asali
Honey in Swahili is asali. Wiktionary also lists uki.
Meaning: sweet substance produced by bees (noun)
Ways to say it
| Swahili | Note |
|---|---|
| asali | |
| uki | class 11 |
asali refers to the sweet substance produced by bees.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form uki is also listed as a member of class-11.
Did you know?
- The word asali is not originally Bantu, but was borrowed from the Arabic word for honey, ʕasal.
- In some coastal Swahili contexts, the sweetness of asali is used metaphorically to describe a person's pleasant or kind character.
- In Swahili culture, honey is often associated with healing and is used in traditional medicines across East Africa.
Examples in context
- Wanakula asali na mkate.They feed on honey and bread.This sentence shows how asali can be eaten with bread.Tatoeba #10874763 by ecorralest101, translation #5045706 by alexcasper
- Asali huwa haiharibiki.Honey doesn't spoil.This sentence illustrates that asali does not spoil.Tatoeba #10880369 by ecorralest101, translation #5769823 by Hybrid
- Ninapenda asali kwenye chai yangu.I like honey in my tea.
Example conversation
Fatuma and Said are having breakfast together.
- FatumaSaid, unataka asali kwenye chai yako?Said, do you want honey in your tea?
- SaidNdiyo, asali ni tamu sana.Yes, honey is very sweet.
- FatumaNimeleta asali ya asili kutoka kijijini.I brought natural honey from the village.
- SaidAsante sana, Fatuma.Thank you very much, Fatuma.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “honey” translations and entries asali, uki, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries asali, uki, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
