ChiTumbuka
Tumbuka
Atlantic-Congo (Bantu)
Tumbuka (ChiTumbuka) is a Bantu language spoken in northern Malawi and parts of Zambia. It is closely related to Chichewa but distinct enough to be considered a separate language; it serves as a major regional lingua franca.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Tumbuka
Water
maji
/madʒi/
Fire
moto
/moto/
Sun
zuwa
/zuwa/
Moon
mwezi
/mwezi/
Star
nyenyezi
/ɲeɲezi/
Mother
amama
/amama/
Father
adada
/adada/
I
ine
/ine/
You
iwe
/iwe/
Name
zina
/zina/
Eye
jiso
/dʒiso/
Hand
woko
/woko/
Heart
mtima
/mtima/
Love
kutemwa
/kutemwa/
Tree
khuni
/kʰuni/
House
nyumba
/ɲumba/
Dog
ncheŵe
/ntʃewe/
Cat
chona
/tʃona/
Eat
kurya
/kuɾja/
Drink
kumwa
/kumwa/
One
cimoza
/tʃimoza/
Two
ŵiŵiri
/βiβiɾi/
Hello
monire
/moniɾe/
Thank you
yewo
/jewo/
Good
cwemi
/tʃwemi/
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu) languages
| Meaning | Tumbuka | Chewa | Sena | Nyaturu | Shambala | Makonde | Shona |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | maji /madʒi/ | madzi /madzi/ | madzi /madzi/ | maazi /maːzi/ | mazi /mazi/ | mashi /maʃi/ | mvura /mvuɾa/ |
| Fire | moto /moto/ | moto /moto/ | moto /moto/ | moto /moto/ | moto /moto/ | moto /moto/ | moto /moto/ |
| Sun | zuwa /zuwa/ | dzuwa /dzuwa/ | dzuwa /dzuwa/ | nzua /nzua/ | zuwa /zuwa/ | lyuva /ʎuβa/ | zuva /zuva/ |
| Moon | mwezi /mwezi/ | mwezi /mwezi/ | mwedzi /mwedzi/ | umweri /umweɾi/ | mwezi /mwezi/ | mwedi /mwedi/ | mwedzi /mwedzi/ |
| Star | nyenyezi /ɲeɲezi/ | nyenyezi /ɲeɲezi/ | nyenyezi /ɲeɲezi/ | nyeenyeeri /ɲeːɲeːri/ | nyenyezi /ɲeɲezi/ | ntondwa /ntondwa/ | nyeredzi /ɲeredzi/ |
| Mother | amama /amama/ | amayi /amaji/ | mai /mai/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | amai /amai/ |
| Father | adada /adada/ | abambo /abambo/ | baba /baba/ | tata /tata/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ |
| I | ine /ine/ | ine /ine/ | ine /ine/ | une /une/ | niye /nije/ | une /une/ | ini /ini/ |
| You | iwe /iwe/ | iwe /iwe/ | iwe /iwe/ | uwe /uwe/ | weye /weje/ | uve /uve/ | iwe /iwe/ |
| Name | zina /zina/ | dzina /dzina/ | dzina /dzina/ | izina /izina/ | izina /izina/ | lina /lina/ | zita /zita/ |
| Eye | jiso /dʒiso/ | diso /diso/ | diso /diso/ | iriiso /iɾiːso/ | izo /izo/ | liso /liso/ | ziso /ziso/ |
| Hand | woko /woko/ | dzanja /dzandʒa/ | nkono /nkono/ | ukuboko /ukuboko/ | ukono /ukono/ | nkono /nkono/ | ruoko /ɾwoko/ |
| Heart | mtima /mtima/ | mtima /mtima/ | mtima /mtima/ | umutima /umutima/ | mwoyo /mwojo/ | mtima /mtima/ | mwoyo /mwojo/ |
| Love | kutemwa /kutemwa/ | chikondi /tʃikondi/ | kufuna /kufuna/ | butogwa /butoɡwa/ | kwenda /kwenda/ | kupenda /kupenda/ | rudo /ɾudo/ |
| Tree | khuni /kʰuni/ | mtengo /mteŋɡo/ | mtengo /mteŋɡo/ | umuti /umuti/ | mti /mti/ | mti /mti/ | muti /muti/ |
| House | nyumba /ɲumba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | imba /imba/ |
| Dog | ncheŵe /ntʃewe/ | galu /ɡalu/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | nshenye /nʃeɲe/ | imbwa /imbwa/ |
| Cat | chona /tʃona/ | mphaka /mpʰaka/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | katsi /katsi/ |
| Eat | kurya /kuɾja/ | kudya /kudja/ | kudya /kudja/ | kuria /kuɾia/ | kuya /kuja/ | kulya /kuʎa/ | kudya /kudja/ |
| Drink | kumwa /kumwa/ | kumwa /kumwa/ | kumwa /kumwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kukumbila /kukumbila/ | kunwa /kunwa/ |
| One | cimoza /tʃimoza/ | chimodzi /tʃimodzi/ | posi /posi/ | umwe /umwe/ | imo /imo/ | nimo /nimo/ | potsi /potsi/ |
| Two | ŵiŵiri /βiβiɾi/ | awiri /awiri/ | piŵiri /piwiri/ | aviri /aβiri/ | mbili /mbili/ | vavili /vaʋili/ | piri /piri/ |
| Hello | monire /moniɾe/ | moni /moni/ | mwadzukabwanji /mwadzukabwandʒi/ | mbukire /mbukiɾe/ | nashukuru /naʃukuɾu/ | nakushukuru /nakuʃukuɾu/ | mhoro /mhoɾo/ |
| Thank you | yewo /jewo/ | zikomo /zikomo/ | ndatenda /ndatenda/ | asante /aˈsante/ | asante /asante/ | nashukuru /naʃukuɾu/ | maita /maita/ |
| Good | cwemi /tʃwemi/ | chabwino /tʃabwino/ | nadidi /nadidi/ | kihi /kihi/ | hedi /hedi/ | shibwana /ʃibwana/ | chakanaka /tʃakanaka/ |
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