Chichewa — top 209 words
High-frequency vocabulary for English speakers. Reveal each card, then rate your recall — the schedule adapts (SM-2) and is stored on your device.
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Full word list
| # | Chichewa | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | moni | hello / hi |
| 2 | moni bambo | hello sir (to a man) |
| 3 | moni mayi | hello madam (to a woman) |
| 4 | zikomo | thank you |
| 5 | zikomo kwambiri | thank you very much |
| 6 | chonde | please |
| 7 | ndikukhululukani | I'm sorry / excuse me |
| 8 | inde | yes |
| 9 | ayi | no |
| 10 | bwino | good / well / fine |
| 11 | bwino bwino | very good / excellent |
| 12 | muli bwanji? | how are you? (formal) |
| 13 | nili bwino | I am well |
| 14 | mukhale bwino | goodbye (lit. stay well) |
| 15 | tionana | see you later |
| 16 | pepani | sorry / excuse me |
| 17 | ndimva bwino | I feel well |
| 18 | sindikumva | I don't understand |
| 19 | munenere mwachedwa | please speak slowly |
| 20 | chiyani? | what? |
| 21 | ndani? | who? |
| 22 | kuti? | where? |
| 23 | ndi liti? | when? |
| 24 | chifukwa chiyani? | why? |
| 25 | bwanji? | how? |
| 26 | zingati? | how many? |
| 27 | ine | I / me |
| 28 | iwe | you (singular) |
| 29 | iye | he / she / it |
| 30 | ife | we |
| 31 | inu | you (plural) |
| 32 | iwo | they / them |
| 33 | nyumba | house / home / building |
| 34 | msewu | road / path / street |
| 35 | msonkhano | meeting / gathering / assembly |
| 36 | mudzi | village / hometown |
| 37 | tauni | town / city |
| 38 | banja | family |
| 39 | bambo | father / Mr. (respectful term for man) |
| 40 | mayi | mother / Mrs. (respectful term for woman) |
| 41 | mwana | child / son / daughter |
| 42 | ana | children |
| 43 | mkulu | elder / senior / older sibling |
| 44 | mng'ono | younger sibling / smaller |
| 45 | munthu | person |
| 46 | anthu | people |
| 47 | mzungu | European / white person / foreigner |
| 48 | wochiritsa | doctor / healer |
| 49 | mphunzitsi | teacher |
| 50 | wogulitsa | seller / trader |
| 51 | wogula | buyer |
| 52 | chilichonse | everything / anything |
| 53 | kanthu | nothing / something small |
| 54 | nthawi | time / period / season |
| 55 | lero | today |
| 56 | mawa | tomorrow |
| 57 | dzulo | yesterday |
| 58 | usiku | night |
| 59 | m'mawa | morning |
| 60 | masana | afternoon / midday |
| 61 | madzulo | evening |
| 62 | sabata | week |
| 63 | mwezi | month |
| 64 | chaka | year |
| 65 | madzi | water |
| 66 | chakula | food |
| 67 | nyama | meat / animal |
| 68 | nsomba | fish |
| 69 | nkhuku | chicken |
| 70 | mbuzi | goat |
| 71 | ng'ombe | cow |
| 72 | chimanga | maize / corn |
| 73 | mbatata | potato / sweet potato |
| 74 | phala | porridge |
| 75 | nsima | stiff maize porridge (main staple) |
| 76 | ndiwo | relish / sauce (eaten with nsima) |
| 77 | mtedza | groundnuts |
| 78 | mvuto | groundnut flour sauce |
| 79 | chalimwe | autumn / second rainy season |
| 80 | masika | rainy season |
| 81 | chilimwe | dry season |
| 82 | moto | fire / heat / temperature |
| 83 | mvula | rain |
| 84 | dzuwa | sun / day |
| 85 | mphepo | wind |
| 86 | mtengo | tree / wood / price |
| 87 | thengo | bush / wilderness |
| 88 | nkhalamba | old person / elder |
| 89 | mtsikana | girl / young woman |
| 90 | mnyamata | boy / young man |
| 91 | mkazi | woman / wife |
| 92 | mwamuna | man / husband |
| 93 | kuganiza | to think / to consider / to plan |
| 94 | kukumana | to meet / to encounter |
| 95 | kuyenda | to go / to travel / to walk |
| 96 | kubwera | to come |
| 97 | kukhala | to be / to stay / to live / to sit |
| 98 | kudya | to eat |
| 99 | kumwa | to drink |
| 100 | kugona | to sleep |
| 101 | kudzuka | to wake up |
| 102 | kuimba | to sing |
| 103 | kusewera | to play |
| 104 | kuphunzira | to learn / to study |
| 105 | kuphunzitsa | to teach |
| 106 | kugwira ntchito | to work |
| 107 | kukwera | to climb / to ride |
