Ways to say it
| Swahili | Note |
|---|---|
| maisha | class 5, class 6 |
| uhai | class 11, class 12 |
The word maisha is used to refer to the general concept of life, a person's lifestyle or the period of time a person is alive. Common phrases include Ubora wa maisha (Quality of life), Maisha huanza baada ya miaka arobaini (Life begins at forty) and Duara la maisha (Circle of life). To express possession, such as 'my life', you use the phrase maisha yangu.
Which one should you use?
Use maisha when referring to the experience of living, the concept of life or a lifetime.
How does it change in a sentence?
maisha is a noun belonging to the M/Mi class (class 5/6). While its structure is that of a plural-form noun, it often functions as a singular concept. The possessive adjective yangu in maisha yangu is used to agree with the noun class of maisha.
Did you know?
- Swahili distinguishes between two types of life: maisha refers to the experience or lifestyle of living, whereas uhai refers more specifically to the biological state of being alive.
- The word maisha is borrowed from the Arabic word maʕīša, which specifically relates to one's livelihood or the means of living.
- In Swahili, the word hai is used as an adjective for 'alive', and by adding the prefix u-, it transforms into the noun uhai meaning 'life'.
Examples in context
- Maisha ni magumu kwa kila mtu.Life is hard for everybody.This sentence shows how to describe the difficulty of life using maisha.Tatoeba #10874813 by ecorralest101, translation #5069819 by CK
- Kila kitu sio rahisi katika maisha.Everything isn't always simple in life.This sentence uses maisha to express that not everything in life is simple.Tatoeba #10866276 by ecorralest101, translation #3840154 by Eldad
- Anamaanisha zaidi ya maisha yangu kwangu.She means more than my life to me.This sentence demonstrates the use of maisha when expressing personal value.Tatoeba #10824913 by ecorralest101, translation #314389 by CM
- Ninathamini uhai wako.I value your life.
- 29 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Omari and Aisha are talking about their future goals.
- OmariNataka kuanza maisha mapya huko mjini.I want to start a new life there in the city.
- AishaJe, unadhani maisha yatakuwa rahisi huko?Do you think life will be easy there?
- OmariSijui, lakini nitafanya kazi kwa bidii.I don't know, but I will work hard.
- AishaKila heri katika maisha yako, Omari.All the best in your life, Omari.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “life” translations and entries maisha, uhai, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries maisha, uhai, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
