All Nyaudzosingwi

Figurative Expressions

• kere kereUsed of a hen's call: when a hen cries kere kere it is about to lay eggs.
• kereketyeVariant spelling of "keche".
• ketu ketuDescribes counting things out one by one, as one would with paper money. Used as in: all his money was counted out ketu ketu, and it was handed to him right there.
• kibiDescribes smearing or pouring something on in excess. Examples: Marwei had smeared oil on her face (kibi), saying it was the fashion; the daughter-in-law put so much salt (kibi) in the relish that people could not eat it.
• kichaDescribes the locking together of people who are beginning to wrestle.
• kichiDescribes something being caught or hooked, catching onto a peg or some such place. Compare kibi, haka.
• kikiri kikiriUsed of people grappling in a wrestling match, each trying to throw the other to the ground.
• kikiri riDescribes fighting hard, grappling and wrestling with another person.
• kikirikitiVariant spelling of "kikiriri".
• kindi kindiThe sound of a drum being beaten.
• kindingindi
• kindingu kindinguThe sound made by a fairly large drum. Compare kindi kindi.
• kiri kiriDescribes the running of an animal fleeing at very great speed.
• kiri kiriDescribes the ululating a person makes when they are very happy.
• kirikitiDescribes jumping down to the ground from a high place. Compare jiti.
• kiririDescribes stepping on a ball to bring it to a standstill. Also used of marking an opponent in a game of football when you are trying to take the ball from him.
• kiyinuDescribes the springing open of a padlock when you have turned its little one inside it. Antonym: kiye.
• ko
• ko-oVariant spelling of "ko".
• koboThe sound made by a small object thrown into water. Variant: kobvo.
• koboDescribes the bite of a snake. Used as in: he climbed a tree to pick fruit and was bitten kobo by a snake that was in it.
• kobodoDescribes the gaping emptiness of a vessel when it no longer holds anything. Compare kwabada.
• kobvoVariant spelling of "kobo".
• kobvo kobvoThe sound heard when a person walks through mud, or when wearing shoes full of water.
• kocheDescribes joining things together by hooking or fastening them, as one would do with a chain.
• kochoThe sound made by something that has fallen into grass or leaves.
• kocho kochoThe sound of things knocking against one another inside a tin that is not full.
• kochomoUsed of something that has fallen from a height, especially out of a tree.
• kochonoDescribes the coming apart or loosening of things that have been joined together, especially a chain. Antonym: koche.
• kodoboDescribes the caving in of a house, or of the soil lying over a hole, falling inwards.
• kodobvoVariant spelling of "kodobo".
• kodomaUsed of a person simply sitting idle with nothing to do, as in: I found him just sitting there, yet nothing at all had been done in the house.
• kodzo kodzoDescribes the circling motion made with a cooking stick when stirring or turning sadza as it is being cooked.
• kodzongo kodzongoDescribes stirring on and on without stopping, as when cooking sadza. Compare kodzo kodzo.
• koi koiDescribes the working of the hips back and forth by a woman or a man during sexual intercourse. Compare kodi kodi.
• kokoda knknrla
• kokonoDescribes scraping or prising off things that are firmly stuck on.
• kokorigoVariant spelling of "kukurigo".
• kokororoThe croaking of frogs.
• kondomaUsed of a person sitting with nothing to do and with a sullen, sulking expression, as in: when he was refused the money, he went out and sat slumped there against the wall.
• kondoroDescribes doing something as though unwillingly, reluctantly.
• kongonya kongonyaDescribes walking in a way that shows one is puffed up with self-importance and afraid of nothing.
• konoDescribes giving something to someone while showing that you have no wish to give it, handing it over only because there is nothing else you can do.
• konongoDescribes scraping out the little bits of food that remain, using a finger or a small stick.
• korofi korofiDescribes weeding in a manner that shows the person is lazy.
• koromoDescribes something falling to the ground, tumbling and rolling down from a height.
• koshomoDescribes knocking fruit that is up in a tree so that it falls to the ground. Compare kuzhumu.
• koto kotoThe sound of water flowing noisily.
