wangu
The Swahili word for "my" is wangu.
wangu is a possessive adjective used to indicate that something belongs to the speaker. In Swahili, the specific form of the word for "my" changes depending on the noun it is describing.
Meaning: belonging to me (det)
How does it change in a sentence?
The possessive adjective is placed after the noun it modifies.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use wangu for all nouns regardless of noun class. Ensure you select the form that matches the specific noun class of the object or person you are describing.
Did you know?
- In Swahili, the word for 'my' is not a standalone word but a combination of the possessive stem -angu and a prefix that agrees with the noun.
- In some poetic or very formal contexts, you might see the possessive shifted to a different position to create rhythm, though it usually follows the noun.
- When describing your own body parts, such as 'my head' or 'my hand', Swahili uses a specific set of rules that differ from how you would describe 'my book'.
Examples in context
- Mama wangu ana homa.My mother is sick.This sentence shows how to use wangu with a person.Tatoeba #13155848 by ecorralest101, translation #6357962 by CK
- Yeye ni mwalimu wangu.She is my teacher.Tatoeba #3172542 by ecorralest101, translation #3100343 by CH
- Mwalimu wangu ni Bi. LiMy teacher is Mrs. Li.Tatoeba #10827755 by ecorralest101, translation #456479 by lukaszpp
- Kitabu changuMy book
- Ofisi yanguMy office
- Baba yanguMy father
- Watoto wanguMy children
- Gari languMy car
- Chakula changuMy food
- 68 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Fatuma and Said are talking about their belongings.
- FatumaHii ni simu yangu, na huyu ni kaka wangu.This is my phone, and this is my brother.
- SaidKaka wangu anasoma shule hiyo hiyo.My brother attends that same school.
- FatumaJe, unajua jina lake?Do you know his name?
- SaidNdiyo, jina lake ni Said.Yes, his name is Said.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
