Swahili Food & Drink Vocabulary

This page collects frequently used Swahili words for talking about food and drink, from everyday basics like chakula (food) and maji (water) to more specific terms such as nafaka (grain) and uvuvi (fishing). Each entry comes with an English translation and an example sentence, so you can see the word in use rather than memorising it in isolation.

Whether you are learning Swahili food vocabulary for travel, cooking, or general conversation, this list gives you a practical starting point. You will find core verbs such as kula (eat) and kunywa (to drink) alongside nouns for meals, drinks, fruits, and farming, so you can build full sentences about what you eat and where it comes from.

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Swahili Food & Drink Vocabulary: the list

#SwahiliEnglishTypeExample
1 kongo guinea fowl noun Ninapenda kuvaa kongo wakati wa sherehe.
2 chakula food noun Ninapenda chakula ya asubuhi kila siku.
3 uturuki turkey noun Wakati wa sherehe, tulikula uturuki na kuangalia filamu.
4 mafuta oil or fat noun Ninahitaji mafuta ili kupika chakula vizuri.
5 maji water noun Ninahitaji maji ili kupika chakula.
6 njaa hunger noun Watu wengi wanakabiliwa na njaa katika maeneo ya umaskini.
7 kilimo agriculture noun Watu wengi wanajihusisha na kilimo ili kupata chakula.
8 kula eat verb Watoto wanapenda kula matunda ya majira ya joto.
9 kunywa to drink verb Usisahau kunywa maji ya kutosha.
10 maziwa milk noun Ninapenda kunywa maziwa kila asubuhi.
11 divai wine noun Alileta divai nzuri kwa karamu.
12 meloni watermelon noun Ninapenda kula meloni wakati wa joto.
13 chapo flatbread noun Ninapenda chapo hii ya samaki.
14 vyakula foods noun Soko lina vyakula mbalimbali za kienyeji.
15 minane sugarcane noun Wanafunzi wanahitaji minane ili kujifunza.
16 eid feast noun Siku ya eid ni ya furaha kwa Waislamu.
17 matunda fruits noun Ninapenda kula matunda safi.
18 mlo meal noun Nilipika mlo wa jioni kwa familia.
19 barafu ice noun Watoto wanapenda kucheza na barafu wakati wa majira ya baridi.
20 uvuvi fishing noun uvuvi ni kazi maarufu katika maeneo ya pwani.
21 chai tea noun Ninapenda kunywa chai asubuhi.
22 nafaka grain noun Tunahitaji nafaka zaidi kwa msimu huu.
23 nyama meat noun Ninapenda nyama ya kuku kwa chakula.
24 rutubisha to fertilize verb Mvua rutubisha ardhi ili iweze kuzaa.
25 samaki fish noun Ninapenda kula samaki wa baharini.
26 kalembe a type of fish noun kalembe ni sehemu muhimu ya mchakato.
27 mbolea fertilizer noun Tumia mbolea ili kuboresha udongo wa shamba.
28 mkate bread noun Ninapenda mkate wa ngano.
29 mvinyo wine noun Alileta mvinyo kwenye sherehe.
30 mahindi corn or maize noun Tunaweza kupika mahindi kwa ajili ya chakula cha mchana.
31 mgahawa restaurant noun Tulienda mgahawa kwa ajili ya chakula cha jioni.
32 pombe alcohol noun Watu wengi wanakunywa pombe kwenye sherehe.
33 mboga vegetable noun Ninapenda kula mboga za majani kila siku.
34 ngano wheat noun Tunaweza kupika mkate kwa kutumia ngano.
35 shiri sugarcane noun Alinunua shiri nzuri kwa ajili ya sherehe.
36 mavuno harvest noun Wakulima wanatarajia mavuno mazuri mwaka huu.
37 apple apple noun Ninapenda kula apple kila siku.
38 kahawa coffee noun Asubuhi, sipendi kuanza siku bila kahawa.
39 chumvi salt noun Usisahau kuongeza chumvi kwenye supu.
40 migahawa restaurants noun Jiji hili lina migahawa wengi wa kupendeza.
41 kupika to cook verb Ninapenda kupika chakula kitamu kila siku.
42 dhifa feast noun Mtu alileta dhifa ya chakula kwa ajili ya sherehe.
43 purusi sugarcane noun Tuna purusi nyingi za kupika.
44 sukari sugar noun Ninapenda sukari katika chai yangu.
45 umaro sugarcane noun Kila mtoto anahitaji umaro ili kukua vizuri.
46 dafu coconut noun Nilinunua dafu kutoka sokoni.
47 ufugaji farming noun ufugaji wa ng'ombe unahitaji ujuzi na uvumilivu.
48 kulisha to feed verb Ni jukumu letu kulisha wanyama.
49 kuku chicken noun Ninapenda kula kuku wa kienyeji.
50 makengeza mushrooms noun makengeza ni sehemu muhimu ya mazingira yetu.
51 mnazi coconut noun Mti wa mnazi unatoa maziwa mazuri.
52 kakao cocoa noun Ninapenda kakao na maziwa asubuhi.
53 nana banana noun Ninapenda kula nana kwa asubuhi.
54 ulaji consumption noun ulaji wa matunda ni mzuri kwa afya.
55 vuna to harvest verb Wakulima wanahitaji vuna mazao yao.
56 kulima to cultivate or to farm verb Watu wengi wanapenda kulima ardhi zao.
57 virutubisho nutrients noun Chakula hiki kina virutubisho vingi kwa afya.
58 greens greens noun Saladi hii ina greens nyingi za afya.
