jike

How to say it

Meaning

The female of an animal, the one that bears young; placed after an animal noun it means female, as in mbuzi jike, a female goat. Its opposite is dume, male.

Good to know

Used after a noun and does not change: ng’ombe jike, simba jike. For people the adjective is -ke: mtoto wa kike, a girl. Majike is the plural when used alone.

Examples

• Mkulima ana ng’ombe watatu, wawili ni majike.The farmer has three cows, two are female.
• Alinunua mbuzi jike ili apate maziwa.He bought a female goat to get milk.
• Simba jike ndiye huwinda mara nyingi.It is the lioness who usually hunts.