These are the 100 most useful Swahili verbs from our 1000-word beginner course - the actions you will hear and talk about every day. Learn them first and you can build real sentences fast.
| # | Verb | Swahili |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | to borrow | kuazima |
| 2 | to buy | kununua |
| 3 | to clean | kusafisha |
| 4 | to close | kufunga |
| 5 | to cook | kupika |
| 6 | to do | kufanya |
| 7 | to drink | kunywa |
| 8 | to eat | kula |
| 9 | to find | kupata |
| 10 | to get | kupata |
| 11 | to give | kupa |
| 12 | to grow | kukua |
| 13 | to hang | kutundika |
| 14 | to have | kuwa na |
| 15 | to keep | kuweka |
| 16 | to let | kuruhusu |
| 17 | to live | kuishi |
| 18 | to litter | kutupa taka |
| 19 | to make | kutengeneza |
| 20 | to open | kufungua |
| 21 | to play | kucheza |
| 22 | to sleep | kulala |
| 23 | to spend | kutumia |
| 24 | to start | kuanza |
| 25 | to stop | kuacha |
| 26 | to take | kuchukua |
| 27 | to try | kujaribu |
| 28 | to use | kutumia |
| 29 | to wait | kusubiri |
| 30 | to avoid | kuepuka |
| 31 | to bake | kuoka |
| 32 | to fill | kujaza |
| 33 | to fit | kutosha |
| 34 | to grate | kukuna |
| 35 | to lock | kufunga |
| 36 | to pack | kufunga mizigo |
| 37 | to pay | kulipa |
| 38 | to pick | kuchagua |
| 39 | to prepare | kujiandaa |
| 40 | to remove | kuondoa |
| 41 | to search | kutafuta |
| 42 | to stay | kubaki |
| 43 | to wake up | kuamka |
| 44 | to want | kutaka |
| 45 | to need | kuhitaji |
| 46 | to put | kuweka |
| 47 | to tie | kufunga |
| 48 | to unlock | kufungua |
| 49 | to zip | kufunga zipu |
| 50 | to cut | kukata |
| 51 | to show | kuonyesha |
| 52 | to get up | kuinuka |
| 53 | to lie down | kujilaza |
| 54 | to empty | kutoa takataka |
| 55 | to turn on | kuwasha |
| 56 | to turn off | kuzima |
| 57 | to put on | kuvaa |
| 58 | to wash | kuosha |
| 59 | to take off | kuvua |
| 60 | to try on | kupima nguo |
| 61 | to pick up | kuchukua |
| 62 | to melt | kuyeyuka |
| 63 | to rain | kunyesha |
| 64 | to snow | kunyesha theluji |
| 65 | to smell | kunukia |
| 66 | to taste | kuonja |
| 67 | to shine | kung'aa |
| 68 | to smoke | kuvuta sigara |
| 69 | to snore | kukoroma |
| 70 | to fold | kukunja |
| 71 | to dry | kausha |
| 72 | to begin | kuanza |
| 73 | to decorate | kupamba |
| 74 | to shell | kumenya |
| 75 | to chew | kutafuna |
| 76 | to buckle | kufunga |
| 77 | to lose | kupoteza |
| 78 | to afford | kumudu |
| 79 | to rest | kupumzika |
| 80 | to conceal | kuficha |
| 81 | to lend | kuazimisha |
| 82 | to bite | kuuma |
| 83 | to weigh | kupima uzito |
| 84 | to order | kuagiza |
| 85 | to cost | kugharimu |
| 86 | to become | kuwa |
| 87 | to recycle | kurejeleza |
| 88 | to warm | kupasha joto |
| 89 | to shave | kunyoa |
| 90 | to ring | kulia |
| 91 | to hide | kuficha |
| 92 | to wipe | kufuta |
| 93 | to blend | kuchanganya |
| 94 | to bury | kuzika |
| 95 | to feed | kulisha |
| 96 | to digest | kumeng'enya |
| 97 | to iron | kupiga pasi |
| 98 | to disguise | kujigeuza |
| 99 | to plant | kupanda |
| 100 | to water | kumwagilia |