mke wangu
The Swahili phrase for "my wife" is mke wangu.
The phrase refers to the female partner to whom a person is legally or formally married.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of the noun mke (wife) followed by the possessive pronoun wangu (my/mine).
How does it change in a sentence?
In Swahili, the possessive pronoun wangu follows the noun it modifies, which is the opposite of the English word order.
Did you know?
- In some traditional East African cultures, a husband might refer to his wife as mama followed by the name of their firstborn child rather than saying mke wangu.
- In some Swahili songs, a wife is often metaphorically referred to as pambo la nyumba, meaning 'the ornament of the house'.
- In informal Tanzanian settings, a man might refer to his wife using the term mchumba wangu, which technically means 'my fiancé' or 'my sweetheart', to show affection.
Examples in context
- Je, unaniambia kuwa ni kawaida kabisa kumdanganya mke wangu?Are you telling me that it's completely normal to cheat on my wife?This sentence illustrates how to use mke wangu in a question about cheating.Tatoeba #10880652 by ecorralest101, translation #5835768 by OsoHombre
- Mke wangu amelala kochini, lakini kukorma kwake kunasumbua usingizi wangu.My wife is asleep on the couch, but her snoring is disturbing my sleep.This sentence shows mke wangu being used to describe a wife's sleeping habits.Tatoeba #10872104 by ecorralest101, translation #4482884 by Joseph
- Nitajaribu kutekeleza mambo yote mawili na kumtafutia mke wangu zawaidi ukumbusho wakati wa safari yangu ya biashara Amerika.I'll try to kill two birds with one stone and get my wife an anniversary present during my business trip to the States.This sentence demonstrates using mke wangu when discussing buying a gift for an anniversary.Tatoeba #10852712 by ecorralest101, translation #2621105 by FeuDRenais2
- Ninampenda mke wanguI love my wife
- Mke wangu mpendwa anaweza kupika vizuri sanaMy dear wife cooks very well
- Mke wangu mzuri ananiheshimu sanaMy beautiful wife respects me a lot
- Leo mke wangu anaadhimisha siku yake ya kuzaliwaToday, my wife is celebrating her birthday
- Ninathamini sana mchango wa mke wangu katika maisha yanguI highly value my wife's contribution in my life
- Mke wangu mpendwa ni chanzo cha furaha yanguMy dear wife is the source of my happiness
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Said is showing a photo to Fatuma.
- SaidHuyu ni mke wangu.This is my wife.
- FatumaAnapendeza sana.She is very lovely.
- SaidAsante, mke wangu ni mtu mwema.Thank you, my wife is a good person.
- FatumaMungu amebariki ndoa yenu.God has blessed your marriage.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
