Meaning & use
Malawi
Last updated
Meaning
proper nounproper
A country in southeastern Africa, bordered by Tanzania, Mozambique, and Zambia, with its capital at Lilongwe.
Grammar: Use no article before Malawi: 'I visited Malawi last year.' It is a proper noun, so it always begins with a capital letter.
Patterns
- in Malawi
- from Malawi
- the people of Malawi
Malawi is known for its friendly people and beautiful lake.
She was born in Malawi but grew up in South Africa.
The capital of Malawi is Lilongwe.
Common combinations
- Lake Malawi
- Lake Malawi is one of the largest lakes in Africa and is full of colorful fish.
- the Republic of Malawi
- The Republic of Malawi gained independence from Britain in 1964.
- Malawian kwacha
- The currency used in Malawi is the Malawian kwacha.
- visit Malawi
- Many tourists visit Malawi to see its wildlife and go hiking.
Word family
- Malawian adjective
- Relating to Malawi or its people.
- Malawian noun
- A person from Malawi.
Commonly confused: Malawi or Mali? Malawi or Malawi?
Malawi vs Mali
Mali is a different country in West Africa, spelled with one 'a' and one 'l'. Malawi is in southeastern Africa and has two 'a's and an 'l' followed by 'w'.
Malawi vs Malawi
Do not confuse with 'Malawi' (the country) and 'Malawi' (the lake). The lake is called Lake Malawi.
Practice
Which sentence uses the name of the country correctly?
Choose one answer.
Malawi is a proper noun and does not take an article or possessive in this context. 'The Malawi' and 'a Malawi' are wrong because country names are not used with articles. 'Malawi's' would mean something belonging to Malawi, which does not fit here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Malawi”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.