Introductory Materials
Msamiati wa Jinsia na Mapenzi
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Below are some Swahili words you will frequently encounter or need to use while communicating, listening, or reading about gender and sexuality. You can sort the list by Swahili or English or search for particular words. If there are additional words you’d like to see on this list, please leave a comment.You will learn more vocabulary while completing the activities and exercises in this module. As you encounter new words, you should add them to your personalized vocabulary notebook.
Below the list, you will find a variety of activities you can use to develop or check your mastery of this vocabulary.
Note that words with a number after them are nouns (with the number indicating their Bantu noun class in singular and, if applicable, plural). Words with no number or preceding hyphen are verbs (in the imperative form). If you need to review noun class, see the Appendix.
| Swahili word | English explanation | Related Swahili words |
|---|---|---|
| jinsia 5/6 | gender; sex | jinsi |
| mapenzi 6 | love; love-making; sex | -penda, upendo |
| -a kike | feminine, female | mke, mwanamke |
| -a kiume | masculine, male | mume, mwanamume |
| ubalehe 14 | puberty, marriageable age | -balehe |
| balehe | begin puberty, reach marriageable age | ubalahe |
| mjane 1/2 | widow or widower who remains unmarried | |
| talaka 9/10 | divorce | |
| posa | ask (a parent) for a girl's hand in marriage | |
| mahari 9/10 | dower, bridewealth | |
| uchumba 14 | engagement | chumbiana, mchumba |
| mchumba 1/2 | fiance | uchumba, chumbiana |
| oa | marry a woman | |
| oana | marry each other | -oa |
| olewa | be married by a man | -oa |
| mvukajinsia 1/2 | a transgender person | -vuka, jinsia |
| uzazi 14 | reproduction | -zaa, mzazi |
| zaa | reproduce, give birth | uzazi |
| mpenzi wa jinsia moja 1/2 | a homosexual person | -penda, mapenzi |
| aliyebadili jinsia 1/2 | a transgender person | -badilisha, badala |
| itikadi 9/10 | ideology | |
| kawaida 9/10 | norm | kwa kawaida |
| wajibu 14 | role, responsibility | |
| ubaguzi 14 | discrimination | -bagua |
Use the flash cards as a drill to help memorize these words.
Drag the correct word to fill in the blank in each sentence.
