Kinyarwanda
umwana abana
oo-MWAH-nah ah-BAH-nah
How to say it
Kinyarwandaumwana abanaoo-MWAH-nah ah-BAH-nahsoon
Englishchild, childrensoon
Frenchenfant, enfantssoon
Meaning
the noun 'child' shown with its plural: umwana (child) becomes abana (children).
Good to know
Illustrates the class 1/2 noun pattern (umu-/aba-) common to many words for people.
Examples
- Uyu mwana ni mwiza.This child is nice.
- Ese abana bawe bameze bate?How are your children doing?
- Nta mwana uri hano.There is no child here.
- Abana bazitabira ishuri ejo.The children will attend school tomorrow.