Gari lako liko sokoni.

Your car is at the market.

Breakdown of Gari lako liko sokoni.

• kuwa: to be
• kwenye: at
• soko: the market
• gari: the car
• lako: your

Questions & Answers about Gari lako liko sokoni.

What does each word in Gari lako liko sokoni do грамmatically?

• Gari = car (the subject)
• lako = your (a possessive adjective agreeing with gari)
• liko = is (located/is at) (a “location/existence” verb form agreeing with gari)
• sokoni = at the market / in the market (a location phrase formed from soko
  • -ni)

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Why is it lako and not yako for “your”?

Swahili possessives must agree with the noun class of the thing being possessed.

• gari is normally noun class 5 (singular), with plural magari (class 6).
• The class-5 possessive pattern for “your” is la- + -ko → lako.

So gari lako is “your car,” with correct class agreement.

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How do we know gari is class 5?

A common clue is the plural:

• singular: gari
• plural: magari

The ma- plural is typical of class 6, whose singular partner is usually class 5. That’s why you get class-5 agreement like lako and liko.

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What exactly is liko? Is it the same as “ni”?

liko means “it is located (at/in)” and it agrees with a class-5 subject (li-). It’s not the same as ni:

• ni is mainly for “X is Y” where Y is a noun phrase/identity/classification (e.g., “She is a teacher”).
• For physical location, Swahili commonly uses -ko/-po/-mo location forms like liko.

So Gari lako liko sokoni is a natural “Your car is at the market.”

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What does the li- in liko represent?

li- is the subject marker (agreement prefix) for class 5 nouns. So:

• gari (class 5) → verb begins with li-
• liko = li- (class 5 subject agreement) + -ko (location/existence element)

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What does -ko mean, and how is it different from -po and -mo?

These are common Swahili location/existence elements:

• -ko = “is located (general location)”
• -po = “is (at a specific/particular place), is there”
• -mo = “is inside (something), is in it”

So you may also hear:

• Gari lako lipo sokoni (often understood similarly, with a “there/at that place” feel)

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What does sokoni literally mean, and how is it formed?

sokoni = “at/in/to the market” depending on context. It comes from:

• soko = market
• -ni = a locative ending meaning “at/in/on”

So soko + -ni → sokoni = “at the market / in the market.”

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Does sokoni mean “at the market” or “to the market”?

It depends on the verb and context:

• With a “being located” verb like liko, sokoni is naturally at/in the market.
• With a motion verb, it can be to the market (e.g., Tunaenda sokoni = “We’re going to the market.”)

In this sentence, it’s “at the market.”

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Can I change the word order, or is it fixed?

The most neutral order is:

• Subject + possessive + verb + place: Gari lako liko sokoni.

Other orders are possible for emphasis or style, but they may sound marked:

• Sokoni, gari lako liko. (fronting the location: “At the market, your car is.”)

For learners, the given order is the safest standard choice.

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How would this change if I meant “your cars are at the market”?

You’d switch to the plural magari (class 6) and make everything agree:

• Magari yako yako sokoni.

Here:

• magari = cars (class 6)
• possessive agreement becomes yako (class 6)
• location verb agreement becomes yako (class 6 “are located”)
  Yes, that results in yako yako (possessive + verb), which is normal in Swahili.