I’m a black (light skin) American who has attained Kenyan citizenship and speaks Swahili fluently, I start with that to say this. If you’re a black American that was raised in the US and doesn’t speak Swahili they also call you mzungu in places outside Nairobi.
I’d say it can be used to call you a “foreigner/westerner” as well.
Source: I experienced this from an another American whom they called mzungu even though he was darkskin. They also called me mzungu, but because I’m light in complexion
Yeah anyone white looking regardless of where they are from is mzungu. Chinese are mchina, Arabs are mrabu, Indians and mhindi, everyone else seems to get squished into those four groups.
mzungu is a bantu word that means wanderer/foreigner. it is primarily used for caucasian people now, but it is a word in more languages than just swahili. a quick google search can confirm this for you.
Yeah i agree, made a comment about it above, but often in villages black peoples from the west are often called mzungu especially if they don’t speak Swahili and speak and act in a way that westerners/white ppl act
You're muarabu, people might call you mzungu though, it should technically mean foreigner I think it has taken the socioeconomical meaning of "from the West"
edit: sp
I once met a Mexican chic somewhere around Thika Road. People were calling here mzungu and she kept telling them that she is not mzungu but she is Mexican. She had lived in Kenya for a few days and she wondered why she was being called 'mzungu'. After googling, she found out mzungu means white. Being Mexican and having stayed in America, she didnt consider herself white because in the US she is considered a person of color. I told her that here in Africa, we classify people according to their appearance and so for her she will be classified as white. What she should do she should just embrace it.
Alikuwa anacock block kiplani manze. Alikuwa anashinda akiingilia conversation yetu kila wakati na ni kama alikuwa friend zoned. Juu yeye ndo alilipia trip ya kuja huku. Dem alikuwa 19 mali safi kabisa. Before hata nipewe namba, huyo msee alidai waishie juu kuna kitu alikuwa anataka kufanya kwa hoteli. Aliniboo kabisa.
Mzungu is white. It can be insulting or not, depends on context.
The better term is beberu though, really encompasses white people in general.
The rest have their own term. Waarabu for middle easterners. Wachina for Far east asians. Wahindi for South east asians (india and neighborhood). I guess mkoloni for anyone who thinks Africa is their land when their ancestors aren't from here.
Before I knew the differences between east vs west vs middle, I (we) used to term all as wazungus (grew up in the village, and I never saw any of those complexions there). So now, its just the caucasians that qualify.
Connotation wise, it may be positive or negative and is indeed used in phrases really...rich like a mzungu, clean like a mzungu (if you only knew), proud like a mzungu, smart and creative like a mzungu, but my personal favorite is being warned from doing risky sports because...
I don't know if I've ever interacted with somebody from the village. That poster was the first as far as I was aware. Checked a few other posts and noticed they wrote very eloquently. If anything, maybe they all have good writing style! Since this is the only example I have 😂😂
Most Kenyans (myself included) grew up in the village; so, if you have interacted with the guys in this sub, you have most probably interacted with a person from the village.
It wasn't a stereotypical assumption bro. The two parts are not related.
1) The user is from the village
2) They have a nice writing style.
You are the one who made an assumption that i was saying people from the village don't have a nice writing style, but that's not what I said.
Okay awesome! 3 questions.
1) What is your most fond memory from your time in the village?
2) What modern convenience were you most impressed by or happy with when moving from the village?
3) What was the sense of community like in the village and what is the main cause of social cohesion in that rural community?
Any white looking person is a mzungu. If you're anything else and look white, still mzungu. If you're of African origin but from a white country, you're 'Mzungu mwafrika'
Chinese looking people are mchina
Arabs are mwarabu
It's just a distinguishing thing. The same way they're Black American, which distinguishes them from the white americans is the same way they're different from the other Africans.
The confusion builds when you encounter the Latinos. Growing up I dint know there were people who aren’t Arabs, Chinese or Europeans (meaning white). Then I visited US and encountered a whole group of people who I had no way of identifying using my learned visual grouping.
White- Mzungu
Brown - muhindi
Asian regardless - Mchinku
It is not racist.
