Jana, mimi nilienda shule mapema.

Yesterday, I went to school early.

Breakdown of Jana, mimi nilienda shule mapema.

• mimi: I
• shule: the school
• jana: yesterday
• kwenda: to go
• mapema: early

Questions & Answers about Jana, mimi nilienda shule mapema.

Why is mimi used in the sentence when the verb nilienda already indicates the first-person?

In Swahili, the subject marker ni- in nilienda indeed indicates “I,” so using mimi is not strictly necessary for understanding. However, speakers often include mimi for emphasis or clarity, especially when wanting to stress the speaker as the subject.

Why is Jana placed at the beginning of the sentence?

Swahili word order is flexible, and Jana (meaning “yesterday”) can appear at the start to emphasize the time element. You could say “Mimi nilienda shule mapema jana,” but placing Jana first highlights that you’re talking about yesterday.

What does the li part of nilienda represent?

The li is the past tense marker in Swahili. It indicates that the action happened in the past. So ni- is the subject marker for “I,” and -li- tells us it was in the past.

Is shule ever written as shuleni?

Yes. Shuleni is the locative form, often translated as “at school” or “to school.” Shule by itself is the noun “school.” In many contexts, nilienda shule and nilienda shuleni can be used interchangeably, though shuleni explicitly highlights the location.

Does mapema only mean “early,” or can it also mean “soon”?

Generally, mapema means “early” (as in doing something before the usual time). If you want to say “soon,” you might use karibuni or hivi karibuni, depending on the context. Mapema is strongly tied to the idea of being ahead of the expected time.