Shengwords

Sheng Words for Money

Updated 2025-06-02, 8 min read

Money is the single richest topic in Sheng. There is no one word for cash — there are at least five, each carrying a slightly different attitude about how much you have and how you got it.

If you learn one semantic field of Sheng, make it money. Nairobi conversations turn on cash constantly, and the word you choose tells your listener something about you: whether you are broke, flush, hustling or joking about all three.

The five main words for money

[[chuma]] is the workhorse. Literally 'iron', it covers cash in general and doubles as a verb — kuchuma means to earn. [[mbao]] suggests a stack, a decent amount, and is the word you use when complaining about not having any. [[doo]] comes straight from English 'dough' and is the most casual of the set. [[faranga]] is older and rougher, more trader than student. [[pesa]] is neutral Swahili and always understood.

Money words at a glance

The verbs around the money

Nouns only get you halfway. The verbs tell the story of a month: [[kukopa]] (to borrow), [[kulipa]] (to pay), [[kudai]] (to demand what you are owed), [[kuishiwa]] (to run dry) and [[tafuta]] (to search — as in kutafuta maisha, looking for a living).

The sentence that ends every plan'Nimeishiwa' — I'm out of money. Two words, no explanation required, universally accepted across Nairobi.

Work, gigs and getting paid

[[kibarua]] is the casual gig paid at the end of the day — the engine of the informal economy. [[mshahara]] is the formal salary, the thing everyone waits for at month end. [[kazi]] is work itself, and [[chapa-kazi|chapa kazi]] is the instruction to work harder. [[biashara]] covers trade at every scale, and [[faida]] is the profit — or the point of something, as in 'hakuna faida' (there's no point).

Attitude words: the hustle itself

Two reflexive verbs carry Nairobi's work ethic. [[kujituma]] means to push yourself without being told. [[kujipanga]] means to sort yourself out — money, plans, priorities. When an older [[msee]] tells you 'jipange', that is not a small comment; it is a life audit.

Kazi ngumu inalipa baadaye.
Hard work pays later.

Money phrases you can use today

  • 'Niko na doo kidogo tu' — I only have a little cash.
  • 'Sina mbao hadi mwezi uishe' — I have no money until the month ends.
  • 'Bei gani hii? Shusha bei kidogo' — What's the price? Lower it a little.
  • 'Nimeishiwa kabisa, nisaidie na nauli' — I'm completely broke, help me with fare.
  • 'Hakuna wasiwasi, nitakulipa kesho' — No worries, I'll pay you tomorrow.
What is the Sheng word for money?

The most common Sheng words for money are chuma, mbao, doo, faranga and pesa. Chuma and mbao are the most widely used in Nairobi street speech; doo comes from English 'dough'; pesa is standard Swahili and understood everywhere.

How do you say 'I'm broke' in Sheng?

Say 'nimeishiwa' — literally 'I have been exhausted (of it)'. You can add the noun: 'nimeishiwa na mbao' or 'nimeishiwa na doo'.

What does kuchuma mean?

As a verb, kuchuma means to earn or to get hold of money. As a noun, chuma is cash itself. 'Leo nimechuma kidogo tu' means 'today I earned only a little'.

Is Sheng money slang used formally?

No. Chuma, mbao and doo are informal. In an office, a bank or a school essay you would use pesa or the English word 'money'.

Words in this guide