Asubuhi, mimi ninakunywa chai.

In the morning, I drink tea.

Breakdown of Asubuhi, mimi ninakunywa chai.

• mimi: I
• chai: the tea
• kunywa: to drink
• asubuhi: in the morning

Questions & Answers about Asubuhi, mimi ninakunywa chai.

Why is the word mimi included here if ninakunywa already shows the first-person singular?

In Swahili, the subject prefix ni in ninakunywa already indicates "I" (first-person singular). However, adding mimi (meaning "I") can be a stylistic choice to emphasize the subject or make the sentence sound more natural in certain contexts. Many native speakers will omit mimi, but using it is also perfectly correct.

What does the ni in ninakunywa represent?

The prefix ni is the first-person singular subject marker in Swahili, indicating "I". When attached to a verb, it tells us that the subject is "I," for example ni + na + kunywa = ninakunywa, "I am drinking."

How is tense indicated in ninakunywa?

Tense is shown by na, which marks the present tense. So the structure breaks down as ni (subject, "I") + na (present tense) + kunywa (the verb "to drink"). If you change na to another tense marker (for example, li for past), you change the tense accordingly.

Can I use chai for other hot beverages or does chai specifically mean "tea"?

In Swahili, chai generally means "tea." For coffee, you'd typically say kahawa. However, in some casual usage settings, people might use chai informally to refer to any hot drink, but the standard meaning is "tea."

Does asubuhi always come at the start of the sentence?

No. In Swahili, asubuhi (meaning "morning") can appear at different points in the sentence, but it’s common and natural to place it at the beginning to show that you are talking about morning activities: Asubuhi, ninakunywa chai. You could also say Ninakunywa chai asubuhi, but starting with asubuhi can emphasize the time of day.