Swati–English Dictionary

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

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Browse common Swati vocabulary

Word	Part of speech	Translation	Example
mina	pronoun	I	Mina sengilungele nyalo. I am ready now.
wena	pronoun	you	Wena unebubele kakhulu. You are very kind.
yena	pronoun	he	Yena usekhaya. He is at home.
yena	pronoun	she	Yena uyafundza ngaphandle. She is reading outside.
tsine	pronoun	we	Tsine sisebenta onkhe emalanga. We work every day.
bona	pronoun	they	Bona bayeta kusasa. They are coming tomorrow.
yini	pronoun	what	Yini lena? What is this thing?
kuphi	adverb	where	Likuphi likhaya lakho? Where is your house?
nini	adverb	when	Utoyeta nini? When will you come?
ngubani	pronoun	who	Ngubani losemnyango? Who is at the door?
kungani	adverb	why	Kungani udzabukile? Why are you sad?
kanjani	adverb	how	Wati kanjani? How do you know?
kuba	verb	to be	Ngifuna kuba nemandla. I want to be strong.
kwenta	verb	to do	Senta umsebenti wetfu. We do our work.
kuya	verb	to go	Baya esikolweni. They go to school.
keta	verb	to come	Uyacelwa, wota lapha nyalo. Please come here now.
bona	verb	to see	Ngibona inyanga. I see the moon.
wati	verb	to know	Ngiyati leyondzaba. I know that story.
cabanga	verb	to think	Sicabanga ngemphilo. We think about life.
funa	verb	to want	Ngifuna emanti. I want some water.
dzinga	verb	to need	Sidzinga sikhatsi lesinyenti. We need more time.
enta	verb	to make	Benta sinkhwa lesimnandzi. They make good bread.
tsatsa	verb	to take	Tsatsa incwadzi uye nayo ekhaya. Take the book home.
nika	verb	to give	Nginike inkomishi. Give me the cup.
sho	verb	to say	Uyacelwa, sho ligama lakho. Please say your name.
buza	verb	to ask	Buza thishela nyalo. Ask the teacher now.
tfola	verb	to find	Ngitfole incwadzi yami. I found my book.
buka	verb	to look	Buka lizulu. Look at the sky.
sebentisa	verb	to use	Sisebentisa leli tafula. We use this table.
sebenta	verb	to work	Basebenta onkhe emaviki. They work every week.
dla	verb	to eat	Bantfwana badla irayisi lapha. Children eat rice here.
natsa	verb	to drink	Natsa emanti lahlobile onkhe emalanga. Drink clean water daily.
lala	verb	to sleep	Tinswane tilala ebusuku. Babies sleep at night.
hamba	verb	to walk	Sihamba siye esikolweni. We walk to school.
gijima	verb	to run	Bafana bagijima kakhulu. Boys run very fast.
fundza	verb	to read	Yena ufundza le ncwadzi. She reads this book.
bhala	verb	to write	Bhala ligama lakho lapha. Write your name here.
khuluma	verb	to speak	Bakhuluma kancane namuhla. They speak slowly today.
lalela	verb	to listen	Lalela umculo. Listen to the music.
va	verb	to hear	Ngiva umoya. I hear the wind.
tsenga	verb	to buy	Sitsenga titselo letisasha. We buy fresh fruit.
tsengisa	verb	to sell	Batsengisa litiye lapha. They sell tea here.
khokha	verb	to pay	Ngikhokha imali. I pay the money.
sita	verb	to help	Uyacelwa, sita lo mntfwana. Please help this child.
tsandza	verb	to love	Siyalutsandza umndeni wetfu. We love our family.
fa	verb	to die	Tihlahla letidzala tingafa. Old trees can die.
fundza	verb	to learn	Bantfwana bafundza esikolweni. Children learn at school.
fundzisa	verb	to teach	Bafundzisa bantfwana. They teach the children.
vula	verb	to open	Vula umnyango nyalo. Open the door now.
vala	verb	to close	Vala lifasitelo uyacelwa. Close the window please.
umuntfu	noun	person	Wonkhe umuntfu udzinga emanti. Every person needs water.
indvodza	noun	man	Lendvodza yindze. The man is tall.
umfati	noun	woman	Lomfati uyajabula. The woman is happy.
umntfwana	noun	child	Umntfwana ulele. The child is sleeping.
umfana	noun	boy	Umfana ugijima ngesivinini. The boy runs fast.
