Swahili Tongue Twisters
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| Original: | Mbuzi hali nazi kwa vile hawezi kupanda ngazi ndipo azifikie nazi. |
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| English: | A goat cannot eat coconut because it cannot climb up a ladder to reach the coconuts up in the coconut tree. |
| Original: | Katibu Kata wa Kata ya Mkata amekataa katakata kukata miti katika kata ya Mkata. |
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| English: | The head of Mkata ward has forbidden to cut trees in the Mkapa ward. |
| Original: | Wale wari wa liwali wale wali wa liwali. |
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| English: | Let those maidens of the liwali (former Muslim government representative) eat the rice of the liwali. "Wari" is sometimes spelled "wali". |
| Original: | Kipi kikusikitishacho? |
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| English: | What makes you feel sorry? or "What's bugging you? |
| Original: | Karim ni mkarimu na ana karamu. |
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| English: | Karim is generous and he has a party |
| Original: | Kale kakuku kadogo ka kaka kako wapi kaka? |
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| English: | Where are your chickens, brother? |
| Original: | Mkaidi hafaidi hadi siku ya Idi. |
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| English: | The obstinate person (Mkaidi) doesn't profit/gain/get ahead (hafaidi) until (hadi) the festival of Idi (siku ya Idi), that is until the day at the end of Ramadan: A stubborn person doesn't get ahead until a long time has passed. |
| Original: | Haraka haraka haina baraka. |
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| English: | Hurry hurry has no blessings (haste makes waste). |
| Original: | Juzi mjuzi akala mchuzi wa mjusi. |
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| English: | The day before yesterday the wise man ate some lizard soup. |
| Original: | Tupe tupate, tumtupie Tapu |
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| English: | Give (it) to us so we can have (it) in order to pass (it) on to Tapu. |
| Original: | Nina wamnunia nani, Nunu nae keshanuna |
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| English: | Who are you sulking at, Nina, Nunu is already sulking. |
| Original: | Nimenufaika kutunukiwa tunu na Nunu. |
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| English: | I have benefited from a rare gift from Nunu. |
| Original: | Kikujiacho kitakachokuondoka. |
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| English: | What comes to you will leave you |
| Original: | Hapo ulipo upo upo |
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| English: | Is there a ladle (there) where you are? |
| Original: | Twanga tope ni twange tope tope hilo la twangwa je? |
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| English: | A muddy-muddy is a muddy-muddy? |
| Original: | Paka wa kisasa wakipata kuku wa kienyeji katika mkate wa asubuhi |
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| English: | The modern cat caught a native chicken in the morning bread |
| Original: | Chura chini cha chura cha chura |
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| English: | The bottom of the sieve is the sieve of the sieve |
| Original: | Binadamu bamwona simba katika jangwa, lakini simba hakuona binadamu |
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| English: | Humans saw a lion in the jungle, but the lion did not see humans |
| Original: | Fimbo ya kijani ilipata kuchoma, lakini kuchoma hakipata fimbo ya kijani |
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| English: | The green stick got burnt, but the burn did not get the green stick |
| Original: | Ndizi za kijivu zimekata miti, lakini miti havimekati ndizi za kijivu |
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| English: | The ripe bananas have cut down the trees, but the trees have not cut down the ripe bananas |
| Original: | Mtu wa mwenzake anapatikana katika kanda la mwenzake, lakini mwenzake hakipatikani katika kanda la mtu wa mwenzake |
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| English: | Your friend can be found in your section, but your section cannot be found in your friend's section |
| Original: | Mnyama wa mbalamwezi anapata chakula cha mwezi, lakini mwezi hakipata chakula cha mnyama wa mbalamwezi |
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| English: | The lunar animal gets the food of the month, but the month does not get the food of the lunar animal |
| Original: | Mtoto wa mkono anapata mguu wa mkono, lakini mguu wa mkono hakipata mtoto wa mkono |
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| English: | The hand child gets the hand foot, but the hand foot does not get the hand child |
| Original: | Nyasi za mawe zimechoma, lakini mawe havimechomi nyasi za mawe |
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| English: | The grass on the stone has burnt, but the stone has not burnt the grass on it |
| Original: | Mtu mzima anapata mavazi ya watoto, lakini watoto havapatani mavazi ya mtu mzima |
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| English: | A grown person gets the clothes of children, but children do not get the clothes of a grown person |