kumbe
KOO-mbeh
How to say it
SwahilikumbeKOO-mbeh
Englishso, it turns out; oh, so (surprise)
Frenchtiens, en fait; alors comme ça
Meaning
Shows surprise at finding out something that was not known or not expected, often that the truth is different from what was believed.
Good to know
It never changes and usually starts the clause: kumbe ni wewe! oh, so it is you! After lakini it means when in fact: nilidhani amelala, kumbe ameondoka, I thought he was asleep, but in fact he had left.
Examples
- Kumbe ni wewe uliyepiga simu jana!Oh, so it was you who called yesterday!
- Nilidhani ni mgonjwa, kumbe alikuwa amechoka tu.I thought he was sick, but it turned out he was just tired.
- Kumbe mnafahamiana tangu shuleni?So you have known each other since school?
Not yet checked by a native speaker.