nakupenda
/nɑ.kuˈpɛ.ⁿdɑ/
In Swahili, "I love you" is said as nakupenda. Wiktionary also lists ninakupenda.
Meaning: affirmation of romantic feeling (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Swahili | IPA |
|---|---|
| nakupenda | /nɑ.kuˈpɛ.ⁿdɑ/ |
| ninakupenda |
This phrase is used to express an affirmation of romantic feeling.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form ninakupenda is the full, grammatically complete version of the phrase, whereas nakupenda is a common shortened version used in speech. To say "I love you too" in response, you can add the word pia to the end of the phrase to get nakupenda pia.
How do you pronounce it?
/nɑ.kuˈpɛ.ⁿdɑ/. The word has 4 syllables and the stress is on the 3rd syllable.
Did you know?
- In many East African cultures, expressing romantic love with nakupenda is traditionally more common in private than in public, as overt displays of affection can be seen as improper.
- The phrase nakupenda is built like a Lego set, where the subject, the tense, the object, and the action are all snapped together into a single word.
- Swahili's structure in nakupenda belongs to the Bantu language family, which relies heavily on these complex systems of noun classes and markers.
Examples in context
- Nakupenda.I love you.This example shows how to use the form nakupenda.Tatoeba #369350 by Blaz, translation #1434 by awael58
- Nakupenda sana, mpenzi wangu.I love you very much, my love.
- Unajua kwamba nakupenda?Do you know that I love you?
Example conversation
A couple is saying goodbye before work.
- FatumaNitakukumbuka leo, Bakari.I will miss you today, Bakari.
- BakariMimi pia nitakukumbuka, Fatuma.I will miss you too, Fatuma.
- FatumaNakupenda sana.I love you very much.
- BakariNakupenda pia.I love you too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I love you” translations and entries nakupenda, ninakupenda, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
