kupenya
koo-PEH-nyah
How to say it
Swahilikupenyakoo-PEH-nyahsoon
Englishto penetrate, to pierce; to get throughsoon
Frenchpénétrer, percer; passer à traverssoon
Meaning
To go into or through something, such as a bullet through a wall or light through cloth; figuratively, to break through to a new stage or reach new people.
Good to know
It takes an object or a place: kupenya ukuta, kupenya msituni. The causative kupenyeza is to slip something in, and kupenya hatua is to get through to the next stage.
Examples
- Risasi ilipenya ukuta wa nyumba.The bullet went through the wall of the house.
- Mwanga wa jua unapenya kupitia dirisha.Sunlight comes through the window.
- Timu yetu imefanikiwa kupenya hadi robo fainali.Our team has managed to get through to the quarter finals.
The same word in
Not yet checked by a native speaker.