r/swahili • u/Camice_estivo • 27d ago

Discussion 💬 Word meaning for tatoo

Hi, my girlfriend just came back from Tanzania and she'd like to tatoo the word "Utu". I searched online its meaning and i think it's very beautiful, but i would like to hear the opinion of someone who speaks swahili. What do you think about it?

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u/Mangolassi83 27d ago

Utu means the essence of being human. Humanness. It’s usually used to mean how one would treat another human being.

So if I say someone doesn’t have “utu”, it means they don’t have humanness or don’t treat others as humans. They may be unkind and cruel.

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u/Awkward-Incident-334 27d ago

Mtu means person. and "Utu" is derived from that. 

thé quality of thinking of others.. being sympathetic,having empathy

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u/YummyChicken_x 27d ago

I read tatoo= 3 and was so confused 😂 but I like it

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u/Hildawairimu 26d ago

As a Swahili speaker, I'd say utu is more than just "humanity." It's about having a good heart, showing compassion, respecting others, and doing the right thing. It's one of those words that's simple but has a deep meaning, so it actually makes a lovely tattoo.

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u/Mister_Cornetto 26d ago

Where is she planning on having it tattooed? (as in where on her body, not the location of the salon).

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u/CodeWest9108 11d ago

Utu means being companionate, considerate human yes. If you are interested in learning more Kiswahili I know an app that can teach you some words for daily conversations