tuug
The Somali word for thief is tuug.
tuug is used to refer to a person who carries out a theft.
Meaning: one who carries out theft (noun)
Did you know?
- In certain poetic contexts, calling someone a tuug can be a metaphorical way of describing a person who has 'stolen' one's heart or affections.
- Because Somali culture places a high value on honor and trustworthiness, labeling someone a tuug is considered a much more severe social blow than it might be in some Western contexts.
- While tuug identifies the person, the action of stealing is described by the verb xado, which comes from a completely different linguistic root.
Examples in context
- Tuug ayaa guriga soo galay.A thief entered the house.
- Waa inaan tuugka qabannaa.We must catch the thief.
- Tuug ayaa boorsadayda xaday.A thief stole my bag.
Example conversation
Mustafa and Hodan are talking about a missing phone.
- MustafaHodan, taleefankaygii ma aragtay?Hodan, have you seen my phone?
- HodanMaya, ma arkin. Ma tuug ayaa kaa xaday?No, I didn't. Did a thief steal it from you?
- MustafaHaa, waxaan u malaynayaa inay tuug ahayd.Yes, I think it was a thief.
- HodanAan wacno booliska hadda, Mustafa.Let's call the police now, Mustafa.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “thief” translations and entries tuug, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