intfombatana	noun	girl	Intfombatana ifundza kahle. The girl reads well.
umndeni	noun	family	Umndeni wami mkhulu. My family is big.
make	noun	mother	Make wami ulapha. My mother is here.
babe	noun	father	Babe wami usebenta kamatima. My father works hard.
umngani	noun	friend	Ungumngani wami. She is my friend.
indlu	noun	house	Indlu yabo yintsha. Their house is new.
likhaya	noun	home	Siya ekhaya. We are going home.
sikolo	noun	school	Sikolo sisedvute. The school is nearby.
lidolobha	noun	city	Leli dolobha limatasa. This city is busy.
umgwaco	noun	street	Umgwaco umudze. The street is long.
ligumbi	noun	room	Leli gumbi lincane. This room is small.
sikhatsi	noun	time	Sinesikhatsi lesincane. We have little time.
lilanga	noun	day	Namuhla lilanga lelihle. Today is a good day.
busuku	noun	night	Busuku buyabandza. The night is cold.
ekuseni	noun	morning	Ngisebenta njalo ekuseni. I work every morning.
ntsambama	noun	evening	Sinatsa litiye ntsambama. We drink tea this evening.
liviki	noun	week	Leli viki limatasa. This week is busy.
inyanga	noun	month	Lenyanga yindze. This month is long.
umnyaka	noun	year	Lomnyaka ubalulekile. This year is important.
namuhla	adverb	today	Ngiyajabula namuhla. I am happy today.
kusasa	adverb	tomorrow	Sitawuta kusasa. We will come tomorrow.
itolo	adverb	yesterday	Ufike itolo ekuseni. He came yesterday morning.
nyalo	adverb	now	Wota lapha nyalo uyacelwa. Come here now please.
lilanga	noun	sun	Lilanga liyashisa. The sun is hot.
inyanga	noun	moon	Inyanga iyakhanya. The moon is bright.
inkhanyeti	noun	star	Leyo nkhanyeti iyakhanya. That star is bright.
lizulu	noun	sky	Lizulu liluhlata sasibhakabhaka. The sky is blue.
umlilo	noun	fire	Umlilo uyashisa. The fire is hot.
emanti	noun	water	Emanti abaluleke kakhulu. Water is very important.
imvula	noun	rain	Imvula iyeta. The rain is coming.
umoya	noun	wind	Umoya unemandla. The wind is strong.
sihlahla	noun	tree	Sihlahla sidze. The tree is tall.
imbali	noun	flower	Lembali yinhle. This flower is beautiful.
intsaba	noun	mountain	Leyo ntsaba iphakeme. That mountain is high.
umfula	noun	river	Umfula umudze. The river is long.
lwandle	noun	sea	Lwandle luluhlata sasibhakabhaka. The sea is blue.
kudla	noun	food	Kudla sekulungile. The food is ready.
sinkhwa	noun	bread	Ngidla sinkhwa onkhe emalanga. I eat bread daily.
irayisi	noun	rice	Irayisi iyashisa. The rice is hot.
inyama	noun	meat	Sipheka inyama. We are cooking meat.
inhlanti	noun	fish	Inhlanti isasha. The fish is fresh.
licandza	noun	egg	Licandza lephukile. The egg is broken.
lubisi	noun	milk	Lubisi lufutfumele. The milk is warm.
sitselo	noun	fruit	Lesitselo simnandzi. This fruit is sweet.
litiye	noun	tea	Litiye liyashisa. The tea is hot.
likhofi	noun	coffee	Likhofi licinile. The coffee is strong.
inhloko	noun	head	Inhloko yami ibuhlungu namuhla. My head hurts today.
lihlo	noun	eye	Lihlo lakhe libovu. Her eye is red.
indlebe	noun	ear	Indlebe yami iyayeva. My ear can hear.
umlomo	noun	mouth	Vula umlomo wakho kakhulu. Open your mouth wide.
likhala	noun	nose	Likhala lami liyabandza. My nose is cold.
sandla	noun	hand	Geza sandla sakho nyalo. Wash your hand now.
lunyawo	noun	foot	Lunyawo lwami lubuhlungu. My foot is sore.
inhlitiyo	noun	heart	Inhlitiyo yami icinile. My heart is strong.
ligama	noun	name	Ligama lakho lihle. Your name is beautiful.
incwadzi	noun	book	Lencwadzi yintsha. This book is new.
ligama	noun	word	Leligama libalulekile. This word is important.
