Animals

1. Imbwa

   Dog

   Usage

   Guard dogs are common; also the word you need if you were bitten

   Grammar Note

   A class 9 (in-) noun; the plural is identical.

2. Injangwe

   Cat

   Usage

   A domestic cat

   Grammar Note

   A class 9 (in-) noun; the plural is identical.

3. Inyoni

   Bird

   Usage

   Nyungwe Forest and Akagera are among Africa's best birding spots

   Grammar Note

   A class 9 (in-) noun; the plural is identical.

4. Ifi

   Fish

   Usage

   Lake Kivu tilapia and "sambaza" — tiny fried fish — are the local speciality

   Grammar Note

   A class 9 noun; the plural is identical.

5. Inka

   Cow / cattle

   Usage

   The most honoured animal in Rwandan culture. The long-horned royal breed is called "Inyambo", and giving a cow is still the highest mark of respect

   Grammar Note

   A class 9 (in-) noun; the plural is identical.

6. Ingurube

   Pig

   Usage

   Show this word to check for pork if you avoid it for religious reasons

   Grammar Note

   A class 9 (in-) noun; the plural is identical.

7. Inkoko

   Chicken

   Usage

   Both the live bird and the meat; it appears constantly as "brochettes", grilled skewers

   Grammar Note

   A class 9 (in-) noun; the plural is identical.

8. Ihene

   Goat

   Usage

   A common sight on the hillsides; goat brochettes are a Rwandan staple

   Grammar Note

   A class 9 noun; the plural is identical.

9. Intama

   Sheep

   Usage

   Less common than goats but kept on farms

   Grammar Note

   A class 9 (in-) noun; the plural is identical.

10. Urukwavu

    Rabbit

    Usage

    Widely kept at home, and the cunning hero of many Rwandan folktales

    Grammar Note

    A class 11 (uru-) noun; the plural is "inkwavu".

11. Ingagi

    Mountain gorilla

    Usage

    The symbol of Rwandan tourism, trekked in Volcanoes National Park. Each year the nation names the new babies at the "Kwita Izina" ceremony. Permits must be booked in advance

    Grammar Note

    A class 9 noun; the plural is identical.

12. Inkende

    Monkey

    Usage

    Seen in Nyungwe Forest and Volcanoes National Park; the golden monkeys of the Virungas need their own permit, separate from gorillas

    Grammar Note

    A class 9 (in-) noun; the plural is identical.

13. Inguge

    Baboon

    Usage

    Troops line the road through Nyungwe; keep windows shut. Applied to a person it is an insult, so use it only for the animal

    Grammar Note

    A class 9 (in-) noun; the plural is identical.

14. Inzovu

    Elephant

    Usage

    Found in Akagera National Park — the only place in Rwanda for a big-game safari

    Grammar Note

    A class 9 (in-) noun; the plural is identical.

15. Intare

    Lion

    Usage

    Reintroduced to Akagera in 2015; the word is also the nickname of Rwanda's national sports teams

    Grammar Note

    A class 9 (in-) noun; the plural is identical.

16. Ingwe

    Leopard

    Usage

    Present in Akagera but nocturnal and rarely seen

    Grammar Note

    A class 9 (in-) noun; the plural is identical.

17. Imvubu

    Hippopotamus

    Usage

    Abundant in the lakes of Akagera; regarded as the most dangerous animal near water, so stay with your guide

    Grammar Note

    A class 9 (in-) noun; the plural is identical.

18. Imbogo

    Buffalo

    Usage

    Seen in herds in Akagera National Park

    Grammar Note

    A class 9 (in-) noun; the plural is identical.

19. Impyisi

    Hyena

    Usage

    Seen on night drives in Akagera; in folktales it is the one the clever rabbit outwits

    Grammar Note

    A class 9 (in-) noun; the plural is identical.

20. Inzoka

    Snake

    Usage

    An emergency word when trekking; show it at a clinic if you were bitten

    Grammar Note

    A class 9 (in-) noun; the plural is identical.

21. Ingona

    Crocodile

    Usage

    Found in the lakes of Akagera; mention it when asking whether water is safe to swim in

    Grammar Note

    A class 9 (in-) noun; the plural is identical.

22. Igikeri

    Frog

    Usage

    You will hear them at night in the rains; Rwanda has two rainy seasons a year

    Grammar Note

    A class 7 (igi-) noun; the plural is "ibikeri".

23. Imbeba

    Mouse / rat

    Usage

    Report one to reception with this word; it is also the computer mouse

    Grammar Note

    A class 9 (in-) noun; the plural is identical.

24. Umubu

    Mosquito

    Usage

    Kigali sits high enough to have few, but low-lying Akagera and the Lake Kivu shore are malarial; bring repellent and use a net

    Grammar Note

    A class 3 (umu-) noun; the plural is "imibu".

25. Inzuki

    Bee

    Usage

    Needed if you have a bee allergy; honey is "ubuki" and the beekeeping around Nyungwe is well known

    Grammar Note

    A class 9/10 noun with the same form for singular and plural.

26. Isazi

    Fly

    Usage

    They gather on food at stalls and markets — a common comment when eating outside

    Grammar Note

    A class 5 noun; the plural is "amasazi".

27. Intozi

    Ants

    Usage

    They arrive if food is left out; the marching kind bite, so check the ground before you sit down

    Grammar Note

    A class 9/10 noun, normally used collectively in the plural.

28. Inyamaswa

    Wild animal

    Usage

    The general word for wildlife; useful when planning a safari or talking with a guide

    Grammar Note

    A class 9 (in-) noun; the plural is identical. Domestic livestock are "amatungo".

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