Meeting People, Part 8: Family

Family
Familia
Do you have a…?	Una…?	oo-na
I have/don’t have a…	Nina/Sina…	nee-na/see-na
Boyfriend	Mpenzi	m-payn-zee
Brother	Kaka	ka-ka
Daughter	Binti	been-tee
Girlfriend	Mpenzi	m-payn-zee
Grandchild	Mijukuu	m-joo-koo
Husband	Mume	moo-may
Partner/fiancé	mchumba	m-choom-ba
Sister	Dada	da-da
Son	Mwana	mwa-na
Wife	Mke	m-kay
Family Tree
Swahili kinship connections through your father’s brother and your mother’s sisters are regarded very highly. Rather than being ‘uncles’ and ‘aunts’, they’re considered your parents too. If they’re older than your birth parents they’re mkubwa (‘big’), if they’re younger they’re mdogo (‘little’). However, mother’s brothers and father’s sisters don’t get distinguished by age. Many families in East Africa consist of one husband and two or more wives. Children of co-wives generally consider themselves brothers and sisters.
Aunt (father’s sister)	Shangazi	shan-ga-zee
Aunt (mother’s older sister)	Mama mkubwa	ma-ma m-koob-wa
Aunt (mother’s younger sister)	Mama mdogo	ma-ma m-doh-goh
Uncle (mother’s brother)	Mjomba	m-johm-ba
Uncle (father’s older brother)	Baba mkubwa	ba-ba m-koob-wa
Uncle (father’s younger brother)	Baba mdogo	ba-ba m-doh-goh
Big mother (father’s wife senior to your mother – the one he married before)	Mama mkubwa	ma-ma m-koob-wa
Little mother (father’s wife junior to your mother – the one he married after)	Mama mdogo	ma-ma m-doh-go
Do you have children?	Una watoto?	oo-na wa-toh-toh
How many children do you have?	Una watoto wangapi?	oo-na wa-toh-toh wan-ga-pee
Are you married?	Umeoa?/Umeolewa? m/f	oo-may-oh-a/oo-may-oh-lay-wa
I’m…
Divorced	Tumeachana	too-may-a-cha-na
Married	Nimeoa/nimeolewa m/f	nee-may-oh-a/nee-may-oh-lay-wa
Not married yet	Sijaoa/sijaolewa bado m/f	see-ja-oh-a/see-ja-oh-lay-wa ba-doh
Separated	Tumetengana	too-may-tayn-ga-na
Single	Mimi sina mpenzi	mee-mee see-na m-payn-zee