kunuka
koo-NOO-kah
How to say it
Swahilikunukakoo-NOO-kahsoon
Englishto smell bad, to stinksoon
Frenchsentir mauvais, puer
Meaning
To give off an unpleasant smell, as rotting food, dirty water or rubbish do; figuratively, to reek of something bad such as corruption.
Good to know
Intransitive; what the smell is of follows directly: kunuka damu, to smell of blood. A pleasant smell is kunukia. Harufu mbaya is a bad smell.
Examples
- Samaki hawa wameanza kunuka, tuwatupe.These fish have started to stink, let us throw them away.
- Choo hiki kinanuka kwa sababu hakisafishwi.This toilet smells bad because it is not cleaned.
- Mkataba huo unanuka rushwa tupu.That contract reeks of nothing but corruption.
The same word in
Forms
Not yet checked by a native speaker.