59 mtama sorghum noun Mkulima alipanda mtama shambani.
60 nywa to drink verb Tafadhali nywa maji mengi.
61 viazi potatoes noun Leo tutapika viazi na nyama.
62 yam yam noun Mtu anahitaji yam ili kuwa na nguvu.
63 karamu feast noun Tulipanga karamu kubwa kwa ajili ya sherehe.
64 kizungumkuti puzzle noun Kuna kizungumkuti katika mazungumzo yetu.
65 mpishi cook noun Ninataka kuwa mpishi maarufu siku moja.
66 chachu yeast noun Tunaweza kuongeza chachu kwenye mchanganyiko.
67 tunu delicacy noun Tunaweza kupata tunu nyingi katika nchi yetu.
68 vinywaji beverages noun Tafadhali lete vinywaji baridi kwa wageni.
69 heifer heifer noun Mkulima alileta heifer mpya shambani.
70 jiko stove noun Nimeweka chakula kwenye jiko.
71 kadugli cabbage noun kadugli ni sehemu ya utamaduni wetu.
72 mchele rice noun Ninapenda mchele na samaki.
73 upishi cooking noun upishi ni sanaa inayohitaji uvumbuzi.
74 kuchomwa to be roasted verb Chakula kilipaswa kuchomwa vizuri.
75 karanga groundnut noun Ninapenda kula karanga wakati wa filamu.
76 lisha to feed verb Ni muhimu lisha wanyama ili wawe na afya nzuri.
77 masawe mushrooms noun masawe ni sehemu ya familia yetu.
78 mbogamboga vegetable noun Tunaweza kupika mbogamboga nyingi za afya.
79 mikate breads noun Tunapika mikate kila asubuhi.
80 msumbuji mushroom noun Mtu huyu ni msumbuji wa habari.
81 mushi mushroom noun Ninapenda mushi wa asali.
82 orange orange noun Ninapenda kula orange kwa sababu ni tamu.
83 soya soy noun Ninapenda kula soyakwa mlo wangu.
84 tuffah apple noun Ninapenda kula tuffah kila wakati.
85 kasembe sauce noun Ninapenda kula kasembe na samaki.
86 pilipili pepper noun Ninapenda pilipili kwenye chakula changu.
87 wakila to eat verb Watoto wakila chakula cha jioni.
88 bhajia fritter noun Ninapenda kula bhajia na chai.
89 chamwino sorrel noun Ninapenda chamwino ya samaki.
90 mugi barley noun mugi ni sehemu ya jamii yetu.
91 mwabukusi a type of fish noun Mtu wa mwabukusi alikimbia.
92 mwarobaini wormwood noun mwarobaini ni mmea wa dawa.
93 nazi coconut noun Ninapenda nazi kwenye saladi yangu.
94 ndizi banana noun Ninapenda kula ndizi za kijani.
95 nyakakoma a type of fish noun Mji wa nyakakoma unajulikana kwa utamaduni wake.
96 machungwa oranges noun Soko linauza machungwa safi na tamu.
97 amekula to eat verb Leo amekula chakula kizuri cha jioni.
98 ameliagiza to order verb Mkurugenzi ameliagiza meli mpya.
99 bia beer noun Ninapenda kunywa bia wakati wa jioni.
100 damari dough noun Kila mtu anahitaji damari ili kuishi.
101 kabuya a type of fish noun Ninapenda kula kabuya na ugali kwa chakula cha jioni.
102 kamais a type of fish noun Ninapenda kamais yangu ya zamani, ina historia nzuri.
103 kambole a type of fish noun Tunaweza kupanda kambole kwenye mlima.
104 kate slice noun Mtu alileta kate nzuri ya matunda.
105 kuzilisha to feed verb Ni muhimu kuzilisha wanyama katika shamba.
106 mahiu a type of fish noun Maji ya mahiu ni safi sana.
107 makuruta mushrooms noun Wanafunzi walijifunza kuhusu makuruta za kisayansi.
108 mwadime a type of fish noun Mtu mwadime ni mfano wa kuigwa.
109 ndolo a type of fish noun Mtu mmoja alileta ndolo kubwa ya matunda.
110 proteini protein noun Chakula hiki kina proteini nyingi.
111 shacha sugarcane noun Ninapenda kula shacha kwa sababu ni tamu.
112 somanga sardine noun Ninapenda somanga kwa sababu ni tamu.
113 supu soup noun Ninapenda supu ya kuku wakati wa baridi.
114 asali honey noun Ninapenda asali kwenye chai yangu.
115 food food noun Ninapenda food ya kienyeji.
116 kuliwa to be eaten verb Samaki kuliwa na mamba katika mto.
117 maharage beans noun Ninapenda kupika maharage na nyama kwa chakula.
118 rib rib noun Ninapenda kula rib ya ng'ombe.

Tips

Frequently asked questions

What's the best way to learn Swahili food and drink vocabulary?

Use spaced repetition so words like chakula, maji, and kunywa move into long-term memory, and practise producing the Swahili word from an English prompt, since active recall sticks better than passive reading.

Do I need to know some Swahili grammar to use this list?

A little helps. If you recognise noun class patterns such as chakula/vyakula and can use verbs like kula and kunywa in simple sentences, you can turn each new word into a full sentence right away.

How does practice work on Vocab Voyage?

You see an English prompt and type the Swahili word, with spaced repetition scheduling your reviews; small differences in accent marks are forgiven, so a near-miss in typing won't be counted against you.

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