Kwanza meaning in Swahili
The Swahili word “kwanza” has three main meanings:
1. -liokuwa sehemu ya mwanzo, -liotangulia wengine, -a awali. (Part of the beginning, – which precedes others, before.)
Example (Mfano)
Juma alikuwa wa kwanza katika mashindano ya mbio. (Juma was first in the race.)
2. -lioanza muda huuhuu, -lioanza hivi karibuni, sasa hivi, hivi punde. (Started this time, -started recently, right now, just now.)
Example (Mfano)
Mambo yako bado sana, ndio kwanza nimeanza tu kukushughulikia. (Your affairs are still on hold; I have only just begun to deal with you.)
3. Awali ya yote, kabla ya kufanya jambo jingine. (First of all, before you do anything else.)
Example (Mfano)
Kwanza napenda kuwasalimu nyote. (First, I would like to greet you all.)
How to translate kwanza in English
The common translation of kwanza in English is first.
Examples in sentences
- Ametoa albamu yake ya kwanza. (He just released his first album.)
- Walikuwa wanaongoza mwishoni mwa kipindi cha kwanza. (They were leading at the end of the first half.)
- Alishinda nafasi ya kwanza kwenye shindano. (She won first place in the competition.)
- Yeye yuko katika muhula wake wa kwanza wa shule ya grad. (He is in his first semester of grad school.)
- Yeye huzungumza lugha yake ya kwanza sasa hivi. (She rarely speaks her first language now.)
- Huo haukuwa uamuzi wangu wa kwanza. (That wasn’t my first decision.)
- Hatasahau mkutano wao wa kwanza. (He will never forget their first meeting.)
- Alikuwa mpenzi wake wa kwanza. (She was his first love.)
- Hiki kinapaswa kuwa kipaumbele chako cha kwanza. (This should be your first priority.)
- Aliwapa wanafunzi onyo lao la kwanza. (He gave the students their first warning.)
- Alionekana kwa mara ya kwanza kwenye TV katika miaka ya 1900. (He first appeared on TV in 1900s.)
- Waligundua tabia hii kwa mara ya kwanza miaka kumi iliyopita. (They first discovered this behavior ten years ago.)
Synonyms for first
Here are words similar to “first” that can be used to translate the Swahili word “kwanza” into English:
- foremost
- principal
- highest
- greatest
- paramount
- top
- topmost
- utmost
- uppermost
- prime
- chief
- leading
- main
- major
- pre-eminent
- overriding
- outstanding
- supreme
- premier
- predominant
- prevailing
- most important
- of greatest importance
- of prime importance
- vital
- key
- essential
- crucial
- central
- core
- focal
- pivotal
- dominant
- ruling
- head
- number-one
- best
- superlative
- winner’s
- winning
- champion
