Wao wanapumzika karibu na bahari, lakini mimi ninapenda kuogelea.

I

Breakdown of Wao wanapumzika karibu na bahari, lakini mimi ninapenda kuogelea.

• wao: they
• kupenda: to like
• lakini: but
• kupumzika: to rest
• karibu na: near
• bahari: the ocean
• kuogelea: to swim

Questions & Answers about Wao wanapumzika karibu na bahari, lakini mimi ninapenda kuogelea.

Do I need to include Wao at the beginning, or can I just say Wanapumzika karibu na bahari?

Including Wao (they) is optional for emphasis or clarity in Swahili. You can drop it and say Wanapumzika karibu na bahari because the verb prefix wana- already indicates the subject is they.

Why does wanapumzika begin with wana-, while ninapenda begins with ni-?

In Swahili, the verb prefix changes according to the subject. Wana- is the subject prefix for they, and ni- is the subject prefix for I. So wanapumzika means they are resting, and ninapenda means I like.

Could you explain why karibu na bahari is used instead of just karibu bahari?

Karibu na bahari literally means near to the sea. The word na acts like to or with in this context. You can say karibu bahari, but karibu na bahari is more commonly used to express that something is close to the sea.

Why do you use kuogelea instead of something like kuoga?

Kuogelea means to swim, while kuoga generally means to bathe. If you’re specifically talking about swimming, you use kuogelea to avoid confusion.

Is there any specific reason for the separate mimi before ninapenda?

Using mimi (I) before ninapenda puts emphasis on I or me. It’s a stylistic choice. If you dropped mimi, it would still be correct to say Ninapenda kuogelea.