Atomi ni ndogo.

• atomi = atom or atoms
• ni = is / are
• ndogo = small

So the structure is:

subject + ni + description

Here, ni is the linking word between the subject and the description. It works like English is or are in sentences such as The atom is small or Atoms are small.

It does not change here for singular vs. plural, so the same ni can be used in both kinds of sentences.

The basic adjective root is -dogo, meaning small. In Swahili, adjectives usually agree with the noun class of the noun they describe.

Atomi is normally treated like a class 9/10 noun, and with this class the adjective often takes an n- prefix. So -dogo becomes ndogo.

That is why you see ndogo.

It can be either, depending on context.

Many Swahili nouns in this class have the same form in both singular and plural. So atomi can mean:

• atom
• the atom
• atoms
• the atoms

The surrounding context tells you which meaning is intended.

Swahili normally does not use articles like English a, an, and the.

So a noun like atomi can be understood in a general or specific way depending on context. English forces you to choose more often; Swahili often leaves that unstated.

Yes, but it means something different.

• atomi ni ndogo = The atom is small / Atoms are small
• atomi ndogo = small atom / small atoms

So:

• with ni: a full sentence
• without ni: a noun phrase

Yes. This is a very common pattern:

noun + ni + adjective

For example:

• Mtoto ni mdogo = The child is small
• Nyumba ni kubwa = The house is big

So Atomi ni ndogo follows a very basic and useful sentence pattern.

A simple guide is:

ah-TO-mi nee NDO-go

A few tips:

• Swahili words are usually pronounced quite regularly.
• Stress normally falls on the second-to-last syllable.
• In ndogo, the n and d are pronounced together at the start of the word.

So it sounds smooth and even: ah-TO-mi nee NDO-go.

Usually after the noun.

So when an adjective directly modifies a noun, Swahili normally has:

noun + adjective

Example:

• atomi ndogo = small atom

And in a full sentence like this one, the description still comes after the noun, with ni in between:

• atomi ni ndogo = the atom is small / atoms are small