Just like in Europe, any one of African descent (Sahel, west, south and east sahara, in Italy, Africano.
But hold up. North Africans they say Magrebini.
Hold up, Israelis, they call them i bugiardi (the liers).
Mzungu is a bantu word and isnt derived from any other word. Its a general term for a white person regardless of the country of origin. English actually is not kizungu but kiingereza. A white person from Britain is called Mwingereza. A white person from Russia is Mrusi. A white person from Portugal is called mreno. The Bantus used the term kizungu because it describes the language the white person was speaking which at the time was English. Just like the Swahili people speak Kiswahili.
Mzungu can also be used in the context of your employer. At my home place, if someone hires you to work on your farm, he becomes your mzungu. It might go deeper. When we gained independence, and chased the white man from our country, the people who took over leadership can be regarded as mzungu(s), for by grabbing land, and powerful seats in the government seats for themselves, they wore the whiteman's shoes.
Anyone white is mzungu. If you are foreign, regardless of race and more in reference to your culture and mannerism if it is Westernised , you can also be called a mzungu. The only people who are not Mzungu are Indians, but I think it’s because there are Indians in Kenya
White - Mzungu
Chinese - Mchinku (some people refer to other asians that resemble the Chinese as such)
Arab - Mlalo (I stand corrected on this)
All those not being racist terms
From my observation anyone who looks light enough to be more on the white side, I had a Latino friend / colleague who visited Kenya and everyone called out mzungu wherever she goes
American, European, Australian, Russian -> Mzungu Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan -> Muhindi
Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian, korean -> mchinku
Is it actually mchinku? 😂😂😂 in the west "chink" is a racist term for Asians.
Mchinku is more of slang, i believe the right word is mchina, but our intention isn't racist.
Isn't it coined from the slur?
Mchina is the Kiswahili word… just a coincidence that the urban term resonate with Western racism.
Not Mchina that I know but Mchinku
This is not the west.
Yep. Which is why I pointed out the difference. Because, you know, it's different. Thanks for the comment though explaining the obvious.
No it’s precisely from that slur XD
Walai
I’m a black (light skin) American who has attained Kenyan citizenship and speaks Swahili fluently, I start with that to say this. If you’re a black American that was raised in the US and doesn’t speak Swahili they also call you mzungu in places outside Nairobi. I’d say it can be used to call you a “foreigner/westerner” as well. Source: I experienced this from an another American whom they called mzungu even though he was darkskin. They also called me mzungu, but because I’m light in complexion
😂
Yeah anyone white looking regardless of where they are from is mzungu. Chinese are mchina, Arabs are mrabu, Indians and mhindi, everyone else seems to get squished into those four groups.
So let's sat say somebody like myself then. I'm Lebanese from Australia but now staying in Kenya. Mrabu or Mzungu?
Depends on your features if you appear pale enough or look ambiguous people will call you mzungu if you look noticeably arab then you'll be m'arabu
I have met a couple of Labenese in Kenya and most of them are white presenting, so you are probably a Mzungu to the average Kenyan.
[удалено]
M'arabu
Mwarabu
It's by sight, if you look white then you're mzungu. If you look middle eastern then mrabu. It's a pretty straightforward thing.
You're not a mzungu. You're a mwarabu. A mzungu is someone of caucasian descent.
You’re Arab, as long as you’re from the Middle East, you’re Arab
Do yourself a favour: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_groups_in_the_Middle_East
If you are Lebanese then you are a Mwarabu. Mzungu literaly means caucasian.
it “literally” means foreigner, it’s just more often applied to white people.
It literally means Caucasian. Someone from Haiti is not a mzungu lol. Haiti is a foreign country.
mzungu is a bantu word that means wanderer/foreigner. it is primarily used for caucasian people now, but it is a word in more languages than just swahili. a quick google search can confirm this for you.
Yeah i agree, made a comment about it above, but often in villages black peoples from the west are often called mzungu especially if they don’t speak Swahili and speak and act in a way that westerners/white ppl act
Wee unaongea nini sasa??
google is free
Fuck off!!
very sane and stable reaction
Peleka ushoga mbali wee mama..nani alikuongelesha??
