kutafuna

How to say it

Meaning

To crush food with the teeth before swallowing. Figuratively it means to eat away at something slowly, as a problem wears down families or corruption eats up funds.

Good to know

Takes the food as object: kutafuna nyama, to chew meat; kutafuna kucha, to bite one’s nails. The passive is kutafunwa.

Examples

• Tafuna chakula taratibu kabla ya kumeza.Chew your food slowly before swallowing.
• Mbwa alitafuna kiatu changu kipya.The dog chewed my new shoe.
• Rushwa imeendelea kutafuna fedha za umma.Corruption continues to eat away at public funds.

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