kombo
KOH-mboh
How to say it
SwahilikomboKOH-mboh
Englishcrooked, bent; awry, wrong
Frenchtordu, courbé; de travers
Meaning
Not straight; used above all in kwenda kombo, to go wrong, when a plan, a person or a country goes off the right course.
Good to know
It does not change with the noun: fimbo kombo, a crooked stick. Kwenda kombo, to go astray, is the common phrase. Kombo is also a common surname in Zanzibar.
Examples
- Mambo yakienda kombo, tutabadilisha mpango.If things go wrong, we will change the plan.
- Mstari huu umechorwa kombo.This line has been drawn crooked.
- Kijana huyo alienda kombo baada ya kujiunga na marafiki wabaya.That young man went astray after joining bad friends.
Not yet checked by a native speaker.