DictionaryPreview

hela

noun

money.

Una hela? asks whether someone has money.

Origins

Hela comes from German Heller ("small coin"), which Swahili speakers adopted for money.

  1. John M. Mugane, The Story of Swahili (Athens, Ohio: Ohio University Press, 2015), p. 54.

    Records that Swahili speakers adopted German Heller as hela for money.

Examples

  1. Nina hela.

    I have money.

  2. Una hela?

    Do you have money?

  3. Sina hela.

    I do not have money.

  4. Tunahitaji hela.

    We need money.

  5. Nimetuma hela.

    I have sent money.

  6. Nimepata hela.

    I have received money.

  7. Ninaweka hela hapa.

    I am putting money here.

  8. Nitatuma hela kesho.

    I will send money tomorrow.

  9. Nahitaji hela ya chakula.

    I need money for food.

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