Sipendi kufanya kazi usiku.

I do not like to work at night.

Breakdown of Sipendi kufanya kazi usiku.

• mimi: I
• kupenda: to like
• kazi: the work
• kufanya: to do
• usiku: the night

Questions & Answers about Sipendi kufanya kazi usiku.

Why does the sentence start with Si in Sipendi instead of having a separate word for “not”?

In Swahili, negation is typically formed by adding a negative prefix to the verb rather than using a separate word. For the first-person singular (I), the prefix si- is added to the verb stem. So instead of saying Ninapenda (I like), you say Sipendi (I do not like).

What is the literal meaning of kufanya kazi and why is it used here?

Kufanya kazi literally means to do work (or to work). Kufanya is “to do” or “to make,” and kazi means “work” or “job.” Together, they function as a common phrase for “working.” So kufanya kazi is just how Swahili speakers generally say “to work.”

Why do we say usiku instead of a phrase like “at night”?

In Swahili, usiku by itself means “night,” but it’s also used to convey “at night.” Context often determines if it means “night” in general or “at night.” You don’t need a preposition to indicate “at,” because “time expressions” in Swahili can work without an additional word.

How would this sentence look in a positive form?

The positive form is Ninapenda kufanya kazi usiku, meaning I like working at night. Replacing si- with ni- (indicating the positive first-person singular) switches the meaning to the affirmative.

Can we change the sentence to talk about other people, like “They don’t like working at night”?

Yes. For “they,” use the ha- negative prefix for the third-person plural and the appropriate subject marker. It becomes Hawapendi kufanya kazi usiku (They don’t like working at night). The subject marker wa changes to ha for the negative form, resulting in hawapendi.