When you're just starting out in Swahili, knowing how to talk about time is super useful. The word for 'minute' is dakika. It's a noun, and it works pretty much like 'minute' does in English. You'll often hear it when people are talking about how long something takes or when they're giving you a specific time.
For example, if you want to say 'one minute', you'd say dakika moja. If you need 'two minutes', it's dakika mbili. You'll notice that the word dakika doesn't change much, no matter how many minutes you're talking about.
When discussing time in Swahili, dakika refers to a minute. It's a foundational term for telling time and scheduling. You'll often hear it combined with numbers to specify an exact amount of minutes, or with other time-related vocabulary to describe durations. Understanding dakika is key for practical conversations about daily activities.
dakika in 30 Sekunden
- Unit of time
- 60 seconds
- Used for short periods
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Write a short sentence in Swahili saying 'One minute, please.'
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Sample answer
Dakika moja, tafadhali.
How would you tell someone in Swahili that you will be there in two minutes? Write the full sentence.
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Sample answer
Nitakuja dakika mbili.
Translate 'Give me five minutes' into Swahili.
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Sample answer
Nipe dakika tano.
How long has the person been waiting?
Read this passage:
Nina subiri kwa dakika kumi. Unafanya nini? Tafadhali fanya haraka.
How long has the person been waiting?
The passage says 'dakika kumi', which means 'ten minutes'.
The passage says 'dakika kumi', which means 'ten minutes'.
What did the teacher ask the students to do?
Read this passage:
Mwalimu alisema, 'Tafadhali kaa kimya kwa dakika tatu.' Wanafunzi walikaa kimya.
What did the teacher ask the students to do?
The teacher said 'kaa kimya kwa dakika tatu', which means 'be quiet for three minutes'.
The teacher said 'kaa kimya kwa dakika tatu', which means 'be quiet for three minutes'.
How much time is needed to finish the work?
Read this passage:
Tunahitaji dakika ishirini kumaliza kazi. Hakuna muda mwingi.
How much time is needed to finish the work?
The passage states 'dakika ishirini', which translates to 'twenty minutes'.
The passage states 'dakika ishirini', which translates to 'twenty minutes'.
Jaza nafasi zilizoachwa wazi: Tafadhali subiri ____________ chache.
The sentence asks to wait for a few 'minutes'. 'Dakika' means minute.
Chagua jibu sahihi: Nina miadi baada ya ____________ kumi.
The sentence indicates an appointment in ten 'minutes'. 'Dakika' is the correct term.
Ni kiasi gani cha muda kinachopita kwa ____________ moja?
One minute ('dakika moja') is equal to sixty seconds ('sekunde sitini').
Ukisema 'dakika tano', unamaanisha masaa matano.
'Dakika tano' means five minutes, not five hours.
Maneno 'dakika' na 'saa' yana maana sawa.
'Dakika' means minute and 'saa' means hour, they are different units of time.
Inachukua dakika thelathini kukamilisha nusu saa.
A half hour is exactly thirty minutes, so 'dakika thelathini' is correct.
Listen for how long someone is asked to wait.
Listen for when the class will start.
Listen for when work finishes.
Read this aloud:
Nina dakika chache.
Focus: dakika
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Read this aloud:
Ni dakika ngapi?
Focus: ngapi
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Read this aloud:
Subiri dakika mbili.
Focus: mbili
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Nisubiri kwa ___ tano, tafadhali.
The context implies a short waiting period, making 'dakika' (minutes) the most suitable choice.
Trenini itaondoka baada ya ___ chache.
Trains usually depart within a few minutes, not hours, weeks, or months, so 'dakika' fits best.
Nilimaliza kazi yangu ndani ya ___ ishirini.
Completing a task 'within twenty' strongly suggests a short timeframe like minutes ('dakika').
Tuna mkutano muhimu baada ya ___ thelathini.
Meetings typically happen within a short notice, making 'dakika' (minutes) the logical choice.
Je, unaweza kunipa ___ tano za kueleza?
