Nature & Outdoors

1. U Rwanda ni igihugu cy'imisozi myiza

   u Rwan-da ni i-gi-hu-gu cy'i-mi-so-zi myi-za

   Rwanda is a country of beautiful hills

   Usage

   Introducing Rwanda's geographic identity as "land of a thousand hills"

   Grammar Note

   "Cy'imisozi myiza" uses the class 7 connector "cya" + "imisozi" (hills) + "myiza" (beautiful). Rwanda is nicknamed "Land of a Thousand Hills".

2. Nyiragongo ni ikirunga kiracyaka

   nyi-ra-gon-go ni i-ki-run-ga ki-ra-cya-ka

   Nyiragongo is an active volcano

   Usage

   Discussing Mount Nyiragongo near the Congo border

   Grammar Note

   "Ikirunga" means "volcano" (class 7). "Kiracyaka" = class 7 agreement + "still" + "burn" (gucyaka), i.e. "is still burning" = active. "Umusozi" is a hill or mountain; a volcano itself is an "ikirunga".

3. Ishyamba ry'ibirunga ni ryiza

   i-shyam-ba ry'i-bi-run-ga ni ryi-za

   The Virunga forest is beautiful

   Usage

   Discussing Rwanda's Virunga Mountains, home to mountain gorillas

   Grammar Note

   "Ry'ibirunga" contracts "rya" (class 5 connector) + "ibirunga". "Ibirunga" is a class 8 (ibi-) plural noun meaning volcanoes.

4. Inzovu zo mu ishyamba

   in-zo-vu zo mu i-shyam-ba

   Forest elephants

   Usage

   Talking about wildlife in Rwanda's forests

   Grammar Note

   "Inzovu" is a class 9 (in-) noun. "Zo" is the class 10 relative concord. "Mu" is the locative preposition meaning "in/inside".

5. Ikiyaga cya Kivu

   i-ki-ya-ga cya Ki-vu

   Lake Kivu

   Usage

   Referring to Lake Kivu on the Rwanda-DRC border

   Grammar Note

   "Ikiyaga cya X" means "Lake X". "Ikiyaga" is a class 7 noun, so the connector is "cya" (same form as in the Places & Areas category and the Beach & Activities category). Lake Kivu is notable for containing dissolved methane gas.

6. Inyamaswa z'igihugu

   i-nya-ma-swa z'i-gi-hu-gu

   national wildlife

   Usage

   Discussing wildlife in Rwanda's national parks

   Grammar Note

   "Inyamaswa" is a class 9 noun for wildlife. "Z'igihugu" contracts "za" (class 10 connector) + "igihugu". Rwanda has Akagera NP and Nyungwe Forest NP.

7. Ingagi! Ingagi!

   i-nga-gi! i-nga-gi!

   Gorilla! Gorilla! (exclamation of amazement)

   Usage

   Exclamation upon first seeing a mountain gorilla

   Grammar Note

   "Ingagi" means "gorilla" (a class 9 noun; the plural is identical). Repeating it makes an exclamation. Mountain gorilla trekking is Rwanda's flagship tourism activity; only ~1,000 remain.

8. Imvura iragwa

   im-vu-ra i-ra-gwa

   It is raining

   Usage

   Describing rainy weather

   Grammar Note

   "Imvura" is a class 9 (im-) noun. "Iragwa" = "i-" (class 9 subject) + "ra-" (present) + "gwa" (to fall). Rwanda receives rainfall throughout the year.

9. Ikirere kirimo ibicu byinshi

   i-ki-re-re ki-ri-mo i-bi-cu by-in-shi

   The sky is cloudy

   Usage

   Describing cloudy weather

   Grammar Note

   "Ikirere" is a class 7 noun and "kirimo" ("has in it") agrees with it. "Ibicu" means clouds (plural of igicu) and "byinshi" means many. Rwanda's highland climate is often cloudy and cool.

10. Ahantu ni heza

    a-han-tu ni he-za

    The scenery is beautiful

    Usage

    Expressing the beauty of natural scenery

    Grammar Note

    "Ahantu" means "place" (class 16) and the adjective "heza" is its agreeing form, "beautiful / good". Note that "indabo" means "flower", not scenery.

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