• kotsiDescribes the nodding of the head of a person who is being overcome by sleep.
• kovoDescribes the pecking of a chicken as it eats.
• kozomoDescribes a person, animal or fruit falling out of a tree.
• kubuUsed of the falling asleep of a tired person, who no sooner reaches his bed than sleep takes him.
• kubvuThe sound made by a large object as it falls into water.
• kucheDescribes scattering or pouring far too much of something into something else. Mai Chorosi put salt kuche into her husband's relish, wanting to make it unbearable for him; the herdboys let the cattle kuche into VaShaya's garden, in revenge for having been scolded by him.
• kudubuDescribes a sudden fall, when a person unexpectedly drops to the ground, as in: Misheki stepped on a banana skin and went down on the back of his head.
• kuhumuDescribes the dropping of many fruits from a tree all at once, as when a strong wind brings down mazhanje so that the ground is covered with them. Also describes the coming away or detaching of something that was covering or stuck onto something.
• kukururuVariant spelling of "kekerere".
• kumuDescribes stripping a garment off the body in haste, as when a man gets home, whips off his work clothes, pulls on khakis and is straight out again. Also of metal or a bolt that was held fast coming loose or coming away quickly.
• kundumaDescribes a person sitting sullen and scowling, saying nothing. As in: 'If you stare at me like that, am I the one who told them to insult you?'
• kunyunguDescribes dancing in which one works the waist, twisting and rolling it.
• kurundunduUsed of a person sitting dead silent, unwilling to speak to anyone, as in: when we reached our aunt's home we found her husband just sitting there mute, so we took our leave before we had meant to.
• kushuDescribes the way a tired person lies down, simply flinging themselves down and dozing off just like that.
• kutuDescribes tipping out or dumping down things one has been carrying.
• kutu-uDescribes a stifling smell that hangs everywhere, especially after someone has broken wind.
• kutunuDescribes pulling off one's clothes and flinging them aside. As in: Bheni showed that he was angry — when he got up he tore off his shirt, bellowing.
• kuzvuDescribes being slightly hurt, with only the top layer of skin coming off, after scraping against something.
• kwabuDescribes opening something by force; also pulling something off by force from where it was stuck fast.
• kwabvuVariant spelling of "gwabvu".
• kwachaThe sound of things falling to the ground noisily. When the thief tried to fish out a wallet full of money, the owner turned round, and the wallet fell with a kwacha.
• kwachaThe clattering noise made by pieces of metal striking against one another, as in: when we heard the gate go kwacha kwacha we knew at once that those thieves had come back. Compare kweche kweche.
• kwachanuDescribes forcibly pulling apart things that were joined together.
• kwachataUsed of money falling to the ground with a noise and scattering all over the place.
• kwachuDescribes biting off a piece with the teeth forcefully. Also of taking money or a quantity of other things all at one go.
• kwachuDescribes answering someone angrily.
• kwachuDescribes counting paper money one note at a time.
• kwadabuDescribes pulling something off from where it is stuck; also lifting something away from where it lies in order to see what is underneath it.
• kwakuDescribes setting off suddenly, without any warning. As in: when the thief saw the police he shot into the car and sped off.
• kwakuDescribes jumping, hopping or springing a short distance, as a flea does. Also used of dishing out a small amount of food from the pot onto a plate.
• kwakwanuDescribes the peeling away of something from where it was stuck, as in: he eased off the bandage he had on gently, because it had stuck to the hair on his legs.
• kwakwara kwakwara
• kwakwashaVariant spelling of "kakasha".
• kwakwasha kwakwashaDescribes the movement of some large-bodied creature or thing through grass or trees.
• kwamuDescribes slapping someone across the face or on the head. Also describes stripping bark off a tree, or pulling something off the place where it was stuck fast.
• kwanguDescribes finishing off the little that is left. VaPasi arrived at VaZijena's place and drank up all the beer kwangu, so that VaZijena found nothing but an empty pot. Compare kwengu.
• kwangwaDescribes listening very intently, with the ears fully pricked up. Compare -bengwa.
