A1 Collocation خنثی

Piga deki

Mop the floor

Phrase in 30 Seconds

Piga deki is the essential Swahili way to say 'mop the floor' using a 'hitting' verb and a borrowed English noun.

  • Means: To thoroughly clean a floor using water and a cloth or mop.
  • Used in: Daily household chores, professional cleaning contexts, and hospitality settings.
  • Don't confuse: Do not use 'osha' (wash) for floors; 'piga deki' is the specific standard.
🧹 + 💧 + 🏠 = Piga deki

Explanation at your level:

In Swahili, 'piga deki' means to mop the floor. 'Piga' is a verb that usually means 'to hit', and 'deki' comes from the English word 'deck'. Together, they mean cleaning the floor with water. It is a very common phrase for daily chores at home.
'Piga deki' is a collocation used to describe mopping. While 'piga' means 'hit', here it describes the action of scrubbing. You use it for tiled or cement floors. For example, you can say 'Nimepiga deki jikoni' (I have mopped the kitchen). It's an essential phrase for talking about housework.
This phrase is a classic example of how Swahili incorporates English loanwords. 'Deki' (deck) refers to the floor, and 'piga' acts as a light verb to initiate the action. It is more intensive than 'fagia' (to sweep). In a household context, 'kupiga deki' usually involves using a floor cloth and a squeegee rather than a Western mop.
The expression 'piga deki' demonstrates the polysemous nature of the verb 'piga'. In this context, it functions within a specific lexical set of household maintenance. It is important to distinguish it from 'osha', which is reserved for objects or body parts. The phrase carries a connotation of thoroughness and is the standard term in both domestic and commercial cleaning sectors.
Linguistically, 'piga deki' is a fossilized maritime metaphor that has transitioned into the domestic sphere. The use of 'piga' as a functional verb highlights the Bantu tendency to use action-oriented roots to form complex collocations. Analyzing its usage reveals sociolinguistic patterns regarding domestic labor and the historical influence of the British naval presence on the Swahili lexicon.
The collocation 'piga deki' serves as a prime specimen for studying the morphosyntactic integration of loanwords within the Swahili noun class system. While 'deki' remains in the N-class, the verb 'piga' maintains its full range of inflectional potential. The phrase's evolution from a niche nautical term to a universal domestic imperative reflects the broader cognitive linguistic mapping of 'hitting' as a prototypical action for vigorous cleaning across various Swahili dialects.

معنی

Cleaning the floor with water.

🌍

زمینه فرهنگی

In many Tanzanian homes, 'piga deki' is done using a 'kipande cha gunia' (a piece of burlap) or an old T-shirt. It is a sign of a well-managed home. In urban Kenya, especially Nairobi, 'piga deki' is often a Saturday morning ritual accompanied by loud music (often Gospel or Bongo Flava). Because of the humid coastal climate, 'piga deki' is essential to keep tiled floors cool and free from salt air residue. Swahili is often a second language here; 'piga deki' is widely understood in the military and police forces where Swahili is the primary language.

💡

The 'Piga' Rule

Whenever you see 'piga' with a noun, it usually means 'to do' that action vigorously. Don't translate it as 'hit'!

⚠️

Wet Floors

After you 'piga deki', always warn others by saying 'Sakafu ni mbichi' (The floor is wet).

معنی

Cleaning the floor with water.

💡

The 'Piga' Rule

Whenever you see 'piga' with a noun, it usually means 'to do' that action vigorously. Don't translate it as 'hit'!

⚠️

Wet Floors

After you 'piga deki', always warn others by saying 'Sakafu ni mbichi' (The floor is wet).

🎯

Natural Flow

To sound like a native, use the passive 'Deki imepigwa' to announce you've finished your chores.

💬

Gender Roles

In modern urban settings, men 'piga deki' just as much as women, especially in bachelor pads or shared apartments.

خودت رو بسنج

Fill in the correct form of the verb 'piga'.

Jana, mimi ______ deki nyumba nzima.

✓ درسته! ✗ نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح: nilipiga

'Jana' means yesterday, so we need the past tense marker '-li-'.

Which sentence is the most natural way to say 'I am mopping'?

Chagua jibu sahihi:

✓ درسته! ✗ نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح: Ninapiga deki

'Piga deki' is the standard collocation for mopping.

Match the Swahili phrase with its English meaning.

Oanisha maneno haya:

✓ درسته! ✗ نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح: Piga deki - Mop the floor

These are all common household chores.

Complete the dialogue.

Mama: 'Chumba hiki ni kichafu!' Mtoto: 'Samahani mama, ngoja ______.'

✓ درسته! ✗ نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح: nipige deki

If a room is dirty, 'piga deki' is the most thorough way to clean it.

Which tool do you need to 'piga deki'?

Unahitaji nini ili kupiga deki?

✓ درسته! ✗ نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح: Sabuni na maji

Soap and water are essential for mopping.

🎉 امتیاز: /5

ابزارهای بصری یادگیری

Cleaning Verbs

Action
Piga deki Mop floor
Fagia Sweep
Object
Osha vyombo Wash dishes
Fua nguo Wash clothes

سوالات متداول

12 سوال

Yes, but be careful! In Swahili, the phrase is used for any floor cleaning with water, but you might want to specify 'futa' if you are using very little water on wood.

