Tumbuka–English Dictionary

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

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Browse common Tumbuka vocabulary

Word	Part of speech	Translation	Example
ine	pronoun	I	Ine ndili pano sono. I am here now.
iwe	pronoun	you	Iwe ndiwe muwemi chomene. You are very kind.
iyo	pronoun	he	Iyo ni mubwezi wane. He is my friend.
ise	pronoun	we	Ise tikuluta kunyumba. We are going home.
iwo	pronoun	they	Iwo ŵali ku sukulu. They are at school.
vichi	pronoun	what	Ukukhumba vichi? What do you want?
nkhu	adverb	where	Nyumba yako yiri nkhu? Where is your house?
pawuli	adverb	when	Ukwizenge pawuli? When will you come?
njani	pronoun	who	Ni njani munthu yura? Who is that person?
chifukwa wuli	adverb	why	Chifukwa wuli uli wachitima? Why are you sad?
uli	adverb	how	Uli uli muhanya uno? How are you today?
kuŵa	verb	to be	Wazamkuŵa wakukondwa. She will be happy.
kuchita	verb	to do	Tikuchita ntchito yithu. We do our work.
kuluta	verb	to go	Iwo ŵakuluta ku tawuni. They go to town.
kwiza	verb	to come	Chonde, wizani namachero mlenji. Please come tomorrow morning.
kuwona	verb	to see	Nikuona phiri. I see the mountain.
kumanya	verb	to know	Nikumanya zina lake. I know his name.
kughanaghana	verb	to think	Tikughanaghana za umoyo. We think about life.
kukhumba	verb	to want	Nkhukhumba maji ghanyake. I want some water.
kukhumba	verb	to need	Tikukhumba chakurya chinandi. We need more food.
kupanga	verb	to make	Iwo ŵakupanga chingwa chiwemi. They make good bread.
kutora	verb	to take	Tora buku kuluta nalo kunyumba. Take the book home.
kupeleka	verb	to give	Nipe buku. Give me the book.
kuyowoya	verb	to say	Ungayowoyanga nthena yayi. Do not say that.
kufumba	verb	to ask	Fumbani msambizgi sono. Ask the teacher now.
kusanga	verb	to find	Nasanga buku lane. I found my book.
kuwona	verb	to look	Wona kuchanya. Look at the sky.
kugwiliskira ntchito	verb	to use	Tikugwiliskira ntchito tebulo ili. We use this table.
kugwira ntchito	verb	to work	Iwo ŵakugwira ntchito zuŵa lililose. They work every day.
kurya	verb	to eat	Ŵana ŵakurya mpunga pano. Children eat rice here.
kumwa	verb	to drink	Nikumwa tiyi zuŵa lililose. I drink tea daily.
kugona	verb	to sleep	Mwana wakugona makora. The child sleeps well.
kwenda	verb	to walk	Tikwenda ku sukulu. We walk to school.
kuchimbira	verb	to run	Ŵanyamata ŵakuchimbira mwaluŵiro chomene. Boys run very fast.
kuŵazga	verb	to read	Nikuŵazga buku ili. I read this book.
kulemba	verb	to write	Wakulemba kalata. She writes a letter.
kuyowoya	verb	to speak	Iwo ŵakuyowoya Chitumbuka makora. They speak Tumbuka well.
kupulika	verb	to listen	Pulikizgani msambizgi. Listen to the teacher.
kupulika	verb	to hear	Nkhupulika sumu. I hear the music.
kugura	verb	to buy	Tikugura somba ziphya. We buy fresh fish.
kuguliska	verb	to sell	Iwo ŵakuguliska vipambi pano. They sell fruit here.
kulipira	verb	to pay	Nakulipira ndalama. I pay the money.
kovwira	verb	to help	Chonde, vwirani mwana. Please help the child.
kutemwa	verb	to love	Nkhutemwa banja lane. I love my family.
kukhala	verb	to live	Tikukhala mu tawuni. We live in town.
kufwa	verb	to die	Miti yakale yikufwa pachokopachoko. Old trees die slowly.
kusambira	verb	to learn	Ŵana ŵakusambira ku sukulu. Children learn at school.
kusambizga	verb	to teach	Iwo ŵakusambizga ŵana ŵachoko. They teach young children.
kujura	verb	to open	Jura muryango sono. Open the door now.
kujara	verb	to close	Jara windo chonde. Close the window please.
munthu	noun	person	Munthu yura ngwa lusungu. That person is kind.
mfumu	noun	man	Mfumu njitali. The man is tall.
mwanakazi	noun	woman	Mwanakazi wakwimba. The woman is singing.
mwana	noun	child	Mwana wakugona. The child is sleeping.