• kwangwa ngwaDescribes opening the ears wide and listening very closely so as to hear everything that is being said.
• kwangwamaDescribes the way something that is not level with the rest sticks out or protrudes.
• kwanyanuDescribes the sudden, hurried getting up of a person from where they had been sitting.
• kwanzuDescribes splitting firewood, or something else, lengthwise along its grain. Compare kwazu, banzu.
• kwapuDescribes being struck in the face with a slap all of a sudden. Chipo only felt her face go numb after being hit kwapu with a slap she never even saw coming.
• kwara kwaraDescribes the running of an animal whose paws are spread wide apart, such as a lion or a hare.
• kwarabvuDescribes scratching oneself with the fingernails so as to leave very long marks.
• kwaradzuVariant spelling of "kwarabvu".
• kwarakwashuDescribes getting up in great haste, as done by someone who had been sitting or lying down. Also used of doing something hurriedly without having told anyone beforehand that you were going to do it.
• kwarakwashukuTo sleepwalk is to wake up in a dream and start walking immediately.
• kwaranzuDescribes scratching with the fingernails very quickly, leaving behind long pale streaks.
• kwaru kwaru
• kwashuDescribes a rope or bark-strap snapping right through into two pieces. Also describes starting on something in a great hurry, and sometimes without warning: Mother set off for the field so early that by the time grandfather arrived she had already gone.
• kwasvaiDescribes looking down at the ground out of shyness or embarrassment.
• kwasvataDescribes the caving in of something, as happens to a ball or a tyre that has lost its air.
• kwasveDescribes pushing the water at the sides of a boat backwards so that the boat moves forward.
• kwataDescribes the falling to the ground of something light in weight.
• kwatanu
• kwataraDescribes something falling to the ground from the sky or from somewhere high up.
• kwatiDescribes going right up close to something; also of placing a thing where it fits exactly.
• kwatsamuDescribes striking a person with an open-handed slap. Compare kwatsu.
• kwatsuVariant spelling of "kwatsamu".
• kwatuDescribes striking very hard with a switch or with an open hand.
• kwatuDescribes the removal of a skin or some other outer covering that was concealing what lay inside or underneath.
• kwauDescribes stripping or peeling a length of bark-rope off its tree.
• kwauDescribes extreme dryness, as when water has dried up in a river or in a pot on the fire. It is the dam that is drying up our river, because ever since it was built the river has never been seen properly full.
• kwauDescribes cutting a very small slice off a piece of fatty meat.
• kwavararaTo sleep prostrate means to lie on your stomach with your whole body touching the ground.
• kwazhamuDescribes striking someone on the face or head with a really painful slap; also of knocking leaves or fruit off a tree with stones or sticks so that they fall to the ground.
• kwazhauDescribes the falling of many fruits or leaves brought down from a tree.
• kwazuVariant spelling of "kwanzu".
• kwazvuDescribes stripping meat off where it is stuck fast to the bone.
• kweDescribes the quick striking of a matchstick against its box in the wish to make the match light.
• kwe-eDescribes seizing hold of something and immediately beginning to drag it along.
• kwe-eThe loud hooting or wailing sound made by a train as it is about to arrive at or pull out of a station.
• kweba kwebaDescribes the walk of a tired person, who moves along dragging the legs with the body all slumped. Compare kwebede kwebede.
• kwebede kwebedeDescribes the walk of a person who shows that they are exhausted. As in: on his way back from the field he trudged along like this. Compare kweba kweba.
• kwecheDescribes putting the ball into the goal. Before long our football team knocked in another goal kweche, and the whole ground seemed about to burst with people cheering.
• kweche kwecheThe sound made by hosho rattles.
• kwedeDescribes things fitting into one another, one slipping inside the other. As in: the bolt we thought was too big slid right into the hole in the plough.
• kwedeDescribes something dropping into something that is open, has a hole in it, or into a pit. When the second goal went in kwede, we knew we had no chance left, as very little time remained before the end of the match.
• kwedeya kwedeyaDescribes the way a person may walk a little while showing signs of tiredness.
