Shona–English Dictionary

Look up Shona words and get English translations, with parts of speech and example sentences. Browse the common-word table below or type a Shona word into the lookup tool.

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Browse common Shona vocabulary

Word	Part of speech	Translation	Example
ini	pronoun	I	Ini ndagadzirira zvino. I am ready now.
iwe	pronoun	you	Iwe uri shamwari yangu. You are my friend.
iye	pronoun	he	Iye ari kumba. He is at home.
iye	pronoun	she	Iye anofara zvikuru. She is very happy.
isu	pronoun	we	Isu tiri kuenda nhasi. We are going today.
ivo	pronoun	they	Ivo vanoshanda kuchikoro. They work at school.
chii	pronoun	what	Zita rako ndiani? What is your name?
kupi	adverb	where	Unogara kupi zvino? Where do you live now?
riini	adverb	when	Uchauya riini? When will you come?
ndiani	pronoun	who	Ndiani ari pamusuwo? Who is at the door?
nei	adverb	why	Uri kusuruvara nei? Why are you sad?
sei	adverb	how	Unoziva sei? How do you know?
kuva	verb	to be	Vanoda kuva nesimba. They want to be strong.
kuva ne	verb	to have	Ndine bhuku idzva. I have a new book.
kuita	verb	to do	Tinoita basa redu zvakanaka. We do our work well.
kuenda	verb	to go	Vanoenda kuchikoro mazuva ose. They go to school daily.
kuuya	verb	to come	Ndapota uya kumba kwangu. Please come to my house.
kuona	verb	to see	Ndinoona muti mukuru. I see the big tree.
kuziva	verb	to know	Ndinoziva baba vako zvakanaka. I know your father well.
kufunga	verb	to think	Tinofunga nezveramangwana. We think about the future.
kuda	verb	to want	Ndinoda mvura. I want some water.
kuda	verb	to need	Tinoda nguva yakawanda. We need more time.
kugadzira	verb	to make	Anogona kugadzira tii yakanaka. She can make good tea.
kutora	verb	to take	Tora bhuku uende naro kumba. Take the book home.
kupa	verb	to give	Ndapota ndipe mvura. Please give me water.
kutaura	verb	to say	Usataura izvozvo. Do not say that.
kuudza	verb	to tell	Ndiudze chokwadi. Tell me the truth.
kubvunza	verb	to ask	Ndinoda kukubvunza. I want to ask you.
kuwana	verb	to find	Tinowana mari ipapo. We find money there.
kutarisa	verb	to look	Tarisa denga. Look at the sky.
kushandisa	verb	to use	Tinoshandisa tafura iyi mazuva ose. We use this table daily.
kushanda	verb	to work	Vanoshanda mangwanani oga oga. They work every morning.
kudya	verb	to eat	Vana vanodya mupunga masikati. Children eat rice at noon.
kunwa	verb	to drink	Ndinonwa tii mazuva ose. I drink tea every day.
kurara	verb	to sleep	Mwana anoda kurara. The child wants to sleep.
kufamba	verb	to walk	Tinofamba kuenda kuchikoro. We walk to school.
kumhanya	verb	to run	Vakomana vanomhanya mumugwagwa. Boys run in the street.
kuverenga	verb	to read	Ndinoverenga bhuku iri. I read this book.
kunyora	verb	to write	Anonyora zita rake. She writes her name.
kutaura	verb	to speak	Vanotaura mutauro wedu. They speak our language.
kuteerera	verb	to listen	Teerera mudzidzisi zvakanaka. Listen to the teacher carefully.
kunzwa	verb	to hear	Ndinonzwa mhepo panze. I hear the wind outside.
kutenga	verb	to buy	Tinotenga chikafu nhasi. We buy food today.
kutengesa	verb	to sell	Vanotengesa chingwa pano. They sell bread here.
kubhadhara	verb	to pay	Ndinobhadhara mari zvino. I pay the money now.
kubatsira	verb	to help	Ndapota batsira mwana. Please help the child.
kuda	verb	to love	Ndinoda mhuri yangu. I love my family.
kugara	verb	to live	Tinogara muguta. We live in the city.
kufa	verb	to die	Vanhu vose vanofa rimwe zuva. All people die someday.
kudzidza	verb	to learn	Vana vanodzidza kuchikoro. Children learn at school.
kudzidzisa	verb	to teach	Vanodzidzisa vana vadiki. They teach young children.
kuvhura	verb	to open	Vhura musuwo zvino. Open the door now.
kuvhara	verb	to close	Ndapota vhara hwindo. Please close the window.
munhu	noun	person	Munhu uya ane mutsa zvikuru. That person is very kind.
murume	noun	man	Murume uyu ndibaba vangu. The man is my father.
mukadzi	noun	woman	Mukadzi ari kuimba. The woman is singing.
