Aina za Maneno na Mifano Yake

There are eight types of words (aina za maneno) in Kiswahili. The last time I learned these, I was in form 2, so I understand if you don’t remember anything from your Kiswahili class. But that’s why I’m here. Today, I will take you through aina za maneno na mifano yake with the help of Tr. Meshack from Moi Forces Academy. Let’s get started

1. Nomino (N) Noun

Nomino is a noun. A noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, idea, or quality. Nouns are the building blocks of sentences and play a crucial role in conveying meaning.

In Kiswahili, a noun, or nomino is described as “neno linalotaja mtu, mahali, kitu, wazo, au sifa.” For example, Mary and Nairobi are nouns.

Like their English equivalent, there are different types of nouns. These include:

Nomino za Kawaida or Common Nouns

Common nouns are words used to name general categories of people, places, things, ideas, or qualities. 

Kiswahili definition: “Nonimo za kawaida ni maneno yanayotumiwa kurejelea vitu vya kawaida kama watu, wanyama, na mahali.”

For Example (Mifano Ya Nomino)

Nyumba	House
Mbuzi	Goat
Mtu	Person
Shati	Shirt

Mifano Ya Nomino za Kawaida Katika Sentensi (Examples in a Sentense)

Nyumba yao imechomeka Their house burned down	Nyumba  House
Jua limewaka The sun is out	Jua Sun
Mwalimu anafunza vyema darasa lake The teacher is teaching her student’s well	Mwalimu, darasi Teacher, students
Mtoto analilia maziwa na wali The child is crying for milk and rice	Mtoto, maziwa, wali Child, milk, rice
Mbwa amekimbia haraka na mfupa wake The dog is running with it’s bone	Mbwa, mfupa Dog, bone

Zoezi la Nomino za Kwaida (Exercise)

Watoto wanasoma kitabu

Mtu huyu ni mrefu sana

Rununu na runinga ni vyombo vya mawasiliano

Baba na mama wana vitu vitatu

Kikombe changu ni cha rangi ya manjano

Nomino za Pekee (Proper Nouns)

A proper noun is the name of a person, place, city, or company. In Kiswahili or English, proper nouns start with a capital letter.

Kiswahili definition: “Nomino ya pekee ni majina mahususi ya watu, mahali, kampuni, na bidhaa.”

Mifano Ya Nomino za Pekee (Examples)

Nairobi	Name of a city
Stacey	Name of a person
Safaricom	Name of a company
January, Monday January, Jumatatu	Name of months and days of the week
God, Mola, Adonai	Names of God

Mifano Ya Nomino za Pekee Katika Sentensi (Examples in a Sentence)

Maria na Yohana wanasherehekea ndoa yao Mary are John are getting married	Maria, Yohana Mary, John
Ziwa Victoria limejaa kuliko bahari Hindi Lake Victoria has more water than the Indian Ocean	Ziwa Viktoria, bahari Hindi Lake Victoria, Indian Ocean
Anasoma katika shule ya msingi ya Parklands.  His school is called Parklands Primary	Parklands Primary
Uchina na Kenya zishirikiana kwa karibu sana China and Kenya have a close relationship	Uchina, Kenya China, Kenya
Mwalimu Juma anakuja darasani Teacher Juma is coming to class	Mwalimu Juma Juma

Zoezi la Nomino za Kwaida (Exercise)

Can you identify the nomino za kawaida in these sentences?

Mungi ni mkuu kuliko wote

Liam alienda shuleni

Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, na Rwanda ni nchi za Afrika Mashariki

Tutaenda shule jumatatu hadi Alhamisi

Bibilia na Koroani ziko wapi?

Aina Nyingine Ya Nomino (Other Types of Nouns in Kiswahili)

• Nimoni za wingi (uncountable nouns) eg maji (water), upendo (love)
• Nomino za jamii (collective nouns) – e.g. kundi (group), msitu (forest)
• Nomino za dhahania (abstract nouns) – e.g. upendo (love), heshima (respect)

We have a comprehensive post on aina za nomino na mifano zake that you can read to find more information on nomino and exercises.

2. Vivumishi (V) Adjectives 

Vivumishi or adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns or pronouns. They provide more information about the characteristics, qualities, or states of being of the subject they refer to.

