Meaning & use
Zanzibar
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Meanings
proper nounproper
An island region off the east coast of Africa, now part of Tanzania, known for spices and a historic trading port.
Grammar: Used as a name, so it takes no article and is normally capitalized in writing.
Patterns
- in Zanzibar
- from Zanzibar
- the island of Zanzibar
She spent two weeks in Zanzibar learning about the spice trade.
Zanzibar is famous for its cloves, nutmeg, and beautiful old town.
The plane from Nairobi to Zanzibar takes about ninety minutes.
noununcountableregional
A type of patterned cloth, or a style of music and dance, associated with the Zanzibar region.
Grammar: Used without an or a when talking about the cloth or music as a general thing.
Patterns
- wear Zanzibar
- Zanzibar music
The market stalls were full of bright Zanzibar cloth.
At the festival, musicians played Zanzibar rhythms late into the night.
Common combinations
- the island of Zanzibar
- The island of Zanzibar lies just off the Tanzanian coast.
- Zanzibar archipelago
- The Zanzibar archipelago includes several smaller islands.
- travel to Zanzibar
- Many tourists travel to Zanzibar for its beaches and history.
- Zanzibar spice
- Zanzibar spice is exported around the world.
Word family
- Zanzibari adjective
- Relating to Zanzibar or its people, as in Zanzibari culture.
Commonly confused: Zanzibar or Tanzania?
Zanzibar vs Tanzania
Tanzania is the country; Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous region within it, so the two are not interchangeable.
Practice
Which sentence uses Zanzibar correctly?
Choose one answer.
Zanzibar is a proper noun, so it takes no article: 'visited Zanzibar.' The other options wrongly add a, the, or some.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Zanzibar”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.