Meaning & use
kalimba
Last updated
UK/kəˈlɪmbə/
US/kəˈlɪmbə/
Meaning
nouncountable
A small African musical instrument with metal keys that you pluck with your thumbs.
Grammar: Countable: a kalimba, two kalimbas.
Patterns
- play the kalimba
- a kalimba player
She learned to play the kalimba while studying music in Ghana.
The kalimba produces a soft, bell-like sound that is perfect for quiet evenings.
He bought a kalimba online and taught himself a few traditional songs.
Word forms
| plural | kalimbas |
|---|
Common combinations
- play the kalimba
- He can play the kalimba and the guitar.
- kalimba music
- The album features gentle kalimba music.
- tune a kalimba
- You need to tune a kalimba before playing it.
- thumb piano
- The kalimba is also known as a thumb piano.
Synonyms and how they differ
- mbira
- Mbira is a related African instrument, often with a different shape and more keys; kalimba is the more general English term.
- thumb piano
- Thumb piano is a descriptive synonym for kalimba, emphasizing how it is played.
Commonly confused: kalimba or marimba?
kalimba vs marimba
A marimba is a large wooden percussion instrument played with mallets, not thumbs; do not confuse the two.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'kalimba' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A kalimba is a musical instrument, so you play it. The other options use verbs that do not fit an instrument.
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