Swahili
kifauwongo
ki-fa-u-WO-ngo
How to say it
Swahilikifauwongoki-fa-u-WO-ngosoon
Englishsensitive plantsoon
Frenchsensitivesoon
Meaning
the sensitive plant, Mimosa pudica, whose leaves fold shut when touched.
Good to know
the same name is also applied to a shrub, Biophytum sensitivum, and to an insect that feigns death when touched.
Examples
- Kifauwongo hukunja majani yake ukiyagusa.The sensitive plant folds its leaves when you touch them.
- Watoto walipenda kucheza na kifauwongo bustanini.The children loved playing with the sensitive plant in the garden.
- Kifauwongo hakioti kwa urahisi kila mahali.The sensitive plant does not grow easily everywhere.
- Hukugusa kifauwongo kile kuona majani yakifunga?Didn't you touch that sensitive plant to see its leaves close?
Not yet checked by a native speaker.