mwana mwanalume	noun	boy	Mwana mwanalume wakuchimbira luŵiro. The boy runs fast.
mwana mwanakazi	noun	girl	Mwana mwanakazi wakuŵazga. The girl is reading.
banja	noun	family	Banja lane likuru. My family is large.
nyina	noun	mother	Nyina wakuphika. My mother is cooking.
wiske	noun	father	Wiske wakugwira ntchito. My father is working.
mubwezi	noun	friend	Iyo ni mubwezi wane. He is my friend.
nyumba	noun	house	Nyumba njiphya. The house is new.
kunyumba	noun	home	Tikuluta kunyumba. We are going home.
sukulu	noun	school	Sukulu yiri pafupi. The school is nearby.
tawuni	noun	city	Tawuni iyi yili na ntchito zinandi. This city is busy.
charu	noun	country	Charu chithu ntchiwemi. Our country is beautiful.
charu	noun	world	Charu ntchikuru. The world is large.
chipinda	noun	room	Chipinda ntchakutowa. The room is clean.
nyengo	noun	time	Nyengo yikumara mwaluŵiro chomene. Time passes very quickly.
zuŵa	noun	day	Muhanya uno ni zuŵa liwemi. Today is a good day.
usiku	noun	night	Usiku ngwakuzizima. The night is cold.
mlenji	noun	morning	Mlenji uwu ngwakuzizima. This morning is cold.
mise	noun	evening	Wiza pano mise iyi. Come here this evening.
sabata	noun	week	Nizamkwiza sabata yikwiza. I will come next week.
mwezi	noun	month	Mwezi uwu ngwakusuzga. This month is busy.
chaka	noun	year	Chaka ichi ntchakupambana. This year is different.
muhanya uno	adverb	today	Ndili wakutangwanika muhanya uno. I am busy today.
namachero	adverb	tomorrow	Tilutenge namachero. We will travel tomorrow.
mayiro	adverb	yesterday	Iyo wakiza mayiro mlenji. He came yesterday morning.
sono	adverb	now	Wiza pano sono. Come here now.
zuŵa	noun	sun	Zuŵa likotcha. The sun is hot.
mwezi	noun	moon	Mwezi ukuŵala. The moon is bright.
nyenyezi	noun	star	Nyenyezi yikuŵala. The star is bright.
kuchanya	noun	sky	Kuchanya nkhabuluu. The sky is blue.
charu	noun	earth	Charu ntchakuzingilizga. The earth is round.
moto	noun	fire	Moto ngwakotcha. The fire is hot.
maji	noun	water	Maji ngakuzizima. The water is cold.
vura	noun	rain	Vura yikulokwa. The rain is falling.
mphepo	noun	wind	Mphepo njankhongono. The wind is strong.
mti	noun	tree	Mti ngutali. The tree is tall.
maluwa	noun	flower	Maluwa ngawemi. The flower is beautiful.
phiri	noun	mountain	Phiri lira ntchitali. That mountain is high.
mronga	noun	river	Mronga ngukuru. The river is wide.
nyanja	noun	sea	Nyanja yiri kutali. The sea is far.
chakurya	noun	food	Chakurya chanjira. The food is ready.
chingwa	noun	bread	Nagura chingwa chiphya. I bought fresh bread.
mpunga	noun	rice	Mpunga ukuphika. The rice is cooking.
nyama	noun	meat	Nyama yikununkhira makora. The meat smells good.
somba	noun	fish	Tikurya somba. We are eating fish.
sumbi	noun	egg	Sumbi laphyoka. The egg is broken.
mkaka	noun	milk	Mkaka ngwakufunda. The milk is warm.
chipambi	noun	fruit	Chipambi ichi ntchakunowa. This fruit is sweet.
tiyi	noun	tea	Wakumwa tiyi wakotcha. She drinks hot tea.
khofi	noun	coffee	Nkhutemwa khofi wakotcha. I like hot coffee.
mutu	noun	head	Mutu wane ukupweteka muhanya uno. My head hurts today.
jiso	noun	eye	Jiso lake lituŵira. Her eye is red.
khutu	noun	ear	Khutu lane likupweteka. My ear hurts.
mulomo	noun	mouth	Jura mulomo wako chomene. Open your mouth wide.
mphuno	noun	nose	Mphuno yane njakuzizima. My nose is cold.
woko	noun	hand	Samba woko lwako sono. Wash your hand now.
lundi	noun	foot	Lundi lane likupweteka. My foot hurts.
mtima	noun	heart	Mtima wake ngwankhongono. His heart is strong.
zina	noun	name	Zina lako nliwemi. Your name is beautiful.
buku	noun	book	Buku ili nliphya. This book is new.
mazgu	noun	word	Lizgu lira lakusuzga. That word is difficult.
