IBIMANUKA.

An archive of Rwandan knowledge.

Ways of speaking

452 expressions

kuki uriya mukobwa ahora atwita imbwa

kukí uríiya mukóobwa ahorá atwíita imbwá

why does that girl always conceive a dog?

why does that girl always call us dogs?

Homonym

kumena ikiraro

kuména ikiráaro

to break the cow's lodging

to leave without telling your host

Idiom

kumena uruhimbi

kuména uruhiimbi

break the milk stand

to cheat on your husband during claustration period

Idiom

kumpima

kuumpima

to measure me

to give somebody a hard time

Homonym

kunantura

kunáantuura

to pull

Vulgar

kunnya

kunnya

to be funny

Vulgar

kunnyafagura

kunnyáafagura

to hurry up

Vulgar

kunnyamo

kunnyamó

to perform badly

Vulgar

kunyamfuka

kunyáamfuka

to stand up

Vulgar

kunywa

kunywá

to drink

to smoke

Metaphor

kunywana inka ikirego

kunywáana inká ikirégo

to drink a cow's milk with accusation

to be ungrateful

Idiom

kunywera amaganga rimwe

kunywéera amagaanga rimwé

to drink cow's urine at once

to use the last thing one had

Idiom

kunywesha amaganga

kunywéesha amagaanga

make somebody drink cow's urine

to abuse somebody

Idiom

kuribwa mu gituza

kuríibwa mu gituúza

to be eaten in the chest

to have a chest pain

Hyperbole

kuribwa mu kanwa

kuríibwa mu kanwa

to be eaten in the mouth

to suffer in the mouth

Hyperbole

kuribwa mu nda

kuríibwa muu nda

to be eaten in the stomach

to have a stomach ache

Hyperbole

kurinda

kuriinda

the cow doesn't go into heat, it waits for/guards

Euphemism

kurundumura

kuruundumura

to give birth to many children

Vulgar

kurya

kuryá

"to eat"

"to eat"

Taboo

kuryamana

kuryáamana

to sleep together

to copulate

Euphemism

kuvuga inka

kuvúga inká

to praise cows

Idiom

kuvuga zigata inyana

kuvuga zigata inyana

to talk so that cows leave their calves

to scream very loudly and for a long time

Idiom

kuvumera

kuvumeera

to moo for the calf

to resonate/to sound harmoniously

Metaphor

kuvuna

kuvuna

to come to the rescue

to break

Homonym
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