kuku
/ˈku.ku/class 10, class 9
The Swahili word for chicken is kuku.
Meaning: bird (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
kuku belongs to the N-class (class 9/10). Because of this, the word does not change its form whether you are referring to a single chicken or multiple chickens.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈku.ku/. The stressed syllable is the first of the two.
Did you know?
- The word kuku is used in several common idioms, such as kuku mgeni hakiliwi, which means 'a new chicken is not eaten'. This refers to the social grace of not criticizing or exploiting a newcomer until they are settled.
- In coastal regions, you will find kuku paka, a coconut curry that reflects the historical trade influence of Asia on East African cuisine.
- The word kuku comes from the Common Bantu root *nkókó, making it a linguistic relative to words in hundreds of languages across Central and Southern Africa.
Examples in context
- Baba anatumia moto kuchoma kuku.Dad uses fire to roast a chicken.This sentence shows how to use kuku when talking about roasting.Tatoeba #10853239 by ecorralest101, translation #2747316 by Yug
- Alikula kuku, saladi pamoja na vikuto.He ate chicken, along with salad and rolls.This sentence shows kuku being used in the context of a meal.Tatoeba #10821086 by ecorralest101, translation #290046 by jakov
- Chimba dhahabu, chimba kisima, chimba mifupa ya kuku.Dig for gold, dig a well, dig chicken bones.This sentence uses kuku when referring to chicken bones.Tatoeba #10850946 by ecorralest101, translation #2574423 by svhschinese
- Nimependa chakula chako cha kuku.I enjoyed your chicken dish.
- Tunahitaji kununua kuku sokoni.We need to buy chicken at the market.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A woman and a man are at an outdoor market.
- NeemaJe, unauza kuku leo?Are you selling chicken today?
- SaidNdiyo, tuna kuku wengi sana.Yes, we have a lot of chickens.
- NeemaNahitaji kuku mmoja tu.I only need one chicken.
- SaidSawa, Neema, nitakuandalia.Okay, Neema, I will prepare it for you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “chicken” translations and entries kuku, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries kuku, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