chiyowoyero	noun	language	Chitumbuka ni chiyowoyero. Tumbuka is a language.
ndalama	noun	money	Nkhukhumba ndalama muhanya uno. I need money today.
ntchito	noun	work	Ntchito iyi njakusuzga. This work is hard.
chitemwa	noun	love	Chitemwa ntchakukhumbikwa chomene. Love is very important.
sumu	noun	music	Sumu njiwemi. The music is beautiful.
nkhani	noun	story	Niphalire nkhani. Tell me a story.
nthowa	noun	way	Nthowa iyi njipusu. This way is easier.
chinthu	noun	thing	Chinthu chira ntchikuru. That thing is heavy.
umoyo	noun	life	Umoyo ngwa chipusu yayi. Life is not easy.
muryango	noun	door	Muryango wajuka. The door is open.
tebulo	noun	table	Tebulo ndakutowa. The table is clean.
mpando	noun	chair	Mpando waphyoka. The chair is broken.
galimoto	noun	car	Galimoto yikuchimbira. The car is fast.
wemi	adjective	good	Chakurya ichi ntchiwemi. This food is good.
uheni	adjective	bad	Nthowa yira njiheni. That road is bad.
kuru	adjective	big	Tili na nyumba yikuru. We have a big house.
choko	adjective	small	Mwana ngwachoko. The child is small.
phya	adjective	new	Nagura buku liphya. I bought a new book.
kale	adjective	old	Nyumba yira njakale. That house is old.
tali	adjective	long	Nthowa njitali. The road is long.
pfupi	adjective	short	Chingwe ichi ntchifupi. This rope is short.
tali	adjective	high	Phiri lira ntchitali. That mountain is high.
pasi	adjective	low	Luŵaza ndapasi. The wall is low.
kotcha	adjective	hot	Tiyi wakotcha. The tea is hot.
zizima	adjective	cold	Maji ngakuzizima. The water is cold.
wakukondwa	adjective	happy	Ŵana ŵakukondwa. The children are happy.
wachitima	adjective	sad	Wali wachitima muhanya uno. She feels sad today.
wemi	adjective	beautiful	Luwa nliwemi. The flower is beautiful.
chipusu	adjective	easy	Ntchito iyi njakupusu. This work is easy.
kusuzga	adjective	hard	Fumbo ili nlakusuzga. This question is hard.
mwaluŵiro	adjective	fast	Galimoto yira yikuchimbira mwaluŵiro. That car is fast.
pachokopachoko	adjective	slow	Mfumu yakale yikwenda pachokopachoko. The old man walks slow.
unenesko	adjective	right	Zgoro lako ndunenesko. Your answer is right.
uheni	adjective	wrong	Zgoro lira ndiheni. That answer is wrong.
chakukhumbikwa	adjective	important	Buku ili ntchakukhumbikwa. This book is important.
unenesko	adjective	true	Nkhani yake njunenesko. His story is true.
zura	adjective	full	Nkhombo yazura. The cup is full.
pachoko	adjective	empty	Chipinda chilije kanthu. The room is empty.
mwana	adjective	young	Mwana mwanalume ngwachoko. The boy is young.
wankhongono	adjective	strong	Mfumu yira njankhongono. That man is strong.
wambura nkhongono	adjective	weak	Mwana walije nkhongono. The child is weak.
tuŵira	adjective	red	Luwa lituŵira. The flower is red.
buluu	adjective	blue	Kuchanya nkhabuluu. The sky is blue.
biribiri	adjective	green	Uteka mbiribiri. The grass is green.
fita	adjective	black	Nkhumba yifita. The dog is black.
tuŵa	adjective	white	Malaya ngatuŵa. The shirt is white.
enya	interjection	yes	Enya, ndanjira. Yes, I am ready.
yayi	interjection	no	Yayi, nkhumanya yayi. No, I do not know.
yayi	adverb	not	Ndaneta yayi. I am not tired.
na	conjunction	and	Nyina na wiske ŵali pano. Mother and father are here.
panji	conjunction	or	Tiyi panji khofi vyose viwemi. Tea or coffee is fine.
kweni	conjunction	but	Niza, kweni iyo waluta. I came, but he left.
usange	conjunction	if	Usange ukwiza, nikhalenge. If you come, I stay.
chifukwa	conjunction	because	Nkakhala chifukwa kukawa vura. I stayed because it rained.
na	preposition	with	Niza na mubwezi wane. I came with my friend.
kwambura	preposition	without	Iyo waluta kwambura ndalama. He left without money.
kwa	preposition	for	Chawanangwa ichi ntchako. This gift is for you.
kufuma	preposition	from	Niza kufuma ku tawuni. I came from town.
ku	preposition	to	Tikwenda ku sukulu. We walked to school.