Asking for 'five to explain' implies needing a short amount of time, so 'dakika' is correct.
Chakula kitakuwa tayari baada ya ___ kumi na tano.
Food preparation is generally measured in minutes ('dakika'), not seasons, times, or dates.
Juma anahitaji ________ kwenda kazini, kwa hivyo anapaswa kuondoka mapema.
The sentence implies a shorter duration for a daily commute. 'Dakika thelathini' (thirty minutes) fits this context best.
Mkutano ulipangwa kuanza saa nane, lakini umechelewa kwa ________.
A meeting usually gets delayed by a short period. 'Dakika kumi' (ten minutes) is the most suitable option.
Unaweza kunipa ________ ya muda wako kunielezea hili?
When asking for a short explanation, 'dakika chache' (a few minutes) is appropriate.
Kama una miadi saa tisa, unapaswa kufika saa nane na hamsini na tano ili uwe na dakika tano za kujiandaa.
Fika saa nane na hamsini na tano (arrive at eight fifty-five) is indeed five minutes before saa tisa (nine o'clock).
Ili kupika chai, unahitaji kupika maji kwa angalau dakika arobaini.
Kupika chai (to make tea) does not require forty minutes of boiling water. It's usually a much shorter time.
Simu yangu ina chaji kidogo, hivyo ninaweza kuongea kwa dakika ishirini tu.
Having low battery ('chaji kidogo') would limit talking time, making 'dakika ishirini' (twenty minutes) a reasonable duration.
Someone is asking you to wait for a short time.
A request for five minutes to finish a task.
The meeting started a few minutes ago, but there's still a chance to catch up.
Read this aloud:
Nina dakika chache tu kabla sijahitaji kuondoka.
Focus: da-ki-ka
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Read this aloud:
Tafadhali nisubiri kwa dakika moja, nakuja.
Focus: ta-fa-dha-li ni-su-bi-ri kwa da-ki-ka mo-ja
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Read this aloud:
Kuna dakika ngapi mpaka basi lifike?
Focus: da-ki-ka nga-pi
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This sentence means 'The meeting will start after twenty minutes.'
This sentence means 'I will reach you within fifteen minutes.'
This sentence asks 'Do you have three minutes to help me?'
Katika mkutano muhimu, kila ___ huhesabiwa kwa maamuzi sahihi.
Katika muktadha wa 'kila kitu huhesabiwa', 'dakika' inafaa zaidi kama kipimo cha wakati kinachohitaji umakini wa hali ya juu.
Aliwasili dakika chache kabla ya kuanza kwa sherehe, na hivyo kuepuka kuchelewa kwa ___.
Kuchelewa kwa 'makusudi' kunamaanisha kuchelewa kwa nia, lakini hapa, anajaribu kuepuka kuchelewa, hivyo neno 'makusudi' linaweza kutumika kumaanisha kuchelewa kwa nia mbaya.
Hali ya hewa ilibadilika ghafla, na ndani ya ___ chache tu, dhoruba kali ilianza.
Mabadiliko ya ghafla na ya haraka yanaashiriwa na kipindi kifupi cha 'dakika'.
Mjadala ulichukua ___ thelathini na tano, ukijumuisha maoni mbalimbali kutoka kwa washiriki.
Mjadala wa kawaida hupimwa kwa 'dakika', siyo vipindi virefu kama mwezi, wiki au siku.
Ingawa kazi hiyo ilionekana kuwa rahisi, ilichukua ___ nyingi kuzikamilisha kwa usahihi.
Kazi zinazohitaji usahihi na umakini mara nyingi hupimwa kwa 'dakika' zinazotumika kuzikamilisha.
Tafadhali subiri ___ tano tu, nitakuja kukusaidia baada ya kumaliza hili.
'Dakika' tano ni muda unaofaa kwa kusubiri kwa muda mfupi.
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Summary
Dakika is the Swahili word for 'minute' and is used just like in English to refer to a duration of 60 seconds.
- Unit of time
- 60 seconds
- Used for short periods
