saikolojia

How to say it

Meaning

The science that studies the mind and behavior of people, and a subject taught at universities; also a person’s mental state or way of thinking.

Good to know

N class noun with no plural; a psychologist is mwanasaikolojia. It is borrowed from English, and the older Swahili term elimunafsi is less common.

Examples

• Dada yangu anasomea saikolojia chuo kikuu.My sister is studying psychology at university.
• Mwalimu anahitaji kuelewa saikolojia ya watoto.A teacher needs to understand children’s psychology.
• Kufungwa kuliathiri saikolojia ya wachezaji.The defeat affected the players’ state of mind.