kupamba

How to say it

Meaning

To make a place, a thing or a person look beautiful by adding ornaments, flowers or colors. Kupamba moto, literally to decorate the fire, means to heat up or intensify.

Good to know

It takes an object: kupamba ukumbi, to decorate a hall. The passive is kupambwa and a decoration is pambo, plural mapambo. Kupamba moto is used of a debate, a contest or a disease spreading fast.

Examples

• Tulipamba ukumbi kwa maua kabla ya harusi.We decorated the hall with flowers before the wedding.
• Wasichana walipamba mikono yao kwa hina.The girls adorned their hands with henna.
• Mjadala kuhusu katiba mpya umepamba moto.The debate about the new constitution has heated up.

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