mwana	noun	child	Mwana ari kurara. The child is sleeping.
mukomana	noun	boy	Mukomana anomhanya nokukurumidza. The boy runs fast.
musikana	noun	girl	Musikana anoverenga zvakanaka. The girl reads well.
mhuri	noun	family	Mhuri yangu inogara pano. My family lives here.
amai	noun	mother	Amai vangu vari kubika. My mother is cooking.
baba	noun	father	Baba vangu vanoshanda nesimba. My father works hard.
shamwari	noun	friend	Iye ishamwari yangu. She is my friend.
imba	noun	house	Imba yavo yakakura. Their house is big.
kumba	noun	home	Tiri kuenda kumba. We are going home.
chikoro	noun	school	Chikoro chiri pedyo. The school is nearby.
guta	noun	city	Guta iri rine mabasa mazhinji. This city is busy.
nyika	noun	country	Nyika yedu yakanaka. Our country is beautiful.
nyika	noun	world	Nyika iri kushanduka. The world is changing.
mugwagwa	noun	street	Mugwagwa wakareba. The street is long.
kamuri	noun	room	Kamuri yakachena. The room is clean.
nguva	noun	time	Nguva inofamba nokukurumidza. Time goes very quickly.
zuva	noun	day	Nhasi izuva rakanaka. Today is a good day.
usiku	noun	night	Usiku hunotonhora. The night is cold.
mangwanani	noun	morning	Ndinoshanda mangwanani oga oga. I work every morning.
manheru	noun	evening	Tinonwa tii manheru oga oga. We drink tea every evening.
vhiki	noun	week	Ndichauya svondo rinouya. I will come next week.
mwedzi	noun	month	Mwedzi uno wakareba. This month is long.
gore	noun	year	Gore rino rinokosha. This year is important.
nhasi	adverb	today	Tinoshanda nhasi chete. We work today only.
mangwana	adverb	tomorrow	Ndichakuona mangwana. I will see you tomorrow.
nezuro	adverb	yesterday	Akauya pano nezuro. She came here yesterday.
zvino	adverb	now	Uya pano zvino, ndapota. Come here now, please.
zuva	noun	sun	Zuva rinopisa. The sun is hot.
mwedzi	noun	moon	Mwedzi unopenya manheru ano. The moon is bright tonight.
nyeredzi	noun	star	Nyeredzi iya inopenya. That star is bright.
denga	noun	sky	Denga riri bhuruu. The sky is blue.
nyika	noun	earth	Nyika ndiyo imba yedu. The earth is our home.
moto	noun	fire	Moto unopisa. The fire is hot.
mvura	noun	water	Mvura yakakosha muupenyu. Water is good for life.
mvura	noun	rain	Mvura iri kunaya. The rain is falling.
mhepo	noun	wind	Mhepo ine simba nhasi. The wind is strong today.
muti	noun	tree	Muti wakareba. The tree is tall.
ruva	noun	flower	Ruva iri rakanaka. This flower is beautiful.
gomo	noun	mountain	Gomo iro rakakwirira. That mountain is high.
rwizi	noun	river	Rwizi rune mvura yakawanda. The river has much water.
gungwa	noun	sea	Gungwa rakakura zvikuru. The sea is very big.
chikafu	noun	food	Chikafu chagadzirira. The food is ready.
chingwa	noun	bread	Ndakatenga chingwa chitsva. I bought fresh bread.
mupunga	noun	rice	Tinodya mupunga kazhinji. We eat rice often.
nyama	noun	meat	Nyama iri kubikwa. The meat is cooking.
hove	noun	fish	Tiri kudya hove. We are eating fish.
zai	noun	egg	Zai raputsika. The egg is broken.
mukaka	noun	milk	Mwana anonwa mukaka. The child drinks milk.
muchero	noun	fruit	Muchero uyu unotapira. This fruit is sweet.
tii	noun	tea	Tii inopisa. The tea is hot.
kofi	noun	coffee	Ndinonwa kofi mazuva ose. I drink coffee daily.
musoro	noun	head	Musoro wangu unorwadza nhasi. My head hurts today.
ziso	noun	eye	Ziso rake rakatsvuka. Her eye is red.
nzeve	noun	ear	Nzeve yangu inonzwa. My ear can hear.
muromo	noun	mouth	Vhura muromo wako zvikuru. Open your mouth wide.
mhuno	noun	nose	Mhuno yangu iri kutonhora. My nose is cold.
ruoko	noun	hand	Geza ruoko rwako zvino. Wash your hand now.
tsoka	noun	foot	Tsoka yangu inorwadza zvikuru. My foot hurts badly.
mwoyo	noun	heart	Mwoyo wake une simba. His heart is strong.
zita	noun	name	Zita rako rakanaka. Your name is beautiful.
bhuku	noun	book	Bhuku iri idzva. This book is new.
