The purpose of this list is to give a rough idea of the Kirundi 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 | Kirundi |
| I | jewe, jeho, je, nānje |
| you *(sing)* | wewe, weho |
| he | we, wewe |
| we | twebge, tweho |
| you *(pl)* | mwebge, mweho |
| they | ba- |
| this | uyu |
| that | uwo, urya, uriya, uno, wa, nya |
| here | aha, hano, ino, ngaha |
| there | aho, ngaho |
| who | nde? |
| what | iki? |
| where | hehe? he? aho |
| when | ryari? aho, iyo, ni |
| how | -te? uko, uku-ntu, ingene, ubugene |
| not | nta, ata, si |
| all | -ōse |
| many | -inshi |
| some | -mwe |
| few | -ke, -keya, -kenya |
| other | -ndi |
| one | -mwe |
| two | -biri, evyiri |
| three | -tatu, esheshatu |
| four | -ne, ennye |
| five | -tānu, eshānu |
| big | -nini |
| long | -re-re |
| wide | -gari |
| thick | -nini |
| heavy | ku-remēra, ku-riba |
| small | -to, -toya, -tonya, -toto |
| short | -gufi, -gufiya, -gufinya |
| narrow | gu-pfungānya |
| thin | -to, -to-to, -toya, -tonya |
| woman | umu-gore |
| man | umu-gabo |
| human | buntu |
| child | umw-āna |
| wife | muka |
| husband | umu-gabo, umu-gēnzi |
| mother | māma, māwe |
| father | dāta, dāwe |
| animal | kw-ūhīra |
| fish | i-fi |
| bird | iki-guruka, in-yoni *(little ones)* |
| dog | im-bwa |
| louse | in-da |
| snake | in-zoka |
| worm | in-zoka, igi-kogoshi *(earthworm)*, igi-kāngaga *(tapeworm)* |
| tree | igi-ti |
| forest | iki-bira |
| stick | igi-ti |
| fruit | ic-āmwa, imbuto |
| seed | im-buto, uru-tete |
| leaf | i-babi, iki-babi |
| root | umu-zi, igi-shitsi |
| bark *(tree)* | igi-shishwa |
| flower | i-shurwe |
| grass | ivy-ātsi, ubg-ātsi |
| rope | in-goyi, umu-gozi, umu-zana |
| skin | uru-hu, uru-koba, uru-sāto |
| meat | iny-āma |
| blood | amaraso |
| bone | i-gufa |
| fat *(n.)* | i-tōto, ibi-mure *(meat)* |
| egg | iri-gi, i-gi |
| horn | i-hēmbe |
| tail | umu-rīzo |
| feather | i-ryōya |
| hair | umu-shatsi |
| head | umu-twe |
| ear | ugu-twi |
| eye | i-jīsho |
| nose | i-zūru, i-tonde |
| mouth | aka-nwa |
| tooth | i-ryīnyo |
| tongue | uru-rimi |
| fingernail | urw-āra |
| foot | iki-rēnge |
| leg | uku-guru |
| knee | i-vi |
| hand | iki-ganza |
| wing | i-baba |
| belly | in-da |
| guts | ama-ra *(intestines)* |
| neck | i-sozi |
| back | umu-gōngo |
| breast | i-bere |
| heart | umu-tima |
| liver | igi-tigu |
| to drink | ku-nywa |
| to eat | ku-rya |
| to bite | gu-shikura |
| to suck | ku-nūnuza |
| to spit | gu-cīra |
| to vomit | ku-ruka |
| to blow | gu-hūha, gu-hūngabanya |
| to breathe | gu-hēma, gu-humēka |
| to laugh | gu-twēnga, gu-sekaseka |
| to see | ku-bona |
| to hear | kw-ūmva |
| to know | ku-menya, -zi, ku-zirikana |
| to think | kw-īyumvīra, gu-cīra, ku-gira, kw-īkēkāko, kw-īrimbūra |
| to smell | kw-īnukiriza, kw-ūmva, kw-ūmviriza, kw-īmōtereza |
| to fear | gu-tīnya |
| to sleep | gu-sinzīra |
| to live | ku-ba, ku-baho, gu-hēma |
| to die | gu-pfa, gu-hwēra |
| to kill | kw-īca |
| to fight | ku-rwānya |
| to hunt | gu-hīga |
| to hit | gu-kubita |
| to cut | gu-ca |
| to split | ku-rara, gu-tānya |
| to scratch | gu-kūba |
| to dig | kw-īmba, ku-rima |
| to swim | kw-ōga |
| to fly | ku-guruka |
| to walk | ku-gēnda |
| to come | ku-za |
| to lie *(bed)* | ku-ryāma |
| to sit | kw-īcara |
| to stand | gu-hagarara |
| to turn | gu-hindukiza |
| to fall | ku-gwa |
| to give | gu-ha, gu-hēsha, gu-tānga |
| to hold | gu-fata |
| to squeeze | gu-kānya |
| to rub | gu-hungura, gu-sīga *(anoint)*, gu-hofōra *(eyes)* |
| to wash | kw-ōza |
| to wipe | ku-myīra, gu-heha |
| to pull | gu-kwēga, gu-shikura, gu-kurira |
| to push | gu-sunika |
| to throw | gu-ta, gu-tēra |
| to tie | ku-boha, gu-hāmbīra |
| to sew | ku-barīra, gu-sona *( |
| to count | gu-harūra |
| to say | ku-bara, ku-vuga, -ti |
| to sing | ku-rirīmba |
| to play | gu-kina |
| to float | ku-reremba |
| to flow | gu-tēmba |
| to swell | ku-vyīmba, ku-bōmboka |
| sun | i-zūba |
| moon | ukw-ēzi |
| star | uru-nyenyēri, i-nyenyēri |
| water | ama-zi |
| rain | im-vura |
| river | ur-ūzi |
| lake | iki-yaga, i-tanganyika |
| sea | iki-yaga |
| salt | umu-nyu |
| stone | i-buye |
| sand | umu-sēnyi |
| dust | umu-kungugu |
| earth | i-si, aga-taka, i-vu |
| cloud | igi-cu |
| fog | igi-pfūngu |
| sky | iki-rēre, i-juru |
| wind | umu-yaga |
| snow | uru-bura *(hail)* |
| smoke | umw-ōtsi |
| fire | umu-riro |
| ash | umu-nyota |
| to burn | gu-sha |
| road | i-barabara, umu-haruro, i-rāngo |
| mountain | umu-sozi |
| red | gu-tukura |
| green | aka-ātsi gatoto |
| yellow | umu-hōndo, umu-gina, umu-tugutu |
| white | cera |
| black | umu-fyīri |
| night | i-joro |
| day | umu-si |
| year | umw-āka |
| warm | -ōta |
| cold | -bisi |
| full | -ūzura |
| new | -sha, -shasha |
| old | -kuru, -sāza |
| good | -īza |
| bad | -bi |
| rotten | -bora, -boza |
| dirty | -humāna |
| straight | -gororoka |
| round | -burūngu |
| sharp *(knife)* | -kariha |
| blunt *(knife)* | -fyīta, -pfūha *(dull)* |
| smooth | -rēmba |
| wet | -bisi |
| dry | -ūma |
| correct | -koshōra, -īhana |
| near | hāfi |
| far | kure |
| right | -ryo |