Mtoto anapenda kulala usiku.

The child likes to sleep at night.

Breakdown of Mtoto anapenda kulala usiku.

• kupenda: to like
• kwenye: at
• usiku: the night
• mtoto: the child
• kulala: to sleep

Questions & Answers about Mtoto anapenda kulala usiku.

What does anapenda mean, and why is it used in this sentence?

Anapenda comes from the verb kupenda, meaning "to like" or "to love." The prefix a- indicates a third-person singular subject ("he" or "she"), and -na- shows that the verb is in the present tense. So anapenda specifically means "he/she likes" (or "the child likes"). It’s used here to convey that the child’s liking is a present, ongoing action.

Why is the verb kulala used here instead of just lala?

In Swahili, the infinitive form of a verb is made by adding the prefix ku- to the verb stem (in this case, lala meaning "sleep"). Because of the structure "to like doing something," you use the infinitive of the verb (i.e., kulala) after anapenda. This means "The child likes to sleep at night," rather than simply "The child likes sleep."

Does mtoto only mean "child," or can it have other meanings?

Generally, mtoto is a common noun that means "child." However, in broader usage, it can refer to offspring in a more general sense. Still, its primary meaning is "child," without additional nuance like "kid" might have in English.

How is usiku used in this sentence to indicate "at night"?

In Swahili, you can often express times of the day or general time references simply by using the noun for that time. Usiku literally means "night," and in a sentence like this, it functions like an adverbial phrase to specify when the action takes place—at night. No extra preposition is needed in Swahili, making it quite straightforward.

If I want to emphasize the time, how would I do that in Swahili?

You might front the time expression for emphasis or use additional words like ndiyo to confirm. For example, Usiku mtoto anapenda kulala could put more focus on "at night" being the key time. You can also add words like hasa (meaning "especially") if you want to stress that it’s especially at night that the child prefers sleeping.