lulwimi	noun	language	Lolulwimi luhle. This language is beautiful.
imali	noun	money	Ngidzinga imali lenyenti. I need more money.
umsebenti	noun	work	Umsebenti ulukhuni. The work is hard.
lutsandvo	noun	love	Lutsandvo lubaluleke kakhulu. Love is very important.
umculo	noun	music	Umculo muhle. The music is beautiful.
indaba	noun	story	Leyo ndzaba iliciniso. That story is true.
indlela	noun	way	Lendlela ilula. This way is easy.
intfo	noun	thing	Lentfo yintsha. This thing is new.
imphilo	noun	life	Imphilo yinhle namuhla. Life is beautiful today.
umnyango	noun	door	Umnyango uvulekile. The door is open.
litafula	noun	table	Litafula likhulu. The table is big.
situlo	noun	chair	Situlo siphukile. The chair is broken.
imoto	noun	car	Imoto iyashesha. The car is fast.
kuhle	adjective	good	Lokudla kuhle. This food is good.
kubi	adjective	bad	Umgwaco mubi. The road is bad.
khulu	adjective	big	Indlu inkhulu. The house is big.
ncane	adjective	small	Ligumbi lami lincane. My room is small.
nsha	adjective	new	Nginencwadzi lensha. I have a new book.
dzala	adjective	old	Lendlu indzala. This house is old.
dze	adjective	long	Umfula umudze. The river is long.
fisha	adjective	short	Lutsi lufisha. The stick is short.
phakeme	adjective	high	Intsaba iphakeme. The mountain is high.
phansi	adjective	low	Lubondza luphansi. The wall is low.
shisa	adjective	hot	Litiye liyashisa. The tea is hot.
bandza	adjective	cold	Emanti ayabandza. The water is cold.
jabula	adjective	happy	Umntfwana uyajabula. The child is happy.
dzabukile	adjective	sad	Yena udzabukile namuhla. She is sad today.
muhle	adjective	beautiful	Imbali yinhle. The flower is beautiful.
lula	adjective	easy	Lomsebenti ulula. This work is easy.
lukhuni	adjective	hard	Lombuto ulukhuni. This question is hard.
shesha	adjective	fast	Leyo moto iyashesha. That car is fast.
hamba kancane	adjective	slow	Lendvodza lendzala ihamba kancane. The old man is slow.
lungile	adjective	right	Imphendvulo yakho ilungile. Your answer is right.
ngakalungi	adjective	wrong	Leyo mphendvulo ayikalungi. That answer is wrong.
balulekile	adjective	important	Lencwadzi ibalulekile. This book is important.
liciniso	adjective	true	Lendzaba iliciniso. This story is true.
gcwele	adjective	full	Inkomishi igcwele. The cup is full.
te	adjective	empty	Ligumbi lite. The room is empty.
ncane	adjective	young	Umntfwana usemncane. The child is young.
cinile	adjective	strong	Lendvodza icinile. This man is strong.
butsakatsaka	adjective	weak	Umntfwana ubutsakatsaka. The child is weak.
bovu	adjective	red	Imbali ibovu. The flower is red.
luhlata sasibhakabhaka	adjective	blue	Lizulu luluhlata sasibhakabhaka. The sky is blue.
luhlata	adjective	green	Sihlahla siluhlata. The tree is green.
mnyama	adjective	black	Imoto imnyama. The car is black.
mhlophe	adjective	white	Lubisi lumhlophe. The milk is white.
yebo	interjection	yes	Yebo, sengilungele. Yes, I am ready.
cha	interjection	no	Cha, angati. No, I do not know.
na	conjunction	and	Litiye nesinkhwa sekulungile. Tea and bread are ready.
noma	conjunction	or	Litiye noma likhofi kulungile. Tea or coffee is fine.
kodvwa	conjunction	but	Ngikhatsele kodvwa ngiyajabula. I am tired but happy.
uma	conjunction	if	Uma lina, hlala ekhaya. If it rains, stay home.
ngoba	conjunction	because	Ngiyajabula ngoba ufikile. I am happy because you came.
na	preposition	with	Ngina umngani wami. I am with my friend.
ngaphandle kwe	preposition	without	Uhambe ngaphandle kwemali. He left without money.
kwentela	preposition	for	Lesipho sikwentela wena. This gift is for you.
kusuka	preposition	from	Uvela kusuka edolobheni. She comes from town.
ku	preposition	to	Siye esikolweni. We went to school.