Kiswahili definition:

“Vivumishi ni maneno yanayotoa maelezo zaidi kuhusu nomino au viwakilishi“

Tr. Meshack Sindani ~ Moi Forces Academy

Also read: Vitendawili na Majibu

Vivumishi vya Sifa (Descriptive Adjectives)

Vivumishi vya sifa are adjectives that describe the qualities or characteristics of a person, thing, or place. They provide more information about how a thing looks, feels, tastes, smells, sounds, or acts.

Kiswahili definition: “Vivumishi vya sifa ni maneno ambayo hutoa sifa kuhusu mtu, kitu, au mahali.”

For Example (Mifano Ya Vivumishi Ya Sifa)

Zuri	Beautiful
Dogo	Small
Mpya	New
Safi	Clean
Tamu	Sweet

There are a few rules you need to remember. First, vivumishi vya sifa are used with proper nouns (nomino ya pekee) or adjectives used to describe the proper noun (kiwakilishi husika.)

Secondly, vivumishi vya sifa have to take prefixes of a specific noun class. That is, “vivumishi vya sifa huchukua viambishi vya ngeli husika, kuleta maana ya kivumishi.”

For instance, you can’t say mtoto fupi. Instead you’d say, mtoto mfupi. The “m” in “mfupi” is the kiambishi cha ngeli (prefix) and is used to bring meaning to “fupi” which is the kivumishi cha sifa or descriptive adjective.

Mifano Vivumishi vya Sifa Kwenye Sentensi (Examples in a Sentence)

Mama yangu hupika chakula kitamu My mother makes sweet food	Kitamu  Sweet
Yule mvulana mweusi anasomea shuleni mwetu That black boy goes to our school	Mweusi  Black
Lile tunda jeupe ni tamu sana That white fruit is very sweet	jeupe, tamu White, Sweet
Chakula kitamu kilipakuliwa kwenye harusi There was sweet food at the wedding	kitamu Sweet
Simu nyeupe ndio hii. Nyekundu iko pale. This is the white phone. The red one is over there.	Nyeusi, nyekundu Black, White

Zoezi la Vivumishi vya Sifa (Exercise)

Can you identify the vivimishi vya sifa in the following sentences?

Also read: 13 Fun Games to Strengthen Early Swahili Reading Skills

Niliona ndege mkubwa mwenye mabawa meupe akiruka juu angani.

Mtoto mdogo alikuwa akicheza na mpira mwekundu.

Wimbo mzuri ulimfurahisha kila mtu aliyekuwa kwenye sherehe

Kitanda cheupe ni kizuri kuliko kitanda cheusi.

Yule msichana mrefu ana tabia nzuri ya kusaidia wenzake.

Aina Nyingine Ya Vivumishi (Other Types of Adjectives)

• Vivumishi vya Pekee e.g mwenye, mwenyewe, wote, wowote, ingine, ingineo
• Vivumishi virejeshi eg mtoto ambaye 
• Vivumishi vya vimilikishi (possessive) eg wangu, wako, wake
• Vivumishi vya idadi (measure) eg wawili, wengi, watatu
• Vivumishi visisitizi (emphasis) mtoto yuyu huyu, watoto wale wale
• Vivumishi viulizi (question) kipi?, gani?, yupi?

3. Viwakilishi (W) Pronoun 

Pronouns are words that take the place of nouns in a sentence. They are used to avoid repetition and make sentences flow more smoothly.

Kiswahili definition: “Viwakilishi ni maneno yanayotumiwa badala ya nomino.”

For example, instead of saying Beth ni mtoto mrembo (Beth is a beautiful child), you say “yeye ni “mtoto mrembo” (she is a beautiful child.)

Another example is mwalimu ametoka  (the teacher has left) becomes yeye ametoka or (he has left.)

Interestingly, viwakilishi and vivumishi have the same subtypes. The difference is, in viwakilishi, there are no nouns. You instead use the kiwakilishi (pronoun). 

Also, note that you cannot use a kiwakilishi (pronoun) together with a nomino (noun). You can only use either or.

Also read: How to Improve Math Skills and Reading for Kindergarten Kids

Viwakilishi vya Nafsi

Viwakilishi vya sifa are grouped into three categories. We have:

Nafsi ya I (first person)	Mimi I	Sisi We
Nafsi ya II (second person)	Wewe You	Nyinyi
Nasfi ya III (third person)	Yeye  Him/her	Wao

This means, you use the viwakilishi in singular (umoja) and plural (wingi).