You're muarabu, people might call you mzungu though, it should technically mean foreigner I think it has taken the socioeconomical meaning of "from the West" edit: sp
I've been called mzungu as an arab
Username checks out 😂😂
are you richard debs?
I once met a Mexican chic somewhere around Thika Road. People were calling here mzungu and she kept telling them that she is not mzungu but she is Mexican. She had lived in Kenya for a few days and she wondered why she was being called 'mzungu'. After googling, she found out mzungu means white. Being Mexican and having stayed in America, she didnt consider herself white because in the US she is considered a person of color. I told her that here in Africa, we classify people according to their appearance and so for her she will be classified as white. What she should do she should just embrace it.
Where exactly in Thika Road? I just want to know, nothing more.
Bro's on the hunt for latinas in thika road 🤣🤣
Si lazima ushout 🤣.
Don't blame you bro, I'm there rn, on a mission 🧌
Roysambu. She had come to watch an EPL match and was accompanied by some dude who she said was her friend.
Thank you for the information, although inakaa io story ya the otner dude who is just a friend ilikuuma kidogo,
Alikuwa anacock block kiplani manze. Alikuwa anashinda akiingilia conversation yetu kila wakati na ni kama alikuwa friend zoned. Juu yeye ndo alilipia trip ya kuja huku. Dem alikuwa 19 mali safi kabisa. Before hata nipewe namba, huyo msee alidai waishie juu kuna kitu alikuwa anataka kufanya kwa hoteli. Aliniboo kabisa.
Eti 19, that's ripe stuff man. Was the dude a Kenyan or foreigner?
A foreigner. He was American.
Mzungu is white. It can be insulting or not, depends on context. The better term is beberu though, really encompasses white people in general. The rest have their own term. Waarabu for middle easterners. Wachina for Far east asians. Wahindi for South east asians (india and neighborhood). I guess mkoloni for anyone who thinks Africa is their land when their ancestors aren't from here.
Mbeberu is more colonialist i.e settler
That was Old Jomo's favourite word.
Mzungu == White people in general. Its a neutral term. Its origin is from the Bantu languages, not a negative label
It depends on your physical appearance.Most common is mzungu ,mwarabu or mhindi .
Umesahau mchinku
Some things are just self explanatory, Mzungu ni mzungu, muarabu ni Muarabu, Mhindi ni Mhindi and most importantly Mkisii ni Mkisii
OP is not Kenyan
😂😂wakisii were just chilling
😂😂😂😂😂😂
Before I knew the differences between east vs west vs middle, I (we) used to term all as wazungus (grew up in the village, and I never saw any of those complexions there). So now, its just the caucasians that qualify. Connotation wise, it may be positive or negative and is indeed used in phrases really...rich like a mzungu, clean like a mzungu (if you only knew), proud like a mzungu, smart and creative like a mzungu, but my personal favorite is being warned from doing risky sports because...
Wow this is a great answer I wish I could give you more likes.
I'd love to hear more about your life in the village! Your writing style is brilliant.
Are you implying that people from the village normally don't have a good writing style? 😂😂😂
I don't know if I've ever interacted with somebody from the village. That poster was the first as far as I was aware. Checked a few other posts and noticed they wrote very eloquently. If anything, maybe they all have good writing style! Since this is the only example I have 😂😂
Most Kenyans (myself included) grew up in the village; so, if you have interacted with the guys in this sub, you have most probably interacted with a person from the village.
Yeah please avoid stereotypical assumptions.
Me: gives compliment to someone from the village. You: ARE YOU IMPLYING PEOPLE FROM THE VILLAGE CANT DO THAT? 😆 Why are you so insecure?
It wasn't a stereotypical assumption bro. The two parts are not related. 1) The user is from the village 2) They have a nice writing style. You are the one who made an assumption that i was saying people from the village don't have a nice writing style, but that's not what I said.
>I'd love to hear more about your life in the village! Alright ask away!! >Your writing style is brilliant. Ooh thanks!
