kaa
/ˈkɑː/
To sit in Swahili is to kaa.
The verb describes a person being in a position where the upper body is upright and the legs are supported. The infinitive form kukaa is also frequently used to mean staying in a place, living or residing in a location.
Meaning: of a person, be in a position in which the upper body is upright and the legs are supported (verb)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Tanzanian Swahili, it is common to use the word keti to mean 'sit'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The infinitive form of the verb is kukaa. The third-person singular present tense form, meaning 'he/she sits' or 'is sitting', is anakaa.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkɑː/
Did you know?
- The word kaa is a homonym that also means 'crab' in Swahili.
- The Swahili word for 'sit' shares a common ancestral root with many other Bantu languages, tracing back to the Proto-Bantu form *-jìkada.
- If you are asked unakaa wapi?, you are not being asked about your physical posture, but rather 'where do you live?' or 'where are you staying?'
Examples in context
- Kaeni watoto.Children, sit down.
- Kaa hapa.Sit here.
- Tafadhali kaa chini.Please sit down.
Example conversation
Omari and Fatuma are meeting in a living room.
- OmariKaribu, Fatuma. Kaa hapa.Welcome, Fatuma. Sit here.
- FatumaAsante, Omari.Thank you, Omari.
- OmariJe, unataka maji?Do you want some water?
- FatumaNdiyo, asante sana.Yes, thank you very much.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry kaa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries kaa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
