Latest / Learn Swahili with Fexingo / Swahili Adjectives - Long and Short
Transcript
- Lucas: Hey there, welcome back to Learn Swahili with Fexingo. I'm Lucas. Luna: And I'm Luna! Ready to learn some new words today. Lucas: We've covered a lot of useful phrases—ordering food, telling time, counting numbers. Today, let's do something simple: describing things. Luna: Ooh, like adjectives? Lucas: Exactly. We'll start with two very common ones: 'long' and 'short'. Luna: Nice. So if this podcast has been helping you pick up Swahili, and you want to keep it ad-free, you can support us at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. That really helps us keep going. Lucas: Yeah, we appreciate anyone who chips in. Okay, back to adjectives. In Swahili, 'long' is -refu, but it changes depending on the noun class. For now, we'll use it with words you already know. Luna: So how do I say 'my hair is long'? I remember 'nywele' from an earlier episode. Lucas: Great memory. You say: Nywele zangu ni ndefu. Let's break it down: nywele zangu means 'my hair', ni is 'is', and ndefu is the form of -refu for this class. Luna: Nywele zangu ni ndefu. My hair is long. That's nice. What about 'my hair is short'? Lucas: Similar. 'Short' is -fupi. So: Nywele zangu ni fupi. Luna: Nywele zangu ni fupi. So just swap the adjective. Lucas: Exactly. Let's practice. Repeat after me: Nywele zangu ni ndefu. Luna: Nywele zangu ni ndefu. Lucas: And the short version: Nywele zangu ni fupi. Luna: Nywele zangu ni fupi. Lucas: Perfect. Now let's try with 'shirt'. 'Shirt' is shati. To say 'his shirt is short', it's: Shati lake ni fupi. Luna: Shati lake ni fupi. So 'lake' is 'his'? Lucas: Yes, for certain noun classes. You'll get the hang of it. And 'her shirt is long' would be: Shati lake ni ndefu. Luna: Shati lake ni ndefu. That's simple. Lucas: Now one more: 'leg'. Mguu. To say 'your leg is long': Mguu wako ni mrefu. Notice mrefu instead of ndefu—different noun class. Luna: Mguu wako ni mrefu. So it changes form. Lucas: Right. But for now, just know both mrefu and ndefu mean 'long', depending on the word. Let's do a quick review. I'll say the English, you say the Swahili. 'My hair is long'. Luna: Nywele zangu ni ndefu. Lucas: 'His shirt is short'. Luna: Shati lake ni fupi. Lucas: 'Your leg is long'. Luna: Mguu wako ni mrefu. Lucas: You nailed it. Luna: I love how easy these are. So if I see a long dress, I can say 'nguo ndefu'? Lucas: Yes, nguo ndefu is 'a long cloth/dress'. And 'short dress' is nguo fupi. Luna: Nguo fupi. Got it. Lucas: Let's do one more round. Repeat after me: Shati lake ni fupi. Luna: Shati lake ni fupi. Lucas: Mguu wako ni mrefu. Luna: Mguu wako ni mrefu. Lucas: And Nywele zangu ni ndefu. Luna: Nywele zangu ni ndefu. Lucas: Excellent. That's today's episode. Practice describing things around you—long and short. And if you found this useful, consider supporting us at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Luna: Yeah, we'll be back with more. Keep practicing, and see you next time!