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Questions & Answers about Baba atakuja na mbwa wetu, lakini mbwa huyo mgonjwa leo.
Why do we say Baba instead of "my father"?
In Swahili, it’s very common to say Baba to mean "father" without adding a separate possessive marker like "my." The context makes it clear whose father is being talked about, so Baba alone is naturally understood to be "my father."
What is the role of ata- in atakuja?
The prefix ata- indicates the future tense for the third-person singular. Kuja means "to come," so atakuja means "he will come."
Why use na in atakuja na mbwa wetu?
The word na in this context means "with." So atakuja na mbwa wetu translates to "he will come with our dog."
What does wetu mean, and what is its function?
Wetu is the possessive pronoun for "our" in Swahili. It agrees with the noun class of mbwa (dog), so it takes the form -etu. Whenever you see wetu, it’s the plural possessive "our."
How should I understand the phrase mbwa huyo mgonjwa leo?
Mbwa huyo means "that dog," referring back to the dog mentioned earlier. Mgonjwa means "sick," so mbwa huyo mgonjwa leo means "that dog is sick today." This indicates the dog being specifically pointed out (huyo) is sick.
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