| 108 | kutsika | to descend / to come down |
| 109 | kupita | to go / to pass |
| 110 | kufika | to arrive / to reach |
| 111 | kubwerera | to return / to come back |
| 112 | kuona | to see / to look |
| 113 | kumva | to hear / to feel / to understand |
| 114 | kuyankhula | to speak / to answer |
| 115 | kufunsa | to ask |
| 116 | kuuza | to tell / to inform / to sell |
| 117 | kugula | to buy |
| 118 | kulipira | to pay |
| 119 | kupereka | to give / to hand over / to offer |
| 120 | kutenga | to take / to carry / to bring |
| 121 | kupita kutali | to go far |
| 122 | kufika pafupi | to arrive nearby |
| 123 | kupanga | to make / to do / to create |
| 124 | kuvala | to wear / to dress |
| 125 | kusamba | to bathe / to wash |
| 126 | kumanga | to build / to tie / to lock |
| 127 | kothyola | to break |
| 128 | kutseka | to close / to lock |
| 129 | kutsegula | to open |
| 130 | kutumiza | to send |
| 131 | kulandila | to receive / to welcome |
| 132 | kuvomereza | to agree / to accept |
| 133 | kukana | to refuse / to deny |
| 134 | kukamba | to say / to talk |
| 135 | kulumikizana | to connect / to be related |
| 136 | wabwino | good (adjective) |
| 137 | woyipa | bad / evil |
| 138 | wokongola | beautiful / handsome |
| 139 | wating'a | stubborn / difficult |
| 140 | wafupi | short / near |
| 141 | wotali | tall / long / far |
| 142 | wamkulu | big / large / important |
| 143 | wamng'ono | small / little / young |
| 144 | woyera | white / clean / pure / holy |
| 145 | wakuda | black / dark |
| 146 | wofiira | red / reddish |
| 147 | mawu | words / language / voice |
| 148 | chiyankhulo | language / dialect |
| 149 | chichewa | Chichewa language |
| 150 | chingerezi | English language |
| 151 | chifalansa | French language |
| 152 | chitumbuka | Tumbuka language |
| 153 | chiswahili | Swahili language |
| 154 | bukhala | peace / calm |
| 155 | chimwemwe | joy / happiness |
| 156 | chisoni | sadness / sorrow / pity |
| 157 | mkwiyo | anger / rage |
| 158 | mantha | fear |
| 159 | chikondi | love |
| 160 | chiyambi | start / beginning / origin |
| 161 | mapeto | end / conclusion |
| 162 | phindu | benefit / profit |
| 163 | tsoka | misfortune / trouble / disaster |
| 164 | bwampini | hospitality |
| 165 | chuma | wealth / iron / money |
| 166 | ndalama | money / currency |
| 167 | ngongole | debt / loan |
| 168 | ntchito | work / job / task |
| 169 | malipiro | payment / wages |
| 170 | mphoto | reward / prize / gift |
| 171 | mphatso | gift / present |
| 172 | masunga | care / keeping / protection |
| 173 | chipatala | hospital / clinic |
| 174 | mankhwala | medicine / drugs |
| 175 | odwala | patient / sick person |
| 176 | bzotha | lie / falsehood |
| 177 | choonadi | truth |
| 178 | chilungamo | justice / righteousness |
| 179 | ufulu | freedom / independence |
| 180 | mtendere | peace |
| 181 | chitukuko | development / progress |
| 182 | zachuma | economics / finances |
| 183 | nzeru | wisdom / intelligence |
| 184 | udziwa | knowledge / awareness |
| 185 | maphunziro | education / training |
| 186 | sukulu | school |
| 187 | msewu waukulu | main road / highway |
| 188 | galimoto | car / vehicle |
| 189 | sitima | train / engine / boat |
| 190 | ndege | airplane / bird |
| 191 | basi | bus |
| 192 | njinga | bicycle |
| 193 | malangizo | instructions / advice |
| 194 | malamulo | rules / laws |
| 195 | boma | government / district / fort |
| 196 | unduna | ministry / government department |
| 197 | mboni | witness / testimony |
| 198 | mpingo | church denomination / organization |
| 199 | mosque | mosque |
| 200 | chikhalidwe | culture / tradition / custom |
| 201 | mwambo | custom / ceremony / tradition |
| 202 | nthano | story / folktale / myth |
| 203 | nyimbo | song / hymn |
| 204 | lipenga | horn / trumpet |
| 205 | ng'oma | drum |
| 206 | masewero | game / sport / play |
| 207 | mpira | ball / balloon / rubber |
| 208 | karate | martial arts |
| 209 | swimming | swimming |