Mfupa umevunjika.

Mfupa means bone, and it is singular.

Its plural is mifupa = bones.

This noun belongs to the m-/mi- noun class:

• singular: mfupa
• plural: mifupa

That noun class matters because it affects the agreement on the verb.

The u- is the subject prefix that agrees with mfupa.

Even though mfupa begins with m-, nouns in this class take:

• u- for singular agreement
• i- for plural agreement

So:

• Mfupa umevunjika. = The bone is broken / The bone has broken.
• Mifupa imevunjika. = The bones are broken / The bones have broken.

This is a very common point in Swahili: the agreement prefix does not always look exactly like the beginning of the noun.

Umevunjika can be broken down like this:

• u- = subject marker for singular mfupa
• -me- = perfect marker
• vunj = root meaning break
• -ik- = a suffix that often makes the verb more like become broken / be breakable / break on its own
• -a = final vowel

So the basic idea is: u-me-vunj-ik-a

This gives the sense has become broken or is in a broken state.

These two forms are related, but they are not the same.

• umevunjika = has broken / is broken
  This focuses on the resulting state of the bone.
• umevunjwa = has been broken
  This is a passive form and more strongly suggests that something or someone broke it.

So:

• Mfupa umevunjika. = The bone is broken.
• Mfupa umevunjwa na daktari? would sound odd semantically, but grammatically it means The bone has been broken by... something/someone.

For a sentence like your example, umevunjika is the natural form because it describes the bone as being in a broken state.

It can suggest both, depending on context.

The marker -me- is often called the perfect, but in Swahili it frequently expresses a present result of a completed action.

So Mfupa umevunjika can mean:

• The bone has broken
• The bone is broken

In natural English, The bone is broken is often the best translation if you are describing the current condition.

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

So mfupa can mean:

• a bone
• the bone

The exact meaning depends on context.

That means Mfupa umevunjika could be understood as:

• A bone is broken
• The bone is broken

Usually the situation makes it clear which one is meant.

It is best thought of as not a regular passive.

With umevunjika, the sentence describes the bone’s condition: it has become broken or is broken.

A true passive would be umevunjwa:

• Mfupa umevunjwa. = The bone has been broken.

So umevunjika is more about the state or change of state, while umevunjwa is more clearly passive.

The dictionary form is usually given as kuvunjika.

That means to break in the sense of to become broken or to be broken.

Related forms include:

• kuvunja = to break something
• kuvunjika = to break / become broken

So:

• Amevunja mfupa. = He/she has broken the bone.
• Mfupa umevunjika. = The bone has broken / is broken.

You would say:

Mifupa imevunjika.

Here is what changes:

• mfupa → mifupa (singular to plural)
• u- → i- on the verb to match the plural noun class

So:

• Mfupa umevunjika. = The bone is broken.
• Mifupa imevunjika. = The bones are broken.

A common negative form is:

Mfupa haujavunjika.

This means:

• The bone has not broken
• The bone is not broken

Breakdown:

• ha- = negative
• u- = subject agreement for mfupa
• -ja- = negative perfect
• vunjika = break/be broken

So:

• umevunjika = has broken / is broken
• haujavunjika = has not broken / is not broken

Yes, but by itself Mfupa umevunjika just means The bone is broken.

If you want to show possession, you would usually add a possessive:

• Mfupa wake umevunjika. = His/Her bone is broken.
• Mfupa wangu umevunjika. = My bone is broken.

In real usage, people often specify which bone:

• Mguu wake umevunjika. = His/Her leg is broken.
• Mkono wake umevunjika. = His/Her arm is broken.

The normal, neutral order is:

Mfupa umevunjika.

That is the most straightforward way to say it.

Swahili word order is somewhat flexible, especially for emphasis, but for a basic learner sentence, noun + verb is the safest and most natural pattern.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

m-FOO-pa oo-meh-voon-JEE-ka

A few tips:

• mfu- begins with a consonant cluster: m + f
• u is pronounced like oo
• e is usually like eh
• j in -jika sounds like the j in jam
• Stress in Swahili often falls near the second-to-last syllable, so:
  • mfu-PA
  • ume-vun-JI-ka

If you say each vowel clearly, you will already sound much more natural: mfu-pa u-me-vu-nji-ka

Yes, absolutely.

Mfupa umevunjika is a natural kind of sentence for talking about an injury, although in real medical conversation speakers often say exactly which bone or body part is affected.

For example:

• Mfupa wa mkono umevunjika. = The arm bone is broken.
• Mfupa wa mguu umevunjika. = The leg bone is broken.

So your sentence is grammatically solid, but in context people may often be more specific.