Language/Kinyarwanda/Vocabulary/Express-Surprise
Hi Kinyarwanda learners! 😊
In this lesson, you will learn how to express surprise in Kinyarwanda. Knowing how to express surprise is essential to understand spoken Kinyarwanda. You will learn new words, cultural facts and practice with examples.
Don't miss the chance to check out these pages as you wrap up this lesson: Feelings and Emotions & Food.
Basics[edit | edit source]
To express surprise, you can use many words and expressions in Kinyarwanda. Some of the most common ones are:
| Kinyarwanda | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Aho | ahh-ho | "Oh, really?" |
| Njye Ntibishoboye | n-jye n-ti-bi-sho-boy-ay | "No way!" |
| Kumva Neza | koom-va nay-za | "Surprising" |
| Mamaze!!! | mah-mah-zeh | "I'm shocked!!!" |
| God! | god | "God" |
Cultural facts[edit | edit source]
Kinyarwanda is a language spoken in Rwanda, a country in East Africa. Rwanda is known for its beautiful landscape, genocide survivor stories, and vibrant culture. When you express surprise, you might notice that many people in Rwanda use the word "God" in their expressions. This reflects the strong Christian tradition in Rwanda, where many people believe in God.
Another interesting fact is that many words in Kinyarwanda are borrowed from other Bantu languages. For example, the word "mamaze" comes from the Bantu language spoken in Congo, Lingala, which means "to knock down". Kinyarwanda has many loanwords from other Bantu languages, which enriches the language.
Examples[edit | edit source]
Here are some examples to practice how to express surprise:
- Person 1: Uri mukuru we? ("Are you the boss?")
- Person 2: Aho, ndumva ko mwami. ("Oh, really? I think you are the boss.")
- Person 1: Ngo barcy cyane basomye. ("They said that they passed with flying colors.")
- Person 2: Mbese? Kumva neza! ("Really? That's surprising!")
- Person 1: Usanga dore igare? ("Do you see that branch?")
- Person 2: Njye ntibishoboye. ("No way!")
- Person 1: Kagame abarundi? ("Kagame is a Burundian?")
- Person 2: Mamaze!!! ("I'm shocked!!!")
Practice with your Kinyarwanda native speaker friends and ask them any questions!
Conclusion[edit | edit source]
Now you know different ways of expressing surprise in Kinyarwanda. To improve your Kinyarwanda vocabulary, you can also explore the Polyglot Club website, which offers language exchange opportunities and resources to learn Kinyarwanda.
➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎
Sources[edit | edit source]
Excellent job on conquering this lesson! Consider delving into these related pages: Geography & Animals.