badala

How to say it

Meaning

Names the place of one thing taken by another, used to say that something is done or chosen in place of something else.

Good to know

Almost always followed by ya: badala ya chai, instead of tea, which has its own entry. Badala yake means instead, in its place, and mbadala is an alternative.

Examples

• Hakuja mwenyewe, badala yake alimtuma mdogo wake.He did not come himself; instead he sent his younger brother.
• Tulipanda basi badala ya treni.We took the bus instead of the train.
• Alikunywa maji badala ya soda.She drank water instead of soda.