Jifunze Kiswahili

Kitambaa cha gauni is a Swahili phrase made of two words:

1. Kitambaa – cloth or piece of fabric.
2. Gauni – a dress (usually a long women’s dress).
3. Meaning Kitambaa cha gauni means fabric used for making a dress or dress material in English.
4. Origin Kitambaa comes from the Swahili word tamba/tambaa, which refers to cloth or fabric. The prefix “ki-” in Swahili shows a thing or object, so kitambaa means a piece of cloth.Gauni comes from the Arabic word “ghawn” / “gown” influence, which entered Swahili through trade along the East African coast.
5. Example Sentences

Swahili:

1. Nimenunua kitambaa cha gauni Kariakoo.

English: I bought fabric for a dress in Kariakoo.

2. Mama anachagua kitambaa cha gauni kwa ajili ya sherehe.

English: Mother is choosing dress fabric for the ceremony.

3. Kitambaa hiki kinafaa kushona gauni la harusi.

English:This fabric is suitable for sewing a wedding dress.

Simple explanation:

Kitambaa cha gauni = cloth used to make a dress.