indimi

mtu mbaya

MTOO MBAH-yah

How to say it

Swahilimtu mbayaMTOO MBAH-yah
Englishbad person, wicked person
Frenchmauvaise personne, méchant

Meaning

A person who behaves badly or means harm to others. It is a plain combination of mtu, person, and mbaya, bad, used often in speech and stories.

Good to know

The adjective agrees with the noun: mtu mbaya, plural watu wabaya. Si mtu mbaya, he is not a bad person, is a common way to defend someone.

Examples

  • Majirani wanadai kwamba yeye ni mtu mbaya sana.The neighbors claim that he is a very bad person.
  • Katika hadithi hii, mfalme ndiye mtu mbaya.In this story, the king is the bad person.
  • Si kila mgeni ni mtu mbaya.Not every stranger is a bad person.

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