Sisi tunakula samaki.

We are eating fish.

Breakdown of Sisi tunakula samaki.

• sisi: we
• samaki: the fish
• kula: to eat

Questions & Answers about Sisi tunakula samaki.

Why is Sisi used if tunakula already has the subject marker tu?

In Swahili, the subject marker tu in tunakula already indicates we, but people often add the pronoun Sisi for emphasis or clarity. It’s similar to saying “We, we are eating fish.” Depending on context, you can drop Sisi and just say Tunakula samaki, and it will still mean We are eating fish or We eat fish.

Can I leave out Sisi and simply say Tunakula samaki?

Yes. Since tu in tunakula already indicates the subject is we, Sisi isn’t strictly required. Saying Tunakula samaki is perfectly correct and still means We are eating fish or We eat fish.

Does tunakula mean we eat or we are eating?

In Swahili, the -na- tense marker covers both the present simple and present continuous aspects. So tunakula can mean either we eat (habitual) or we are eating (right now). Context usually clarifies which sense is intended.

How do I pronounce samaki?

You can break it into syllables: sa-ma-ki, with each vowel sounded clearly. Swahili vowels are always pronounced the same way:
• a as in father
• i as in machine
So samaki sounds like sah-mah-kee.

Is samaki used for both singular and plural?

Yes, samaki often works for both one fish and multiple fish. If you need to be specific, you can say samaki mmoja for one fish or samaki wengi for many fish. However, in many everyday contexts, samaki is used generally and understood from context to be singular or plural.