tu
adverb
Only; just; merely.
Place tu after the word or phrase you want to limit. Nataka maji tu means “I only want water”.
Origins
Tu was already recorded in nineteenth-century Swahili as a separate word for “only” or “just”, following the expression it limits. Its history must be distinguished from the similar-looking prefixes for “we” and “us”.
Examples
Nataka chai tu.
I only want tea.
Ana shilingi mia tu.
She only has one hundred shillings.
Tunangoja tu.
We are just waiting.
Ni dakika mbili tu.
It is only two minutes.
Chukua kikombe kimoja tu.
Take just one cup.
Leo ninasoma tu.
Today I am just reading.
Alikuja mara moja tu.
He only came once.
Tunaenda sokoni tu.
We are only going to the market.
Hapa kuna watu watatu tu.
There are only three people here.
