🟢 50 Unique Kiswahili Idioms (Nahau) and Their Meanings

Idioms, known as nahau in Kiswahili, are colorful expressions that don’t mean exactly what the individual words suggest. Mastering Kiswahili idioms can help you sound more fluent and culturally aware.

Here are 50 unique Kiswahili idioms, their literal translations, and what they actually mean:

🧠 Idioms About People and Behavior (1–15)

Nahau	Literal Translation	Meaning
1. Kuchemka bongo	The brain boiling	To think hard
2. Kula chumvi nyingi	To eat a lot of salt	To be experienced/old
3. Ana kichwa ngumu	He has a hard head	He is stubborn
4. Kuwa na roho ngumu	To have a hard heart	To be merciless
5. Kufungua roho	To open the heart	To speak honestly
6. Kuwa na mikono mizito	To have heavy hands	To be lazy
7. Ana moyo wa paka	He has a cat’s heart	He is cowardly
8. Kuwa na uso wa mbuzi	To have a goat’s face	To be shameless
9. Kupanda mbegu mbaya	To plant bad seeds	To create problems intentionally
10. Kuishi kwa majaribu	To live in temptations	To live a troubled life
11. Kula kwa macho	To eat with the eyes	To admire without having
12. Kutia chumvi	To add salt	To exaggerate
13. Ana ulimi mrefu	He has a long tongue	He gossips
14. Kugonga mwamba	To hit a rock	To fail at something
15. Kumwaga unga	To spill flour	To ruin an opportunity

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💼 Idioms About Work, Effort & Life (16–30)

Nahau	Literal Translation	Meaning
16. Kutia bidii	To add effort	To work hard
17. Kuvuta shuka	To pull the blanket	To be selfish
18. Kujitoa kimasomaso	To withdraw oneself smartly	To exit a tricky situation cleverly
19. Kukata tamaa	To cut hope	To give up
20. Kuvunja jungu	To break the cooking pot	To reveal a secret too early
21. Kula kwa jasho lako	To eat by your sweat	To earn a living
22. Kutoa macho	To take out eyes	To stare hungrily
23. Kuwa na kichwa cha kazi	To have a head for work	To be hardworking
24. Kutoa jasho jingi	To sweat a lot	To go through difficulty
25. Kukimbiza upepo	To chase the wind	To pursue the impossible
26. Kuwa na uso wa kunguni	To have a bedbug’s face	To be untrustworthy
27. Kufa maskini	To die poor	To stay unprogressive
28. Kuota mbawa	To grow wings	To become arrogant
29. Kusuka na kunyoa	To braid and shave	To treat people unequally
30. Kujifanya bubu	To act like a mute	To pretend not to know/speak

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❤️ Idioms About Love, Emotion & Relationships (31–40)

Nahau	Literal Translation	Meaning
31. Kula kwa macho	To eat with the eyes	To desire without touching
32. Kuwa na roho safi	To have a clean heart	To be kind and forgiving
33. Kupasua moyo	To split the heart	To hurt emotionally
34. Kupigwa na butwaa	To be hit by shock	To be stunned
35. Kuweka moyoni	To keep in the heart	To take to heart
36. Kupoteza dira	To lose the compass	To lose direction in life
37. Kuwa na kinyongo	To have bitterness	To hold a grudge
38. Kuonyesha ubavu	To show ribs	To show strength/bravery
39. Kuwa na macho ya tamaa	To have greedy eyes	To be overly materialistic
40. Kuumwa na roho	To be pained in the soul	To feel deep hurt or jealousy

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💬 Idioms in Conversation, Society & Daily Life (41–50)

Nahau	Literal Translation	Meaning
41. Kuweka mambo wazi	To make things open	To be transparent
42. Kukata mawasiliano	To cut communication	To stop talking to someone
43. Kuvaa ngozi ya kondoo	To wear a sheep’s skin	To pretend to be innocent
44. Kujikuna pale panapowasha	To scratch where it itches	To speak the truth or take action appropriately
45. Kuosha mikono	To wash hands	To deny responsibility
46. Kupiga danadana	To kick the ball repeatedly	To delay or stall someone
47. Kukata mbuga	To cut the field	To walk or run fast
48. Kunywa maji ya bendera	To drink the flag’s water	To be patriotic
49. Kutumbua jipu	To pop a boil	To expose a problem or scandal
50. Kuvaa viatu vya mtu	To wear someone’s shoes	To empathize with someone’s situation

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✅ Conclusion

Mastering Kiswahili idioms not only enriches your vocabulary, but also helps you understand culture, humor, and emotion expressed in Swahili conversations. Unlike proverbs that teach moral lessons, idioms are used in everyday speech to add color, creativity, and depth.