binamu
The Swahili word for cousin is binamu.
binamu is used to refer to the child of a person's parent's brother or sister.
Meaning: child of a person’s parent’s brother or sister (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the possessive 'my' in the plural, the form becomes binamu zangu to mean 'my cousins'.
Did you know?
- The word binamu is a linguistic hybrid, combining the Arabic word ibn meaning 'son' with amm meaning 'paternal uncle'.
- In many East African cultures, the distinction between a 'cousin' and a 'sibling' can be socially fluid, often leading people to use terms of endearment that imply closer blood ties than a literal translation of 'cousin' suggests.
- Unlike English, which has 'first', 'second', and 'third' cousins, Swahili typically uses binamu for all these levels of cousinship.
Examples in context
- Binamu yangu ameshikwa na smaku.My cousin is hooked on smack.This sentence is useful for seeing binamu used in a sentence about addiction.Tatoeba #10840197 by ecorralest101, translation #1406104 by enteka
- Binamu yangu alipokea wito wa Mungu na kuwa kuhani.My cousin received the call of God and became a priest.This sentence is useful for seeing binamu used in a sentence about a religious calling.Tatoeba #10839910 by ecorralest101, translation #1333059 by AMIKEMA
- Wakati akiwa London, ataenda kumtembelea binamu yake.During his stay in London, he is going to visit his cousin.This sentence is useful for seeing binamu used in a sentence about visiting a relative.Tatoeba #10807300 by ecorralest101, translation #29295 by CK
- Huyu ni binamu yanguThis is my cousin
- Wote walikuja na binamu zaoThey all came with their cousins
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Neema is introducing a family member to Omari.
- NeemaHuyu hapa ni binamu yangu.This right here is my cousin.
- OmariHabari yako, binamu ya Neema.Hello, Neema's cousin.
- NeemaBinamu yangu amekuja kutoka kijijini.My cousin has come from the village.
- OmariKaribu sana hapa mjini.You are very welcome here in town.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cousin” translations and entries binamu, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries binamu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