• kweguDescribes showing signs of old age, or of being worn out and shabby.
• kwekwerereVariant spelling of "kekerere".
• kwenha kwenhaUsed when a person walks along in a manner that shows they are angry.
• kwenja kwenjaDescribes the walk of an emaciated person, as though their bones were rattling. When someone has been seriously ill, they end up going kwenja kwenja.
• kwenyu
• kwenyu kwenyuDescribes scratching repeatedly at a place that is itching. Example: I only scratched this rash a little and it then began to bleed.
• kwerekwesheThe sound made by something that moves along dragging its belly. A lizard went kwerekweshe across the bare rock.
• kwerendendeDescribes the movement of people or animals gathered together and going along in one direction.
• kwerevaDescribes a person standing still, showing that they are at a loss over something that has happened and taken them by surprise. Example: when the ball was put through the goal, the goalkeeper was left just standing there.
• kwesereDescribes a perfect fit: when a peg sits kwesere in its hole, the two match exactly. Of a person, to be full kwesere is to have arrived completely, to be a thoroughly upright person. "I do not think Paradzai is entirely kwesere to me, because what he did to me in front of everyone left me ashamed with nowhere to hide."
• kweshe kwesheThe noise made when someone rubs metal against something hard. The axe went kweshe kweshe as it was being sharpened on the rock.
• kwesva kwesvaUsed when a person walks along showing shame at what they have done. Example: He walked off out of the field where he had been stealing maize, after being caught there by the owners of the field.
• kwetsemuDescribes striking someone in the face with a hard slap.
• kweya kweyaDescribes walking a little way with a slow, shuffling gait.
• kwiDescribes gripping something firmly. Example: the policeman seized the thief by the hand.
• kwibaDescribes covering something up quickly. He took the lid and covered the sadza kwiba.
• kwibuDescribes people suddenly bursting into laughter. We all went kwibu when the teacher scolded John.
• kwichoUsed of a person suddenly being seized by the throat without expecting it. Example: as they fought, Ngoni was all at once grabbed by the throat by Farai, so much so that he could scarcely even breathe.
• kwida kwidaDescribes walking along with one's eyes on the ground, showing that one is aggrieved or sulking.
• kwidibaDescribes covering something up all of a sudden. When they saw people coming towards their home, they clapped the lid on the pot of maize kwidiba and tucked it away behind the others. As he went on crying, he was suddenly given a slap kwidiba, and then fell silent.
• kwidzi kwidziDescribes the glittering, flashing shine given off by a garment covered in sparkling specks.
• kwindiUsed of the sky when it is heavy with thick cloud and darkened. Of a person, to be kwindi is to wear a joyless face and not speak to others.
• kwindimaUsed of a person whose face is tense rather than relaxed, wearing a frightening expression.
• kwindingwiDescribes the look of the sky outside when it is heavy with clouds and about to rain.
• kwindingwi kwindingwiThe sound of a drum being beaten. When the dance began we heard the drum going kwindingwi kwindingwi.
• kwingwiriDescribes something that stands raised up higher than the places surrounding it.
• kwinya kwinyaDescribes a person walking about with no clothes on. A madman went kwinya kwinya walking down the road.
• kwipuDescribes striking someone with a whip that coils around the one being beaten. He struck the beast kwipu with the whip. Also describes the springing of a set trap, as a spring trap does.
• kwirindindiUsed of a person who is sullen and scowling, unwilling to make conversation.
• kwishuVariant spelling of "gwishu".
• kwitiDescribes suddenly turning up at or entering a place unexpectedly. Father suddenly appeared kwiti from Harare when we were not expecting him, so that he found us lounging about with our closest friends.
• kwitikwitiDescribes the movement of many people arriving at a place, as refugees arriving at a country's border. Also used of many people or things moving down a slope.
• kwitiriDescribes someone turning up suddenly and quite unexpectedly. Compare kwiti.
• kwiyoThe cry of a hen.
• kwizhizhiUsed of having rough, coarse skin, or of looking unattractive.