shoko	noun	word	Shoko iro rinokosha. That word is important.
mutauro	noun	language	ChiShona ndiwo mutauro wedu. Shona is our language.
mari	noun	money	Ndinoda mari yakawanda. I need more money.
basa	noun	work	Basa rangu rakaoma. My work is hard.
rudo	noun	love	Rudo runounza vanhu pamwechete. Love brings people together.
mimhanzi	noun	music	Mimhanzi yakanaka. The music is beautiful.
nyaya	noun	story	Nyaya inonakidza. The story is interesting.
nzira	noun	way	Nzira iyi iri nyore. This way is easier.
chinhu	noun	thing	Chinhu ichocho chinobatsira. That thing is useful.
upenyu	noun	life	Upenyu hunokosha zvikuru. Life is very precious.
musuwo	noun	door	Musuwo wakazaruka. The door is open.
tafura	noun	table	Bhuku riri patafura. The book is on the table.
chigaro	noun	chair	Chigaro chaputsika. The chair is broken.
motokari	noun	car	Motokari itsva. The car is new.
akanaka	adjective	good	Chikafu ichi chakanaka. This food is good.
yakaipa	adjective	bad	Mamiro ekunze akaipa. The weather is bad.
guru	adjective	big	Vanogara muimba huru. They live in a big house.
diki	adjective	small	Kamuri kadiki. The room is small.
itsva	adjective	new	Ndakatenga motokari itsva. I bought a new car.
chakare	adjective	old	Imba iyo ndeyekare. That house is old.
refu	adjective	long	Mugwagwa wakareba. The road is long.
pfupi	adjective	short	Nyaya ipfupi. The story is short.
kakwirira	adjective	high	Gomo rakakwirira. The mountain is high.
pasi	adjective	low	Tafura iri pasi. The table is low.
kupisa	adjective	hot	Tii inopisa. The tea is hot.
kutonhora	adjective	cold	Mvura inotonhora. The water is cold.
anofara	adjective	happy	Mwana anofara. The child is happy.
anosuruvara	adjective	sad	Anonzwa kusuruvara nhasi. She feels sad today.
akanaka	adjective	beautiful	Ruva rakanaka. The flower is beautiful.
nyore	adjective	easy	Basa iri riri nyore. This work is easy.
oma	adjective	hard	Mubvunzo uyu wakaoma. This question is hard.
kukasira	adjective	fast	Motokari inomhanya nokukurumidza. The car is fast.
inononoka	adjective	slow	Murume mukuru anononoka. The old man is slow.
chokwadi	adjective	right	Mhinduro yako ndeyechokwadi. Your answer is right.
zvisiri izvo	adjective	wrong	Mhinduro iyo haina kunaka. That answer is wrong.
chakakosha	adjective	important	Bhuku iri rakakosha. This book is important.
chokwadi	adjective	true	Nyaya iyo ndeyechokwadi. That story is true.
chakazara	adjective	full	Mukombe wakazara. The cup is full.
chisina chinhu	adjective	empty	Kamuri hamuna chinhu. The room is empty.
mudiki	adjective	young	Mudzidzisi mudiki. The teacher is young.
nesimba	adjective	strong	Murume uya ane simba. That man is strong.
asina simba	adjective	weak	Mwana haana simba. The child is weak.
tsvuku	adjective	red	Ruva rakatsvuku. The flower is red.
bhuruu	adjective	blue	Denga riri bhuruu. The sky is blue.
girini	adjective	green	Uswa hwakasvibira. The grass is green.
yero	adjective	yellow	Ruva rine ruvara rweyero. The flower is yellow.
dema	adjective	black	Mbudzi yacho itema. The goat is black.
chena	adjective	white	Mukaka muchena. The milk is white.
hongu	interjection	yes	Hongu, ndanzwisisa zvino. Yes, I understand now.
kwete	interjection	no	Kwete, handibvumirani. No, I do not agree.
kwete	adverb	not	Handisati ndagadzirira. I am not ready.
uye	conjunction	and	Amai nababa vari pano. Mother and father are here.
kana	conjunction	or	Tii kana kofi zvakanaka. Tea or coffee is fine.
asi	conjunction	but	Ndakaedza, asi ndakakundikana. I tried, but I failed.
kana	conjunction	if	Kana ukauya, ndichabatsira. If you come, I will help.
nekuti	conjunction	because	Ndakagara kumba nekuti kwakanaya. I stayed home because it rained.
na	preposition	with	Ndakauya neshamwari yangu. I came with my friend.
pasina	preposition	without	Akaenda asina mari. He left without money.
kuna	preposition	for	Chipo ichi ndechako. This gift is for you.
kubva	preposition	from	Akauya achibva kumba. She came from home.
ku	preposition	to	Takaenda kuchikoro. We went to school.