English–Shona Dictionary

Browse common English words and their Shona translations, with parts of speech and example sentences. Use this dictionary to look up everyday vocabulary or as a starting point for learning Shona.

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Browse common Shona vocabulary

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