Reference > Nouns

Nouns

A noun (izina) is the name of a person, place or thing.

Noun components

Every noun in Kinyarwanda has three parts:

  1. The augment (indomo), i.e. u, i or a
  2. The class marker (indanganteko), i.e. mu, ba, mi, ri, ma, ki, bi, n, ru, ka, tu, bu, ku, ha
  3. The root (igicumbi)

Different words can share the same root, and will usually have related meanings. For example:

  • umuntu (u + mu + ntu) - person
  • abantu (a + ba + ntu) - people
  • ikintu (i + ki + ntu) - thing
  • ibintu (i + bi + ntu) - things
  • ubuntu (u + bu + ntu) - grace
  • ukuntu (u + ku + ntu) - means
  • ahantu (a + ha + ntu) - place

Noun classes

Different noun classification systems have been used for Kinyarwanda, but this dictionary uses the standard Bantu classes as taught in Rwandan schools. Nouns in each class usually have similarities in meaning, but there are exceptions in almost every class. For example, class 15 mostly contains actions and gerunds, but also contains ukwezi (month) and ugutwi (ear).

# Nouns Description Quantity Examples Adjectives Subject Object Of This
1 umu-, umw- people singular umuntu, umwarimu mu- n-, u-, a- -n-, -ku-, -mu- wa uyu
2 aba-, ab- plural abantu, abarimu ba- tu-, mu-, ba- -tu-, -ba-, -ba- ba aba
3 umu-, umw- trees, shrubs and things that extend singular umusozi, umwotsi mu- u- -wu- wa uyu
4 imi-, imy- plural imisozi, imyotsi mi- i- -yi- ya iyi
5 i-, iri- things in quantities, body parts and liquids singular ifaranga, iryinyo ri- ri- -ri- rya iri
6 ama-, am- plural amafaranga, amenyo ma- a- -ya- ya aya
7 iki-, icy-, igi- generic, large, or abnormal things singular ikintu, icyaha, igitabo ki- ki- -ki- cya iki
8 ibi-, ibi- plural ibintu, ibyaha, ibitabo bi- bi- -bi- bya ibi
9 i-, in-, inz- some plants, animals and household implements singular ifi, inka, inzoga n- i- -yi- ya iyi
10 plural n- zi- -zi- za izi
11 uru-, urw- mixture singular urugi, urwego ru- ru- -ru- rwa uru
12 aka-, ak-, aga- diminutive forms of other nouns singular akantu, akitso, agacupa ka- ka- -ka- ka aka
13 utu-, utw-, udu- plural utuntu, utwitso, uducupa tu- tu- -tu- twa utu
14 ubu-, ubw- abstract nouns, qualities or states n/a ubuntu, ubwana bu- bu- -bu- bwa ubu
15 uku-, ukw-, ugu- actions, verbal nouns and gerunds n/a ukuntu, ukwezwa, ugukiranuka ku- ku- -ku- kwa uku
16 aha-, ah- places n/a ahantu, ahirengeye ha- ha- -ha- ha aha

Articles

Kinyarwanda does not have definite (the) and indefinite (a, an) articles like English. For example umuntu can mean 'a person' or 'the person'. It does however have demonstratives which are equivalent to 'this' and 'that' in English.

Proper nouns

When nouns become proper nouns (names of people or places) they usually lose their augment (e.g. umugabo becomes Mugabo when used a name). Similarly when using a noun to address someone, the augment is dropped (e.g. umuzungu becomes muzungu when shouting it at the nearest white person).

There are several different types of geographical place names:

  • Pure Kinyarwanda country names such as Uburundi and Ubufaransa which are used as class 14 nouns, e.g. Ubufaransa burakonje - France is cold
  • Pure Kinyarwanda place names such as Kigali and Butare which may appear to belong to particular noun classes but are generally used as class 9 nouns, e.g. Kigali ni nini - Kigali is big
  • Imported place names such as Esipanye and Amerika which are used as class 9 nouns, e.g. Esipanye irashyushye - Spain is hot
  • Rwanda which is used as a class 11 noun, e.g. u Rwanda ni rwiza - Rwanda is beautiful