nanasi
The Swahili word for pineapple is nanasi.
nanasi is a noun used to refer to the pineapple fruit.
Meaning: fruit (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
In Swahili, nanasi is a noun.
Did you know?
- The word nanasi acts as a linguistic traveler, starting in the indigenous Tupi language of Brazil before reaching Swahili via Portuguese.
- In East African markets, you will often find nanasi served pre-sliced and seasoned with salt or chili powder.
- While 'pineapple' describes the fruit's appearance by combining 'pine' and 'apple', nanasi is a single root word that does not describe its look.
Examples in context
- Nanasi ni tamu sana.Pineapple is very sweet.
- Ninataka kununua nanasi leo.I want to buy a pineapple today.
- Je, una nanasi mezani?Do you have a pineapple on the table?
Example conversation
Aisha and Said are at a fruit market.
- AishaSaid, unataka kununua nanasi?Said, do you want to buy a pineapple?
- SaidNdiyo, nanasi hapa zinaonekana nzuri.Yes, the pineapples here look good.
- AishaTutaichagua nanasi kubwa zaidi.We will choose the biggest pineapple.
- SaidSawa, hiyo itakuwa nzuri.Okay, that one will be good.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pineapple” translations and entries nanasi, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nanasi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
