dada
The Swahili word for sister is dada. Wiktionary also lists umbu.
Meaning: woman or girl having the same parents (noun)
Ways to say it
| Swahili | Note |
|---|---|
| dada | |
| umbu | class 5, class 6 |
dada refers to a woman or girl sharing the same parents. Beyond biological relationships, it is often used as a polite way to address a woman or a female peer, similar to "sister" or "miss" in English. In urban environments, you may encounter the slang term shosti, which refers to a close female friend or sister-like figure.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word dada belongs to the noun class that uses the a- agreement. To say "his" or "her" sister, you use the possessive pronoun yake in the phrase dada yake. When talking about multiple sisters, the noun itself remains dada, but the possessive concord must change to zangu to match the plural noun class, resulting in dada zangu.
Did you know?
- While dada is the standard term, the word umbu is a rare or archaic variation inherited from the ancestral Proto-Bantu language *mʊ̀dʊ̀mbʊ̀.
- In Swahili culture, calling a stranger dada can be a strategic way to establish a familial bond and create immediate trust during a transaction or request.
- Because the word dada is invariant in the plural, the only way to tell if you are talking about one 'sister' or many 'sisters' is by looking at the accompanying possessive or adjective.
Examples in context
- Dada yangu ni mwerevu sana!My sister is a genius!This sentence shows how to express that a sister is very clever using dada.Tatoeba #10850904 by ecorralest101, translation #2562823 by DJ_Saidez
- Susan, dada ya Juan, ana akili sana.Susan, Juan's sister, is very intelligent.This sentence uses dada to describe a relationship between two people.Tatoeba #10835227 by ecorralest101, translation #875841 by CN
- Ally anapenda kucheza na dada yake pacha Anne.Ally loves playing with her twin sister Anne.This sentence demonstrates the use of dada when describing a twin sister.Tatoeba #10869695 by ecorralest101, translation #4404748 by Evie
- Dadangu atakuja kesho.My sister will come tomorrow.
- Kutana na dada yanguMeet my sister
- Naomba umsaidie dada yanguPlease help my sister
- Nataka kuzungumza na dadanguI want to talk to my sister
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Said and Fatuma are talking about their family.
- SaidJe, una dada mwingine?Do you have another sister?
- FatumaNdiyo, nina dada mmoja.Yes, I have one sister.
- SaidDada yako anaishi wapi?Where does your sister live?
- FatumaDada yangu anaishi Nairobi.My sister lives in Nairobi.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sister” translations and entries dada, umbu, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries umbu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