• kwizuDescribes scrubbing or wiping something vigorously. He gave his shoes a hard kwizu kwizu with the brush, slipped them onto his feet pfe pfe, and was out the door dhugu.
• maduDescribes snapping or cutting through something hard. Compare mhedu.
• maniDescribes gripping something so that it cannot go away or fall. He held the child mani at the door so that it would not run off.
• maraduDescribes scratching or scraping with the fingernails.
• mataDescribes sticking fast onto something. Also describes running hard without looking back, as when fleeing.
• mbaDescribes grasping something with the palm of the hand, or taking up a quantity of things with the hands, as when one grabbed mba a handful of groundnuts and left. Also of squeezing forcefully: he seized my hands mba and I could not wriggle free.
• mbandiDescribes gripping something firmly, usually with the fingers. Mother took hold mbandi of the handle of the pot.
• mbe-eUsed of the sky when it is growing light and white. Of a person, a heart that is mbe-e is a good, gentle heart.
• mbembe-eUsed of a garment that is spotlessly clean and white, as the apostolics' robes were mbembe-e.
• mbetuUsed of a hare: when it goes mbetu you have caught sight of it for only a brief moment.
• mbeya mbeyaDescribes the staggering of a person who is drunk.
• mbikitiUsed of a person standing about doing nothing at all; compare tumbi. Also of falling down to the ground.
• mbu-uUsed of a garment that, once washed, goes mbu-u, meaning it has come out really clean and white.
• mbu-uUsed of a miller's head when it is covered in flour and white all over.
• mbureteteUsed of something such as a plate that is so clean that not a speck of dirt remains on it and it shines.
• mburumbuDescribes speaking as though one's mouth is full or one has something in it being chewed.
• mbwa mbwa mbwaDescribes the going out of a fire that had been blazing with flames leaping upward. Compare mbo mbo mbo.
• mbwambwambwaDescribes the rotting of mushrooms or of shamba.
• mbwandiUsed of a woman who goes mbwandi with her dress when sitting down, meaning she covers herself up well so that what is underneath is not seen.
• mbwerekesheVariant spelling of "bwerekeshe".
• me-eThe cry of a goat; bleating.
• meduDescribes breaking bread apart into pieces. Mother took the sadza left over from the evening before, broke it up medu and threw it to the dog.
• memeteDescribes the swarming of bees or ants onto food or onto a container holding sugar. Compare memetere.
• memetereDescribes the filling of a container with small grain or maize, such as a cart, a gomo or a sack.
• mepfenuVariant spelling of "mepfu".
• mhemha mhemhaDescribes walking back and forth in one spot while looking about, as a person who has lost money does.
• mheya mheyaDescribes a person walking with the legs crossing over each other as though about to fall, such as a drunk person does. Compare dzera dzera, pera pera.
• mhiDescribes lifting something up; also the forceful snatching or heaving of something up off the ground. Compare bidzu, mhidzu.
• mhidzuVariant spelling of "mhi".
• mhodyoUsed of a house left standing wide open and bare, with all the household goods taken out of it.
• mina minaDescribes walking with the back drawn in or hollowed, as done by a very thin person or an emaciated animal.
• miningu mininguUsed of weaving or plaiting done in a way that shows skill.
• minyuDescribes being injured in such a way that a bone is twisted out of place or displaced against another.
• mire mireDescribes waiting for someone only a short while and then leaving because they are taking too long.
• mirididiDescribes standing still with nothing to do.
• miriziziDescribes standing over people who are seated or eating, which is bad manners.
• mo-oThe noise made by a great many bees. Compare nzi-i.
• mokotoDescribes the disintegrating of something placed in water. Also the flowing or streaming of tears or of sand.
• momote
• moneDescribes the swirling of smoke or dust as it is driven upwards into the sky by the wind. A whirlwind went mone in the yard.
• monereDescribes winding thread around a stick or a bobbin. Also describes taking a roundabout, winding route to the place you want to reach.
• monyoroDescribes wriggling or writhing along in the manner of a snake.
• mopfoDescribes the softness of something that has been cooked, or of bread.
• mu-uThe sound of a cow lowing.
