tamu
/ˈtɑ.mu/
The Swahili word for sweet is tamu.
tamu is used to describe something having a pleasant taste or flavor. It is also used metaphorically to describe pleasant non-food things, such as a sweet voice, a sweet smile or sweet dreams.
Meaning: having a pleasant taste (adj)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To say that something is very sweet, add the adverb sana after the adjective tamu (e.g., tamu sana).
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 2 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable: /ˈtɑ.mu/.
Did you know?
- The word tamu shares an unexpected connection to the Arabic word for 'taste', ṭaʕm, which is where the concept of flavor originates in the language.
- While tamu describes a sweet taste, the Swahili word tamu can also be used to describe someone who is physically attractive or charming.
- Unlike English, where 'sweet' can sometimes feel patronising when describing a person, using tamu to describe a voice is almost always a genuine compliment.
Examples in context
- Betty ana sauti tamu.Betty has a sweet voice.This sentence shows how to describe a sweet voice using tamu.Tatoeba #10807607 by ecorralest101, translation #33937 by CN
- Tabasamu la Kim lilikuwa tamu sana.Kim's smile was very sweet.This sentence illustrates describing a sweet smile with tamu.Tatoeba #10813755 by ecorralest101, translation #63209 by CN
- Bila busu ya usiku mzuri sitakuwa na ndoto tamu.Without a goodnight kiss I won't have sweet dreams.This sentence demonstrates using tamu to describe sweet dreams.Tatoeba #10874663 by ecorralest101, translation #4986010 by jayrod84
- Chai hii ni tamu sana.This tea is very sweet.
- Juisi hii ni tamu sana.This juice is very sweet.
- Chakula hiki ni kitamu sana.This food is very tasty.
- Jioni hii tumeenda kwenye mgahawa wa Kitanzania na nikala nyama choma kitamu sana!This evening we went to a Tanzanian restaurant and I had very tasty grilled meat!
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Juma and Fatuma are eating fruit together.
- JumaEmbe hili ni tamu sana.This mango is very sweet.
- FatumaNi kweli, nimependa sana.It is true, I liked it very much.
- JumaJe, unataka zaidi ya tamu hii?Do you want more of this sweet one?
- FatumaNdiyo, tafadhali niongezee.Yes, please give me more.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sweet” translations and entries tamu, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tamu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
