chiriku

How to say it

Meaning

A small finch, usually yellow or streaked, known for its sweet song, such as the wild canaries of Africa. It is also kept as a cage bird.

Good to know

N class with animal agreement: chiriku wawili, same form in the plural. Kuimba kama chiriku, to sing like a canary, is said of a sweet or talkative voice.

Examples

• Chiriku waliimba juu ya mti asubuhi.The canaries sang up in the tree in the morning.
• Babu anafuga chiriku kwenye tundu.Grandfather keeps a canary in a cage.
• Mtoto huyu anaongea kama chiriku siku nzima.This child chatters like a canary all day.

Forms

chiku