LESSON 74

Brother and Sister

(Vocabulary is included in the grammar.)

148. In Kinyarwanda it is a bit complicated to say “brother” and “sister” for it depends on the age and sex of the parties involved.

1) A boy’s sister is mushiki (no initial vowel). It must be followed by the possessive: mushiki wanjye - my sister; mushiki wawe - your sister; mushiki we - his sister; mushiki wacu - our sister; mushiki wa Yohana - John’s sister. In the plural: bashiki banjye - my sisters, etc.

2) A girl’s brother is musaza, which follows the same rules as mushiki. Musaza wanjye - my brother; basaza babo - their brothers, etc.

3) A boy’s older brother is mukuru: mukuru wanjye, mukuru we, bakuru banjye, bakuru babo, etc.

4) A girl’s older sister is also mukuru, and is used exactly the same as for a boy’s older brother.

5) A boy’s younger brother is murumuna: murumuna wanjye - my younger brother; bamurumuna banjye - my younger brothers, etc.

6) A girl’s younger sister is also murumuna, and used in the same way as for younger brother.

7) Exactly the same terms are used for the children of one’s paternal uncle or maternal aunt, so one is never quite sure if two people are actually brothers and sisters, or only cousins. If necessary to distinguish them from true siblings, one says: e.g. mushiki wanjye kwa data wacu - my female cousin (daughter of my paternal uncle).

149. If when seeing a boy and girl together, or two boys or two girls, you wish to ask, “Are you brother and sister?”, you would say, “Muva inda imwe?” (lit. did you come from the same stomach?)” Likewise I “we are brother and sister” is: Tuva inda imwe. Abavandimwe is siblings.

Exercises:

Translate into Kinyarwanda: