Expressions.

Metaphors, idioms, greetings, and other forms of Kinyarwanda speech.

Ways of speaking

452 expressions

imyaka

imyáaka

crops

years

Metaphor

inama

ináama

place where cows are milked or presented to the cow lord

advice/meeting

Metaphor

inda

inda

stomach

pregnancy

Metaphor

inda y'amaganga

inda y'ámagaanga

cow's anus is a stomach of dung

Euphemism

inda y'amaganga

inda y'ámagaanga

the stomach of urine

cow's vagina

Euphemism

inda y'amase

inda y'amasé

the stomach of dung

cow's anus

Euphemism

inda yo mu mihora

inda yo mu mihoora

pregnancy of an unmarried young girl

Idiom

indahemuka

indáhemúka

the one who is never unfaithful

Praise name

indashyikirwa

indáshyikíirwa

the inaccessible

Praise name

indatwa

indaátwa

the one ought to be praised

Praise name

ingirakamaro

ingirakamaro

the useful one

Praise name

ingoma

ingoma

drum

reign

Metaphor

ingwate

ingwaáte

a cow loaned to somebody in exchange for something else and which is given back to the owner after it has given a calf umukaangara to the borrower

collateral

Metaphor

inka

inká

"cow"

"cow"

Taboo

inka zahutse

inká zahutse

when cows go out to graze

time between seven and eight in the morning

Time of day

inka ziasashye

inká ziíasashye

when cows return home

time around six pm

Time of day

inka zihumuje

inká zíhuumuje

when cows make home smell good

time after eight pm after milking

Time of day

inka zikamwa

inká zikamwa

when the cows are being milked

early in the morning

Time of day

inka zikutuse

inká zíkutuse

when cows get out of the watering place

time after two pm

Time of day

inka zimenyereye urwuri

inká zímenyereye urwuri

When cows are accustomed to the pasture

time between 10 and 11 am

Time of day

inka zishobora kuza

inká zishobora kuuza

the cows can ruminate

the cows can come

Homonym

inka zishotse

inká zíshootse

when cows go to drink

time between one and two pm

Time of day

inkomo

inkomo

monkey hair

king's hair

Euphemism

inkongoro

inkoongooro

milk drinking wooden cup

chalice/alveole, cavity dug in the aisles of bee-hive

Metaphor
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