The purpose of this list is to give a rough idea of the Kinyarwanda language. The words listed below are not the most common words, but a broad sampling of words. See the Word Lists page for more details.
| English | Kinyarwanda |
| I | jye, jyewe, jyeweho |
| you *(sing)* | wowe |
| he | we |
| we | twebwe |
| you *(pl)* | mwebwe |
| they | bo, ba- |
| this | aha, aka, iki, iri, ubu, uku, uru, uyu, aya, iyi |
| that | aho, ako, icyo, iryo, uko, urwo, uwo |
| here | aha, hano, ino |
| there | aho, -yo, -ri, -ho, -mo |
| who | nde? |
| what | iki?,-ki? |
| where | -he? -hehe? aho |
| when | ryari? ubwô |
| how | -te? uko, ukuntu |
| not | nta, si |
| all | -ose, -se |
| many | -inshi iînshi |
| some | -mye, -mwe |
| few | -ke, -keya |
| other | -ndi |
| one | limwe |
| two | kabili |
| three | gatatu, -hatu |
| four | kane, yine |
| five | -tanu, -hanu |
| big | -nini |
| long | -re-re |
| wide | -gari |
| thick | -nini |
| heavy | -kuremera, -kuremerwa |
| small | -to, -toya |
| short | -gufi |
| narrow | -gufungana |
| thin | -to, -toya |
| woman | umugore [umugorê] |
| man | umugabo |
| human | umuntu [umuuntu] |
| child | umwana [umwâana] |
| wife | muka [mukâa] |
| husband | umugabo |
| mother | mama [maamâ] |
| father | data [daatâ] |
| animal | inyamaswa [inyamâaswa] |
| fish | ifi [ifî] |
| bird | inyoni |
| dog | imbwa [imbwâ] |
| louse | inda [indâ] |
| snake | inzoka [inzôka] |
| worm | inzoka, umunyorogoto *(earthworm)*, urunyo *(maggot)* |
| tree | igiti [igitî] |
| forest | ishyamba [ishyaamba] |
| stick | inkoni |
| fruit | imbuto [imbûto] |
| seed | imbuto [imbûto] |
| leaf | ikibabi |
| root | umuzi |
| bark *(tree)* | ikirere [ikireere] |
| flower | indabyo, ururabyo [ururâbyo] |
| grass | icyatsi [icyaâtsi], ubwatsi *(pasture)* |
| rope | umugozi |
| skin | uruhu |
| meat | inyama |
| blood | amaraso [amarâso] |
| bone | igufwa [igûfwa] |
| fat *(n.)* | amavuta [amavûta], ikinure |
| egg | igi |
| horn | ihembe |
| tail | umurizo |
| feather | iryorya |
| hair | umusatsi |
| head | umutwe [umutwê] |
| ear | ugutwi [ugutwî] |
| eye | ijisho [ijîisho] |
| nose | izuru [izûuru] |
| mouth | akanwa |
| tooth | iryinyo [iryîinyo] |
| tongue | ururimi |
| fingernail | urwara |
| foot | ikirenge [ikireenge] |
| leg | ukuguru |
| knee | ivi [ivî] |
| hand | ikiganza [ikigaanza] |
| wing | ibaba [ibabâ] |
| belly | inda, igifu, ibondo [iboondo] *(potbelly)* |
| guts | amara *(intestines)* |
| neck | ishingo, ijosi *(front of neck)* |
| back | umugongo [umugôongo] |
| breast | ibere |
| heart | umutima [umutîma] |
| liver | umwijima |
| to drink | kunywa [kunywâ], -nywa |
| to eat | kurya |
| to bite | gushuna, kuruma |
| to suck | kunyunguta, kunyunyuza |
| to spit | gucira |
| to vomit | kuruka |
| to blow | guhuha |
| to breathe | guhumeka |
| to laugh | guseka |
| to see | kubona [kubôna] |
| to hear | kumva |
| to know | kumenya, -zi |
| to think | gutekereza, kwibwira |
| to smell | guhumuza [guhûumura] |
| to fear | gutinya |
| to sleep | gusinzira [gusiinziira] |
| to live | -baho, kubana, kuba [kubâ] *(to be)* |
| to die | gupfa |
| to kill | kwica |
| to fight | kurwana |
| to hunt | guhiga |
| to hit | gukubita |
| to cut | guca, gukata |
| to split | gutanya |
| to scratch | gushima |
| to dig | gucukura |
| to swim | koga |
| to fly | kuguruka |
| to walk | kugenda [kugeenda] |
| to come | kuza [kuuza] |
| to lie *(bed)* | kwisegura |
| to sit | kwicara [kwiicara] |
| to stand | guhagarara |
| to turn | guhindukiza |
| to fall | kugwa |
| to give | guha, guhana, gutanga |
| to hold | gufata |
| to squeeze | gukamura |
| to rub | guhanagura, gusiga *(anoint)* |
| to wash | koza |
| to wipe | guhanagura |
| to pull | gukurura |
| to push | gusunika |
| to throw | gutera |
| to tie | kuboha, gupfundika |
| to sew | kudoda |
| to count | kubara |
| to say | kuvuga, -ti *(saying)* |
| to sing | kuririmba |
| to play | gukina |
| to float | kureremba [kurêreemba] |
| to flow | gutemba |
| to swell | kubyimba |
| sun | izuba [izûuba] |
| moon | ukwezi [ukwêezi] |
| star | inyenyeri [inyênyeerî] |
| water | amazi [amâazi] |
| rain | imvura [imvûra]] |
| river | uruzi |
| lake | ikiyaga |
| sea | inyanja |
| salt | umunyu [umûunyu] |
| stone | ibuye |
| sand | umusenyi |
| dust | ivumbi, umukungugu [umukuûngugu] |
| earth | igitaka, isi [isî] |
| cloud | igicu |
| fog | igihu |
| sky | ikirere, ijuru *(heaven)* |
| wind | umuyaga |
| snow | amasimbi |
| ice | barafu, urubura |
| smoke | umwotsi |
| fire | umuriro |
| ash | ivu [ivû] |
| to burn | gushya, kwaka [kwaaka] |
| road | umuhanda [umuhaânda] |
| mountain | umusozi [umusôzi] |
| red | gutukura |
| green | icyatsi kibisi |
| yellow | umuhondo |
| white | -era |
| black | umukara |
| night | ijoro |
| day | umunsi [umuûnsi] |
| year | umwaka [umwâaka] |
| warm | -ota |
| cold | -konja, -beho |
| full | -zura |
| new | -shya |
| old | -saza |
| good | -iza [iizâ]] |
| bad | -bi |
| rotten | -bora |
| dirty | -anda, -ico |
| straight | -gororoka, -eguka |
| round | -viringa |
| sharp *(knife)* | -tyara |
| blunt *(knife)* | -tiga |
| wet | -bisi [bîsi] |
| dry | -uma |
| correct | -hana |
| near | bugufi, hafi |
| far | kure |
| right | -ryo |