Mifano ya Viwakilishi vya Nasfi (Examples)

Nasfi ya kwanza

Mimi ni mrembo	Sisi ni warembi
Mimi nilitembea	Sisi tulitembea
Mimi nilikunya maji	Sisi tulikunywa maki

Nafsi ya Pili

Wewe ni mrembo	Nyinyi ni warembo
Wewe ulitembea	Nyinyi mlitembea
Wewe ulikunywa maji	Nyinyi mlikunywa maji

Nasfi ya Tatu

Yeye ni mrembo	Wao ni warembo
yeye alitembea	Wao walitembea
Yeye ulikunywa maji	Wao walikunywa maji

Aina Nyingine ya Viwakilishi (Other Types of Nouns in Kiswahili)

• Vivumishi vya Pekee eg mwenye-mwenyewe, wote- wowote
• Vivumishi virejeshi eg mtoto ambaye 
• Vivumishi vya vimilikishi (possessive) egwangu, wako, wake
• Vivumishi vya idadi (amount) eg wawili, wengi, watatu
• Vivumishi visisitizi (emphasis) mtoto yuyu huyu, watoto wale wale
• Vivumishi viulizi (question) kipi, gani, yupi

4. Vitenzi (E) Verbs

Verbs are words that describe actions, occurrences, or states of being. They are essential components of sentences because they tell us what is happening, what exists, or what condition something is in.

Kiswahili definition: “Vitenzi ni maneno yanayoeleza matendo yanayofanyika, yaliyofanyiksa, na yatakayofanyika.”

In translation, vitenzi tell us what has happened, what happened, and what will happen. The subtypes include:

Vitenzi Halisi

Vitenzi halisi, mostly used by itself, shows how an action is happening. 

Mwanafunzi anasoma kitabu	anasoma
Ndege wanaruka	wanaruka
Mtoto anacheka	Anacheka

Vitenzi Vikuu na Visaidizi

These are vitenzi vikuu na visaidizi (main verbs and auxiliary verbs). Vitenzi vikuu (main verbs)  carry the essential meaning of an action, occurrence, or state of being in a sentence, while vitenzi visaidizi (auxiliary verbs) help the main verb.

Watoto walikuwa wanacheza nje usiku mzima	wanacheza	walikuwa
Juwa lilikuwa linawaka sana	linawaka	lilikuwa
Baba napenda kula chakula nachopika mwenyewe	anapenda	kula

Vitenzi Vishirikishi

Vitenzi vishirikishi describe an existing state or context and are also used to describe the environment.

Huyo si mtoto wangu	si
Yeye ni mrefu	ni
Wao si wanafunzi	si

5. Vielezi (E) Adverb

Adverbs (vielezi) add more information to verbs, adjectives, other adverbs, or even entire sentences.

The Kiswahili definition is “vitenzi ni maneno yanayoonyesha jinsi tendo linavyo tendeka,” which is loosely translated as words that show how an action is taking place.

Like adverbs, vielezi answer the questions on how (vipi), where (wapi), when (lini), and  how many (mara ngapi.)

The subtypes include:

• Vielezi vya wakati
• Vielezi vya mahali
• Vielezi vya namna
• Vielezi vya idadi

Mifano Ya Vielezi Katika Sentensi

Vielezi vya Wakati

Tutamtembelea bibi kesho	Kesho
Jana liona kobe	Jana
Tutakutana Ijumaa	Ijumaa

Vielezi vya Idadi

Mwalimu alitufunza mara tatu wiki iliyopita	tatu
Alikula robo ya mkate	robo
Watu wachache walienda kwenye harusi hiyo	wachache

Vielezi vya Mahali

Wanafunzi wameingia darasani	Darasani
Tutakutana mbele ya maktaba	Makataba
Aliweka simu ya mama mezani	Mezani

Vielezi vya Namna

Mama alipika chakula upesi	upesi
Alickeka kijinga	lijinga
Alitembea kijeshi	kijeshi

6. Vuhusishi (H) Prepositions

Prepositions are words that establish relationships between other words in a sentence. They typically show the location, direction, time, or manner of something in relation to another word.

The Kiswahili definition is, “vihusishi ni maneno yanayoonyesha uhusiano wa kitu na kingine au mtu na mwingine. Uhusiano huu unaweza kuwa wa mahali, wakati, au kiwango.” This can be loosely translated to mean vihusishi show the relationship between things or people. The relationship could be that of time, place, or quantity.

For instance, in the sentence “Paka yuko chini ya meza,” chini ya (under the ) shows the relationship between Paka (cat) and meza (table). The English equivalent of this sentence would be “The cat is under the table.”

The subtypes include:

• Vihusishi vya mahali which show the relationship between a noun and its place. For example, kiti kimo ndani ya daraka, usiende karibu na mto ule.
• Vihusishi vya wakati, which show the relationship between a noun and time. For example, wanafunzi walifika kabla ya macheo, watarudi baada ya kusoma.
• Vihisishi vya kunyume which show the oppposite of an action. For example, alienda shambani badala ya sokoni, badala ya kuenda mjini, alienda nyumbani.
• Vihusishi vya kufananisha which shows comparison. For instance, anasoma Bibilia kama kasisi.
• Vihusishi vya sababu which show the reason for something. For example, siuoni kwavile amejificha.

7. Viunganishi (U) Conjunctions

Conjunctions are words that connect words, phrases, or clauses in a sentence. They play a crucial role in building grammatically correct sentences and creating relationships between different elements.

The Kiswahili definition is, “viunganishi ni maneno yanayounganisha maneno mengine au sentensi.” for example, in the sentence, Mama anapika na kuongea, the words “na” is a conjunction (kiunganishi.)

The sub-types include:

Subtype	Sentence	Kiunganishi
Viunganishi vya umilikaji	Kiatu cha mzee kimerarukaSifiria ya mama imeibiwa	Cha _______ (your answer)
Viunganishi vya kujumlisha	baba na mama wameenda kanisani. Mwizi aliiba runinga pamoja na redio.	Na ________
Viunganishi vya kutofautisha	Ongea naye ila usimwambie mipango yetu Aliondoka bila kusema lolote	Ila  ________
Vihisishi vya sababu	Mchezaji aliumizwa kwa vile alikuwa tisho kwa timu hiyo. Niliwafunza ili wapite mtihani.	Kwavile ________
Vihusishi vya kulinganisha	Kunywa pombe nikama kujichimbia kaburi mwenyewe. Ben ni mfupi kuliko Peter.	Nikama ________

8. Vihisishi (I) Interjections 

Interjections are words or short phrases used to express sudden emotions, reactions, greetings, or sounds.  The kiswahili definiton is “vihisishi ni maneno yanayoonyesha hisia.” For example, interjections (vihisishi) can show happiness (furaha) shock (mshangao), and anger (hasira.)

While they don’t have sub-types, the table below can show you different vihisishi and the emotions they show.

Kihisishi	Mfano Katika Sentensi	Hisia
Lo!	Lo! Maajabu ya Musa haya!	mshangao
Salaale!, Masalaale!	Salaale! Angalia watu wote hawa waliofika mahali hapa!	mshangao
Kumbe!	Nilidhani wewe ni rafiki yangu. Kumbe!	mshangao
Po!	Sijawahi kuona kijana mjeuri kama wewe. Po!	hasira
Ng’o!	Omba msamaha utakavyo, lakini unachoka bure. Ng’o!	kiburi
Hata!	Bwanake hakumwachia chochote! Hata!	kusifia, kupuuza
Akh!, Aka!	Mtoto mpumbavu huyu! Akh!	hasira, kukashifu
Ah!	Ah! Sikuyaamini macho yangu.	mshangao
Ala!	Ala! Umefika tayari!	mshangao
Haha!	Haha! Umenivunja mbavu, bwana!	kicheko
Ehee!, Enhe!	Enhe! Endelea, ninaipenda sana hadithi hiyo!	kuitikia
Hmmm!	Hmmm! Chakula kitamu hicho!	kuitikia, kusifia
Ebo!	Ebo! Tabia gani hiyo.	kukashifu, hasira
Kefule!	Kefule! Umenifedhehesha sana.	hasira
Wee!	Katamu alinegua kiuno na kucheza kwa madaha. Wee! Wavulana wakaduwaa.	kusifia
La!, Hasha!	La! Sitaki kusikiliza upuuzi wako tena.	kukataa
Hoyeee!	Wamama wote, hoyee! Hoyee!	kushangilia
Huraa!	Huraa! Tumeshinda.	kushangilia

I hope this overview of aina za maneno (types of words) is helpful for you and your child and will assist with their homework. If you need exercises and more examples, please comment below, and they will be provided. Alternatively, you can read the blog posts that individually expound on each type of words and provide more examples.