au

Or with Au

Level 1

Use au to say 'or' when offering a choice between two or more things.

How It Works

The word au is used to present alternatives or choices, just like 'or' in English.

Key Rules for Using Au:

  • It never changes: Because it is a conjunction, au does not take noun class agreement prefixes. It is always just au.
  • Pronunciation: Swahili vowels are pronounced separately. Say 'ah-oo' as two distinct syllables, not like the English word 'ow'.
  • Negative sentences: While you might sometimes hear au in negative contexts, learners are strongly encouraged to use wala instead (like 'I don't want tea or coffee') to avoid ambiguity and sound more natural.
  • Either... or...: You can double the word to say au... au..., which translates to 'either... or...' (for example, au chai au kahawa - either tea or coffee).

You might also hear people use ama to mean 'or'. While both are correct, ama can carry the nuance of a counter-suggestion ('or rather', 'or maybe') and is often considered slightly more formal or literary than the neutral au.

Examples (4)

  1. Unataka chai au maziwa?

    Do you want tea or milk?

    Word by Word: You-want tea or milk?

    A standard question offering a choice between two nouns.

  2. Leta mkate mweusi au mweupe.

    Bring black or white bread.

    Word by Word: Bring bread black or white.

    Connecting two adjectives offering an alternative.

  3. Tunaweza kwenda leo au kesho.

    We can go today or tomorrow.

    Word by Word: We-can to-go today or tomorrow.

    Connecting two time words.

  4. Utasoma kitabu au utalala?

    Will you read a book or will you sleep?

    Word by Word: You-will-read book or you-will-sleep?

    Connecting two complete actions (verbs).

Common Mistakes

  • Using au where wala says 'neither … nor'.

    Different MeaningSitaki chai au kahawa.
    Sitaki chai wala kahawa.

    Sitaki chai au kahawa is correct and common ("I don't want tea or coffee"). Wala makes the "neither … nor" meaning stronger: sitaki chai wala kahawa.

  • Adding noun class prefixes to au.

    Chakula chau kinywaji.
    Chakula au kinywaji.

    Unlike adjectives and verbs, conjunctions like au never take agreement prefixes. It remains exactly the same regardless of the words around it.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

auLevel 1Or with Au

Learn This First

The conjunction 'au' is a foundational particle used to join alternatives. A learner only needs a basic understanding of how Swahili joins words and phrases, which is typically first introduced through the conjunction 'na'.

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Words in This Pattern

au