Expressions.
Metaphors, idioms, greetings, and other forms of Kinyarwanda speech.
Ways of speaking
mutindi
mutíindi
miserable one
term of endearment: "dear one"
muvandimwe!
muvaándimwé!
sibling!
vocative exclamation
mwene data/mwana wa data!
mweéne daatá/mwaána wa dáatá!
child of my father!
vocative exclamation, like "brother!"
mwene mama/mwana wa mama!
mweéne maamá/mwaána wa máamá!
child of my mother!
vocative exclamation, like "brother!"
ni iki mwagabanye?
ni ikí mwaágabanye?
what did you share?
what did you receive?
nkobwa
nkoobwaá
girl
vagina (igituba)
nta nka ndi mo
ntaa nká ndí mó
I am in deep trouble
ntabakore
ntabákore
they should not work
and if they don't work; and they don't work
ntawe umukira
ntawe umúkira
nobody is going to survive her
s/he is the champion
ntibakora
ntibaakora
they would not work
they didn't work
nyagutsindwa
nyagútsiindwa
you who should lose
term of endearment: "dear one"
nyakunyagwa
nyakúnyagwa
you who should lose the case / you who should be dispossessed!
term of endearment: "dear one"
nyirahuku
nyiráhuúku
cat
a regular word that also functions as a personal name
nyiramasibira
nyiramasiibira
surname for someone who eats a lot but remains skinny; also denotes a type of rat and a type of dog
nyiramugufi
nyirámugufí
short
personal name and surname; also a type of beans
rere
reere
long
tall; deep
rubanda rw'umwami
rubáanda rw'úmwaámi
people of the king
addressee exclamation
ruhongore rw'inyana
ruhoóngore rw'íinyána
calf room
rutare
rutáre
rock
personal name; also a type of manioc (incomplete data in source)
se ute
sé uté
what are you going to do? / what's he going to do with his/her father?
what are you going to do with your father?
sebihogo
séebihogó
brown
very beautiful person or thing
seruhuga
séeruhuúga
dirty
surname for somebody who is dirty
shahu
shaáhu
castrated one
term of endearment: "dear one"
siga ho
siga hó
gusíga "to leave" + hó "on"
stop