Kitabu

Kitabu is a noun in Swahili meaning "book." It refers to a printed or handwritten collection of pages bound together, including novels, textbooks, or other written works. It is a basic term in everyday speech and appears in education, media, and literature.

The word derives from the Arabic kitab (كتاب) meaning "book" and has become a standard Swahili vocabulary item. In Swahili, kitabu belongs to noun class 7, which uses the ki- prefix in the singular form and vitabu is the plural. Adjectives and possessives agree in class with the noun, for example kitabu kizuri (a good book) and kitabu kipya (a new book); my book is kitabu changu.

Common phrases include kusoma kitabu (to read a book), kuweka kitabu mezani (to put the book on the table), and kupata kitabu kipya (to obtain a new book). In compound expressions, kitabu is often specified with a qualifier: kitabu cha historia (a history book) or kitabu cha shule (a schoolbook). The plural form vitabu refers to multiple books and is used when talking about several volumes.

See also Swahili language; Swahili orthography; East African literature.