• munyunguThe small noise you make when trying to chew hard food with your mouth closed.
• muruDescribes rising to one's feet after having been seated; compare simu, nyamu.
• mvochoThe sound of something falling with a noise, usually into grass or among leaves.
• mvorokoshoDescribes suddenly falling, or falling into a hole you had not seen while walking along.
• mwandaDescribes the scattering of things or people about a place. People scattered mwanda at the wedding when a swarm of bees came upon them.
• mwararaDescribes clothes lying scattered, thrown about all over the place. Compare bvururu.
• mwarauDescribes scratching hard and painfully with the fingernails, so that the person is injured.
• mwaruDescribes the tearing or ripping of something such as paper or cloth. Compare bvaru.
• mwauDescribes the tearing of something such as a shirt, ripping it with both hands.
• mwe mwe mweDescribes smiling at someone without showing the teeth. Compare mweku mweku.
• mwechuDescribes the sudden tearing of a shirt or cloth that rips unexpectedly, as in "When he pulled me hard, my shirt went mwechu." Also used of a broad, breaking smile that brings out all of a person's beauty.
• mwekuDescribes a faint smile, merely a slight "oo", where the person does not carry it any further.
• mwenguDescribes a slight smile that does not spread far; also used of telling lies.
• mwenyuDescribes the chuckling or smiling of infants when they are played with or tickled.
• mwepfuDescribes the breaking off of a piece of something such as a cooked sweet potato or pumpkin.
• mweuUsed of a garment that tears, as when it is caught by a wire. Example: as I was coming out, my trousers caught on a nail at the doorway and went mweu.
• mwi-iVariant spelling of "mwiro".
• mwi mwiUsed of staying silent when you are the one expected to have something to say about the matter under discussion.
• mwiroDescribes falling completely silent, not speaking at all nor making any audible noise. Compare mwi-i.
• nai naiDescribes moving little by little, slowly, in the manner of a chameleon. Compare nanai nanai.
• nakuDescribes using a stick or some other object to quickly flick or remove something from where it is.
• namanuDescribes detaching or unhooking something that had been joined to another thing. Compare -kwatanu.
• #NAME?
• #NAME?Used of something that curves round but does not close into a full circle.
• #NAME?Describes cutting through or biting off a piece of soft food. He bit mepfu into the sweet potato that was ... (example incomplete).
• #NAME?Describes many people crowding or gathering around something.
• nameDescribes making one thing stick or join onto another; also following a person or animal at very close range; also the massing of heavy rain, as in "When I saw the rain lying name over the hills, I knew it was no longer possible to dry my malt on the rock slab."
• #NAME?Describes taking from or snatching away from a person something they are holding.
• #NAME?
• #NAME?
• #NAME?Used of bringing out into the open things that had been hidden.
• namuDescribes taking things that are not yours and running off with them. Example: They just saw their purse go namu, and he snatched it and ran off towards the market, which was full of people. Also describes something that had been stuck on coming away.
• namuDescribes taking something very quickly or hurriedly. Example: when he snatched up the remaining morsel of sadza, he got up and went to wash his hands.
• nanai nanaiDescribes the walking of a person who is tired or unwell.
• nanauDescribes the burning of something such as paper or a plastic plate, which burns while curling up and dripping sticky matter.
• nanava nanavaDescribes the walk of a person who is ill or exhausted — moving feebly and haltingly, like a sick person with no strength. Compare nava nava.
• nanaviDescribes stretching out the hand towards something.
• nanazi nanaziDescribes walking very slowly, little by little, as though unwilling.
• nanga nangaDescribes steadying oneself while walking so as not to fall. Example: when he was drunk he walked nanga nanga so that he would not fall to the ground.
• nanguDescribes taking or snatching from someone the thing they are holding.
• nanuDescribes taking a garment off the line, or taking down something else that has been hung out.
• nava navaDescribes being thoroughly wet, as a person who has been rained on. Compare tapa tapa.
• nava navaDescribes the restless fidgeting of a person who has a matter weighing on them, or of someone who has done something wrong.
• nda nda ndaUsed of the presence of a great many things.