Indulgences

1. Mtedza wokazinga

   Roasted groundnuts

   Usage

   Peanuts sold as a street snack

   Grammar Note

   wokazinga comes from kukazinga (to roast) in the class 3 form agreeing with mtedza. Composed from verified words by regular grammar.

2. Nthochi zokazinga

   Fried bananas

   Usage

   Bananas fried in oil, eaten as a snack

   Grammar Note

   The plural class 10 form zokazinga agrees with nthochi. Composed from verified words by regular grammar.

3. Fodya

   Fodya (tobacco)

   Usage

   Tobacco; Malawi is known as a tobacco-growing country

   Grammar Note

   Lessons explain fodya as a class 1a mass noun with no plural, like sugar in English.

4. Sindimasuta fodya.

   I do not smoke.

   Usage

   A way to decline when offered tobacco

   Grammar Note

   Negative habitual si-ndi-ma-suta, the same shape as Sindimadya nyama; -suta is verified from the lesson sentence Ndikufuna kusuta fodya.

5. Sindimamwa mowa.

   I do not drink alcohol.

   Usage

   A way to decline a drink; mowa means both "beer" and alcohol in general

   Grammar Note

   Negative habitual si-ndi-ma-mwa, the same shape as the lesson sentence Simumamwa madzi.

6. Kachasu

   Kachasu (home-distilled spirit from maize, often unregulated)

   Usage

   Spirit brewed in villages and poor suburbs; strength varies widely, so be careful if offered

   Grammar Note

   Name of a traditional distilled drink found in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe; its strength is reported anywhere from 20 to 70%.

7. Chenjerani ndi kachasu.

   Beware of kachasu.

   Usage

   A warning about strong home-brewed spirit

   Grammar Note

   -chenjera (beware) with the polite plural imperative -ni; chenjerani ndi ... means "beware of ...".

8. Carlsberg Green

   Carlsberg Green (the usual local lager)

   Usage

   The standard beer brewed in Blantyre, usually just called a "green"

   Grammar Note

   A product name that appears on menus in its English spelling.

9. Malawi Gin

   Malawi Gin (locally made gin)

   Usage

   One of the locally made spirits; Malawi Gin & Tonic is a well-known mix

   Grammar Note

   A product name that appears on menus in its English spelling.

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