to become king, to ascend to the throne, 3. to go to male, to copulate (only of female animals)

child ▶ umwāna, umugisye, umukeme, umurerwa
(before he begins to know anything) igitambamboga, igitwengerabarozi
(disobedient) intabarirwa
(first-born) imfura
(healthy, about 4 months) ikibunduguru
(illegitimate) igihūmbu, ikivyārwa
(learning to walk) ikidegedege, intavyi
(male) umuyibigi
(of) mwene
(of mixed marriage) ikivyārwa
(only) ikinege, umwāna w'ikinege
(derogative) umuhimbiri
(small) ikibondo
(starting to know a little) umwankavu
(that doesn't grow properly) imfunya
(unwanted or orphan) intābwa
(up to 8 or 10 years) umugimbi
(weaned) umucūko, umukurira
(youngest or favourite) umuhererezi
(~ care) ubuhinga bwo kurera abana
(~ benefit) imfashanyo y'umuryango

En-En dictionary

eat ▶ kurya, gufungura, kunogera, kunoza, kurandagura
(a lot) guhāga, guhīmba
(cause to ~ a lot) gupfunereza
(by sucking only, as candy) kuyongobeza, kuyungubiza
(garden plants, of goats) kwōna
(to refuse to) kuzira
(to refuse to ~ or drink with) kunēna
(together) gusangira
(to ~ what's left on peeling of roasted banana, etc.) gukōra
(two kinds of food together) gukoza
(with instrument) kurīsha

En-En dictionary

suck ▶ (esp. juice out of fruit) kunūnuza
(to eat by sucking only, as candy) kuyongobeza, kuyungubiza

En-En dictionary

only found in: Kirundi I (Study lessons)

▶ Introduction

lesson 1 ▶ Class 1 umu–, aba–

lesson 2 ▶ Ni and Si

lesson 3 ▶ Possessive Adjective

lesson 5 ▶ Mu and Ku

lesson 8 ▶ Adjectives I

lesson 11 ▶ Class 3 in–, in– (continued)

lesson 12 ▶ Verb –ri