pesa
/ˈpɛ.sɑ/
The Swahili word for money is pesa. Wiktionary also lists shilingi.
Meaning: currency (noun)
Ways to say it
| Swahili | IPA |
|---|---|
| pesa | /ˈpɛ.sɑ/ |
| shilingi |
In Swahili, you can use pesa to refer generally to money or wealth. If you are talking specifically about the currency unit known as the shilling, you should use shilingi.
Which one should you use?
pesa is a general term for money or wealth, whereas shilingi refers specifically to the unit of currency, the shilling.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Kenya, the term pesa is commonly used.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word pesa belongs to the N-class noun group, which means it does not change its form to indicate pluralization in standard Swahili. For the word shilingi, it is used for both singular and plural forms, meaning it can represent both 'shilling' and 'shillings' in common usage.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈpɛ.sɑ/. The first of two syllables is stressed.
Did you know?
- The word pesa was borrowed into Swahili from the Hindi and Urdu word paisā.
- While pesa means 'money' in Swahili, it is also the name of M-PESA, the world's first widely successful mobile phone money transfer system started in Kenya.
- In many East African markets, the word pesa is used in a 'haggling' culture where the first price mentioned is rarely the final 'pesa' paid.
Examples in context
- Sio juu ya pesa.It isn't about money.This sentence shows how to use pesa in a negative context regarding the subject of money.Tatoeba #10893594 by ecorralest101, translation #7198728 by CK
- Yuko ndani ya pesa.He's in the money.This sentence uses pesa to describe someone who is wealthy.Tatoeba #10813891 by ecorralest101, translation #65471 by CM
- Usifikirie kuwa atakukpesha pesa.Don't reckon that he'd lend you some money.This sentence uses pesa in the context of lending money.Tatoeba #10863351 by ecorralest101, translation #3473265 by RU
- Ninahitaji pesaI need money
- Tafadhali, nipe fedhaPlease give me money
- Mashirika mengi yanafanya biashara kwa kutumia fedhaMany organizations conduct business using money
- Mambo yanakwenda vizuri, mali inaingiaThings are going well, money is coming in
- Tafadhali, nipe pesa kidogoPlease give me a little money
- Biashara yangu inaniletea pesa nyingiMy business brings me a lot of money
- Ninahitaji shilingi kumiI need ten shillings
- Ninataka kutumia pesa kidogoI want to spend a little money
- Uwekezaji mzuri unahitaji pesa nyingiGood investment requires a lot of money
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Aisha and Said are talking about buying a new book.
- AishaJe, unayo pesa ya kununua kitabu hiki?Do you have money to buy this book?
- SaidHapana, sina pesa sasa hivi.No, I don't have money right now.
- AishaSiwa na pesa, naweza kukupatia.I have money, I can give you some.
- SaidAsante sana, Aisha!Thank you very much, Aisha!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “money” translations and entries pesa, shilingi, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pesa, shilingi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
