Juma anapenda kusoma kitabu.

Juma likes to read a book.

Breakdown of Juma anapenda kusoma kitabu.

• Juma: Juma
• kupenda: to like
• kitabu: the book
• kusoma: to read

Questions & Answers about Juma anapenda kusoma kitabu.

Why is there the prefix ana- in anapenda?

The prefix ana- is the third-person singular subject marker in the present tense. It indicates "he" or "she," so anapenda means "he/she likes."

Why do we use kusoma after anapenda instead of just soma?

kusoma is the infinitive form of the verb "to read." In Swahili, when one verb follows another, the second verb often appears in the infinitive. So anapenda kusoma translates to "he/she likes to read."

What's the function of Juma at the beginning of the sentence if ana- already indicates "he" or "she"?

In Swahili, you can include the subject's name or omit it if the context is clear, because the subject marker (ana-) already tells you the person. However, adding Juma makes it explicitly clear who is performing the action.

Is there any difference between kitabu and vitabu?

Yes. kitabu is the singular form meaning "book," while vitabu is the plural form meaning "books."

Is there a specific Swahili word for "a" or "the" before kitabu?

Swahili generally does not use direct equivalents for English articles like "a" or "the." The meaning is understood from context, so you simply say kitabu without any article.