kaa
/ˈkɑː/
The Swahili word for crab is kaa.
kaa refers to the crustacean known as a crab. It is important to note that kaa is a homonym. Depending on the context and tone used, it can also mean the verbs 'to sit', 'to stay' or 'to reside'.
Meaning: crustacean (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of kaa is makaa.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkɑː/
Did you know?
- In Swahili culture, the term kaa is used in idioms involving staying put, playing on its double meaning as both a crustacean and the verb 'to stay'.
- The word kaa evolved from the Proto-Bantu root *nkádá, tracing its history back to the ancient migrations of Bantu-speaking peoples across Africa.
- In certain Swahili dialects, the word for 'crab' and the word for 'charcoal' are indistinguishable, creating potential confusion in a marketplace.
Examples in context
- Mara tu niliporudi huko Shanghai, nitapika chakula kitamu cha noodle za mchele na kaa.As soon as I'm back in Shanghai, I'll cook up a delicious meal of rice noodles with crab.This sentence shows how to use kaa in the context of a meal.Tatoeba #10874851 by ecorralest101, translation #5081614 by dax00
- Ninapenda vyakula vya pwani kama pweza na kamba!I love coastal dishes like octopus and crab!
- Kaa huyu ni mkubwa sana.This crab is very large.
- Nilitaka kununua kaa sokoni.I wanted to buy crabs at the market.
Example conversation
At a seafood restaurant near the coast.
- ZuwenaJe, kuna kaa leo?Is there any crab today?
- BakariNdiyo, tuna kaa freshi sana.Yes, we have very fresh crabs.
- ZuwenaNipikie kaa mmoja tafadhali.Please cook one crab for me.
- BakariSawa, nitakuletea sasa hivi.Okay, I will bring it to you right now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “crab” translations and entries kaa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries kaa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
