kuliko

Than with Kuliko

Level 2

Swahili does not change adjectives to say 'taller' or 'bigger'. Instead, you use the base adjective followed by the word kuliko (than).

How It Works

In English, we change adjectives to make comparisons (tall becomes taller, big becomes bigger). Swahili adjectives do not change their form for comparisons, though they still require their standard noun class prefix to agree with the subject. To say someone is taller, you simply say they are 'tall' compared to someone else using kuliko.

Etymologically, kuliko comes from a locative relative construction meaning 'where there is'. So, a sentence like Asha ni mrefu kuliko Juma literally translates to 'Asha is tall [compared to] where Juma is.'

Key Rules for Using Kuliko:

  • With Adjectives: Place it after the adjective. Example: Nyumba hii ni kubwa kuliko ile (This house is bigger than that one). While kuliko alone is perfectly sufficient, it is also very common and correct to add zaidi (more) after the adjective: Nyumba hii ni kubwa zaidi kuliko ile. Another extremely common alternative for 'more than' is zaidi ya.
  • With Verbs: Place it after the verb and its object to express preferring or doing something more than something else. Example: Ninapenda chai kuliko maziwa (I like tea more than milk).
  • With Adverbs: Place it after the adverb to compare how an action is performed. Example: Anakimbia haraka kuliko mimi (He runs faster than me).
  • With Pronouns: When comparing to a pronoun, use the independent pronouns. Example: Asha ni mrefu kuliko mimi (Asha is taller than me).
  • Superlatives: To express 'the most' or 'the -est', compare the subject to everyone or everything using kuliko followed by the word for 'all' (-ote). Remember that -ote must take the appropriate agreement prefix for the things being compared, such as kuliko wote (than everyone) or kuliko vyote (than all of them [Class 8]).

Kuliko is the most common, standard, and neutral way to express 'than' across all levels of Swahili. However, verbs like kushinda or kupita (to surpass/exceed) are also extremely common and standard alternatives used to make comparisons.

Examples (4)

  1. Mlima Kilimanjaro ni mrefu kuliko Mlima Kenya.

    Mount Kilimanjaro is taller than Mount Kenya.

    Word by Word: Mountain Kilimanjaro is tall where-there-is Mountain Kenya.

    Notice how the adjective 'mrefu' (tall) stays in its base form. 'Kuliko' does all the work of making it a comparison.

  2. Nyumba yangu ni kubwa kuliko yako.

    My house is bigger than yours.

    Word by Word: House my is big where-there-is yours.

    A standard comparison between two nouns using an adjective.

  3. Mimi ninapenda chai kuliko maziwa.

    I like tea more than milk.

    Word by Word: I I-present-like tea where-there-is milk.

    Kuliko can also be used after verbs to show preference or degree.

  4. Gari hili ni zuri kuliko lile.

    This car is better than that one.

    Word by Word: Car this is good where-there-is that.

    To say 'better', you simply use the word for 'good' (-zuri) followed by kuliko.

Common Mistakes

  • Placing 'zaidi' before the adjective instead of after it.

    Asha ni zaidi mrefu kuliko Juma.
    Asha ni mrefu zaidi kuliko Juma.

    English speakers often try to translate 'more tall' word-for-word by putting zaidi before the adjective. In Swahili, 'zaidi' must come after the adjective. Note that 'Asha ni mrefu kuliko Juma' (without 'zaidi' entirely) is also perfectly correct and natural.

  • Using 'kama' instead of 'kuliko' for unequal comparisons.

    Different MeaningYeye ni mrefu kama mimi.
    Yeye ni mrefu kuliko mimi.

    The incorrect example is actually a grammatically valid sentence, but it means 'He is AS tall AS me' (an equal comparison). If you want to say 'He is taller THAN me', you must use 'kuliko'.

How It Connects

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kulikoLevel 2Than with Kuliko

Learn This First

To use 'kuliko' effectively, you need to be able to form basic descriptive sentences using adjectives and the copula 'ni'. It is also helpful to understand other comparative markers like 'zaidi' (more) and 'kama' (like) to distinguish between equality and inequality in comparisons.

Words in This Pattern

kuliko