Mimi ninapenda gari hili.

I

Breakdown of Mimi ninapenda gari hili.

• kupenda: to like
• hili: this
• gari: the car

Questions & Answers about Mimi ninapenda gari hili.

Why do we use Mimi here when the prefix ni- in ninapenda already indicates "I"?

In Swahili, the verb prefix ni- does mean "I," so technically you could say Ninapenda gari hili and still be correct. However, adding Mimi provides extra emphasis or clarity, similar to saying "I really like this car" in English.

What does the na- in ninapenda convey in terms of tense?

The na- marker indicates the present tense. So ninapenda means "I like/I love" in the present. If you replace na- with other tense markers, you get different times (e.g., nilipenda for past, nitapenda for future).

What is the role of hili in gari hili?

Hili is the demonstrative for Ji/Ma nouns (in the singular) in Swahili. It means "this" specifically for nouns in that class. Because gari (car) is often categorized in the Ji/Ma class, the correct demonstrative for "this car" is gari hili.

Why not say hiki gari instead of gari hili?

The word hiki is used as a demonstrative for Ki/Vi class nouns (like kitabu, meaning "book," or kiti, meaning "chair"). Since gari is not from that class, hili is the right demonstrative for gari.

Does ninapenda translate to both "I like" and "I love"?

Yes, ninapenda can mean either "I like" or "I love," depending on context and tone. Swahili doesn't always distinguish between "like" and "love" as strictly as English does.