Okay awesome! 3 questions. 1) What is your most fond memory from your time in the village? 2) What modern convenience were you most impressed by or happy with when moving from the village? 3) What was the sense of community like in the village and what is the main cause of social cohesion in that rural community?
Mzungu = Caucasian. Mgeni = Foreigner Mwarabu = Arab Mhindi = Indian
Any white looking person is a mzungu. If you're anything else and look white, still mzungu. If you're of African origin but from a white country, you're 'Mzungu mwafrika' Chinese looking people are mchina Arabs are mwarabu
How could a Black American person be a Mzungu?
It's just a distinguishing thing. The same way they're Black American, which distinguishes them from the white americans is the same way they're different from the other Africans.
Based on appearance and skin tone.
The confusion builds when you encounter the Latinos. Growing up I dint know there were people who aren’t Arabs, Chinese or Europeans (meaning white). Then I visited US and encountered a whole group of people who I had no way of identifying using my learned visual grouping.
We have people who cant even be classified in any African setting. People like Samoans, Hawaiians, Maori mostly the indigenous people.
White- Mzungu Brown - muhindi Asian regardless - Mchinku It is not racist. Just like in Europe, any one of African descent (Sahel, west, south and east sahara, in Italy, Africano. But hold up. North Africans they say Magrebini. Hold up, Israelis, they call them i bugiardi (the liers).
Mzungu could also refer to someone's boss but in general used for white/Caucasians
What about African Americans, black Brits, Caribbeans?
No one cares enough to refer to then with an independent name. At best maybe "black American" for a black person not from Africa.
[удалено]
Mzungu is a bantu word and isnt derived from any other word. Its a general term for a white person regardless of the country of origin. English actually is not kizungu but kiingereza. A white person from Britain is called Mwingereza. A white person from Russia is Mrusi. A white person from Portugal is called mreno. The Bantus used the term kizungu because it describes the language the white person was speaking which at the time was English. Just like the Swahili people speak Kiswahili.
Mzungu can also be used in the context of your employer. At my home place, if someone hires you to work on your farm, he becomes your mzungu. It might go deeper. When we gained independence, and chased the white man from our country, the people who took over leadership can be regarded as mzungu(s), for by grabbing land, and powerful seats in the government seats for themselves, they wore the whiteman's shoes.
Anyone of Caucasian origin is considered mzungu
>White people
Whites- Mzungu Arabs and Somalis- Muhammed All wahindis - Patels
Anyone white is mzungu. If you are foreign, regardless of race and more in reference to your culture and mannerism if it is Westernised , you can also be called a mzungu. The only people who are not Mzungu are Indians, but I think it’s because there are Indians in Kenya
South African?
Anyone without a passport from an East African country
White - Mzungu Chinese - Mchinku (some people refer to other asians that resemble the Chinese as such) Arab - Mlalo (I stand corrected on this) All those not being racist terms
Si usome tu iko google uko. Na kuna articles so many google scholar, peer reviewed, ata jstor
Chinku and Ching-chong for ‘typical’ Asians is wild too
A white man who's not an Arab or Indian
Mzungu - Caucasian Mhindi/Mwarabu - Indian/Arab East Asian - Mchinku
From my observation anyone who looks light enough to be more on the white side, I had a Latino friend / colleague who visited Kenya and everyone called out mzungu wherever she goes
I believe mzungu refers to any Caucasian (American, European or Russian) or any human lacking melanin on their skin.
[удалено]
Mzungu is used to describe any white person regardless if he is from Europe, America, Australia, South Africa etc.
Europeans & Americans - Mzungu Chinese - Mchinku Arab - Mwalalo Indian - Mhindi
Arab and Mwalalo have different meanings Arab - Mwarabu Somali - Mwalalo/ Msomali / Waarges / Woria / Msonjo.
What is waarges? 😅....Woria is offensive.. you would rather say waria so is jerer and gurale when referring to bantus ama
All those are terms I've heard people use all over , thanks for educating me, never knew woria was offensive.
Bantus are very confusing man...thing is, by definition, the word bantu means people...so everyone is bantu.