wanaume

Wanaume is a Swahili noun meaning "men" or "adult males." It is the plural form of mwanaume and, like other human nouns in Swahili, belongs to noun class 1/2. In Swahili, nouns in this class take the prefix wa- in the plural, and m- in the singular; thus mwanaume becomes wanaume. The term is used to refer to men in general or to a specific group of men, depending on context.

In sentences, wanaume behaves as a regular plural noun. For example: Wanaume walikunywa chai. The phrase can be modified or combined with adjectives: wanaume wakubwa (older men), wanaume vijana (young men). Demonstratives precede the noun: hawa wanaume means "these men", wale wanaume means "those men". The Swahili lexicon also distinguishes the female counterpart: mwanamke (woman) and wanawake (women).

Wanaume is widely used across Swahili-speaking regions of East Africa, including Kenya, Tanzania, and parts of Uganda, as well as in media, education, and daily speech. It appears in discussions of gender, demographics, sports, work, and family life. Like other common nouns, its plurality is not marked by any article, and meaning is determined by context and accompanying verbs and adjectives.