It is a loanword from English 'deck' that has been fully integrated into Swahili grammar.

It is often called 'fagio la deki' (mopping broom) or 'dekio'.

Yes, if you are applying for a cleaning or hospitality position, it is the correct professional term.

It is 'deki' with an 'i'. 'Deke' is a different word related to pampering someone.

You say 'Nimeshapiga deki' or 'Deki imekwisha'.

Yes, but the traditional method of a cloth and a squeegee is still very common and is also called 'piga deki'.

Some people say 'kupiga maji chini' (hitting water on the ground).

No, for walls you would say 'osha kuta'.

There isn't a direct opposite, but 'chafua sakafu' means to make the floor dirty.

No, that would be considered very rude in Swahili culture! Guests are treated like royalty.

In literal terms, yes, but in collocations like this, it just means 'to perform an action'.

عبارات مرتبط

🔗

Fagia sakafu

similar

Sweep the floor

🔗

Futa vumbi

similar

Dusting

🔗

Piga mswaki

builds on

Brush teeth

🔗

Osha sakafu

specialized form

Wash the floor

🔗

Ng'arisha

builds on

To polish/make shine

کجا استفاده کنیم

☀️

Morning Chores

Baba: Je, umeshafagia sebule?

Mtoto: Ndiyo, sasa ninapiga deki.

informal
🏨

Hotel Service

Mgeni: Chumba changu ni kichafu.

Mhudumu: Samahani, nitatuma mtu apige deki mara moja.

formal
🏢

Office Maintenance

Meneja: Hamisi, tafadhali piga deki koridoni.

Hamisi: Sawa meneja, ninaanza sasa hivi.

neutral
🥤

Accidental Spill

Rafiki 1: Oops! Nimemwaga juisi.

Rafiki 2: Usijali, ngoja nipige deki haraka.

informal
🎉

Pre-Event Prep

Mama: Wageni watakuja saa kumi.

Binti: Sawa, nitapiga deki nyumba nzima.

neutral
💼

Job Interview (Cleaner)

Mwajiri: Je, una uzoefu wa usafi?

Mwombaji: Ndiyo, najua kupiga deki kwa kutumia mashine na mikono.

formal

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of a sailor 'Hitting the Deck' (Piga Deki) to make it shine.

Visual Association

Imagine a giant drumstick 'hitting' a floor that suddenly turns into a sparkling clean ship's deck.

Rhyme

Piga deki, usafi ni keki (Mop the floor, cleanliness is a piece of cake).

Story

A sailor named Peter arrived in Mombasa. He wanted to clean his house like he cleaned his ship. He shouted 'Piga Deki!' and now everyone in East Africa says it while they mop.

Word Web

sakafumajisabunifagiokitambaausafimadoang'aa

چالش

Go to your kitchen and say 'Ninapiga deki' while you mop. Try to say it five times with different tenses.

In Other Languages

Spanish high

Fregar el suelo

Spanish 'fregar' is more descriptive of the friction, while Swahili 'piga' is a functional collocation.

French moderate

Passer la serpillère

French uses 'passer' (to pass), which is much gentler than the Swahili 'piga'.

German moderate

Den Boden wischen

German is more literal about the wiping motion.

Japanese partial

床を拭く (Yuka o fuku)

Japanese culture emphasizes the cloth (zōkin), Swahili emphasizes the 'deck'.

Arabic low

مسح الأرض (Mash al-ard)

Arabic is more general, while Swahili is a specific maritime-derived idiom.

Chinese partial

拖地 (Tuō dì)

The focus is on dragging vs. hitting.

Korean moderate

걸레질하다 (Geollejilhada)

Korean is a noun-verb compound, Swahili is a verb-object collocation.

Portuguese high

Passar pano

Portuguese uses 'pano' (cloth) as the object, Swahili uses 'deki' (deck).

Easily Confused

Piga deki در مقابل Piga pasi

Both start with 'piga' and relate to housework.

Pasi is for clothes (ironing), deki is for floors (mopping).

Piga deki در مقابل Piga simu

The verb 'piga' is used for many things.

Remember that 'deki' is the only one that involves water and floors.

سوالات متداول (12)

Yes, but be careful! In Swahili, the phrase is used for any floor cleaning with water, but you might want to specify 'futa' if you are using very little water on wood.

It is a loanword from English 'deck' that has been fully integrated into Swahili grammar.

It is often called 'fagio la deki' (mopping broom) or 'dekio'.

Yes, if you are applying for a cleaning or hospitality position, it is the correct professional term.

It is 'deki' with an 'i'. 'Deke' is a different word related to pampering someone.

You say 'Nimeshapiga deki' or 'Deki imekwisha'.

Yes, but the traditional method of a cloth and a squeegee is still very common and is also called 'piga deki'.

Some people say 'kupiga maji chini' (hitting water on the ground).

No, for walls you would say 'osha kuta'.

There isn't a direct opposite, but 'chafua sakafu' means to make the floor dirty.

No, that would be considered very rude in Swahili culture! Guests are treated like royalty.

In literal terms, yes, but in collocations like this, it just means 'to perform an action'.

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