Mama anasema huyo ni mtoto mzuri.

Mother says that is a good child.

Breakdown of Mama anasema huyo ni mtoto mzuri.

• ni: to be
• mtoto: the child
• mama: the mother
• huyo: that
• kusema: to say
• mzuri: good

Questions & Answers about Mama anasema huyo ni mtoto mzuri.

Why does the sentence use huyo instead of another demonstrative like yule?

In Swahili, huyo typically indicates someone or something near the person spoken to but not necessarily close to the speaker. Yule often refers to someone or something farther away both from the speaker and the person spoken to.

What is the role of anasema in the sentence, and why is it used this way?

Anasema comes from the verb kusema (to say). The ana- prefix marks the third person singular (he/she) in the present tense. So anasema literally means she is saying or he is saying.

Why do we have ni in the phrase huyo ni mtoto mzuri?

Ni is the copula in Swahili, used to link the subject to the complement. In English, it corresponds to the verb to be (is/are). So huyo ni mtoto mzuri translates structurally to that one is a good child.

Is there anything special about placing the adjective mzuri after mtoto?

Yes. In Swahili, most adjectives follow the noun, so mtoto mzuri means a good child. This is the standard word order for many noun-adjective combinations in Swahili.

Can mtoto refer to both a boy and a girl in Swahili?

Yes. The noun mtoto generally refers to a child without specifying gender. If needed, context or additional wording can specify whether it is a boy or girl.