unanuka
To say you smell in Swahili, meaning someone has an unpleasant body odor, use unanuka.
unanuka tells someone directly that they smell bad. It is very blunt.
What does it mean word for word?
unanuka is made of the subject prefix u- for you, the present tense marker -na- and the verb stem -nuka, which means to smell bad.
Which one should you use?
unanukia means you are smelling something, like a flower, while unanuka means the person themselves has a bad odor. Una harufu mbaya sana! means you smell very bad, and Una harufu kali sana! means you have a strong smell.
How does it change in a sentence?
The stem -nuka always refers to a bad smell, so it cannot be used to say someone smells good. In casual speech some people add vibaya, meaning badly, for emphasis, as in unanuka vibaya, even though it repeats the idea.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use unanuka as a neutral or positive comment, since it always means a bad smell.
Did you know?
- To describe an intense body odor, Swahili uses kali, a word that also means 'sharp' or 'fierce'.
- While the verb -nuka is strictly negative, the noun 'harufu' is a neutral vessel. You can use 'harufu' to describe the scent of a divine perfume or the stench of garbage, depending on the adjectives you pair it with.
- Because unanuka is so blunt, saying it to a stranger is often seen as a direct social confrontation rather than a helpful tip. It is viewed more as a heavy accusation of hygiene failure than a polite observation.
Examples in context
- Samahani, harufu yako inaleta shida.Excuse me, your smell is causing a problem.
- Rafiki yangu, inabidi utumie marashi, harufu yako inavuta.My friend, you need to use perfume, your smell is strong.
- Unanuka sana leo.You smell very bad today.
- Samahani, unanuka vibaya.Excuse me, you smell bad.
- Je, unanuka kutokana na jasho?Do you smell because of sweat?
Example conversation
Neema and Omari are working together in a warm room.
- NeemaOmari, unanuka vibaya.Omari, you smell bad.
- OmariNi kwa sababu ya jasho.It is because of sweat.
- NeemaUnapaswa kuoga sasa.You should bathe now.
- OmariNitafanya hivyo baadaye.I will do that later.
