aiskrimu
aiskrimu is the Swahili word for ice cream.
aiskrimu refers to the frozen dessert. It is a loanword adapted from the English 'ice cream'.
Meaning: dessert (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
aiskrimu belongs to the N-class (noun class 9/10), meaning it is treated as a singular noun without a prefix in its base form.
Did you know?
- While aiskrimu is the standard word for the dessert, you will often see it sold on the streets of East Africa as 'ice cream' in English, as the loanword is so close to the original that both are used interchangeably.
- The 'u' at the end of aiskrimu is a common feature in Swahili loanwords, as the language typically avoids ending words with consonants.
- The spelling aiskrimu replaces the English 'c' with 'k', a common way Swahili adapts English words to ensure they can be read with consistent Bantu phonetic patterns.
Examples in context
- Sifurahii kula aiskrimu wakati wa majira ya baridi.I don't enjoy eating ice cream during the winter.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of aiskrimu in a negative context regarding seasonal preferences.Tatoeba #10855316 by ecorralest101, translation #2895110 by AlanF_US
- Ninaipenda aiskrimu ya vanilla.I love vanilla ice cream.
- Je, unataka aiskrimu leo?Do you want ice cream today?
Example conversation
At a local dessert shop in the afternoon.
- OmariZuwena, unataka kula aiskrimu?Zuwena, do you want to eat ice cream?
- ZuwenaNdiyo, Omari, naipenda sana.Yes, Omari, I love it very much.
- OmariTununue aiskrimu ya chokoleti?Shall we buy chocolate ice cream?
- ZuwenaHiyo ni wazo zuri!That is a good idea!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ice cream” translations and entries aiskrimu, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
