kutanuka
koo-tah-NOO-kah
How to say it
Swahilikutanukakoo-tah-NOO-kah
Englishto expand, to widen, to stretch
Frenchse dilater, s’élargir, s’étirer
Meaning
To become wider or bigger by spreading out, like a muscle, a balloon, a road or a business.
Good to know
Takes no object: moyo husinyaa na kutanuka, the heart contracts and expands. To widen something is kutanua; its opposite is kusinyaa, to shrink.
Examples
- Mapafu hutanuka tunapovuta pumzi.The lungs expand when we breathe in.
- Mji umetanuka sana miaka kumi iliyopita.The town has grown much wider in the past ten years.
- Chuma hutanuka kinapopata joto.Metal expands when it gets hot.
Not yet checked by a native speaker.