tamu
/ˈtɑ.mu/
The Swahili word for delicious is tamu.
tamu is an adjective used to describe something that is pleasing to the taste. It is a general term that can mean both 'delicious' and 'sweet'. While it describes a pleasant taste, it is often used in contrast with uchungu (bitter) or mbaya (bad) when discussing the quality of food.
Meaning: pleasing to taste (adj)
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtɑ.mu/. The stress is on the first of two syllables.
Did you know?
- When describing a person as tamu, it is often a romantic or flirtatious compliment meaning they are 'sweet' or attractive.
- A common way to emphasize that something is extremely delicious is to repeat the word as tamu tamu.
- In Swahili, tamu can describe both the flavor of food and the sweetness of a person's voice or words.
Examples in context
- Ukila na mtu unayempenda, kila kitu ni tamu, ukila na mtu usiyempendi, kila kitu ni kibaya. Ukila peke yako, huwezi kuonja kitu chochote.If you eat with someone you like, everything is delicious, if you eat with someone you don't like, everything is nasty. If you eat alone, you can't taste anything at all.This sentence is useful for illustrating how the company of others affects the perception of how tamu food tastes.Tatoeba #10858854 by ecorralest101, translation #3335418 by Jonet
- Chakula ni kitamuThe food is delicious.
- Chakula kitamu sanaThe food is very tasty.
- Ugali wako ni tamu sanaYour ugali is very tasty
- Chakula kwenye mgahawa huu ni bomba!The food at this restaurant is awesome!
- Chakula hiki ni tamu sana.This food is very delicious.
Example conversation
Said and Neema are eating lunch together.
- SaidNeema, chakula hiki ni tamu!Neema, this food is delicious!
- NeemaAsante, Said. Nimepikia leo.Thank you, Said. I cooked it today.
- SaidJe, umetumia asali ili iwe tamu?Did you use honey to make it delicious?
- NeemaNdiyo, nimeongeza asali kidogo.Yes, I added a little honey.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry tamu, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
