Questions & Answers about Samaki ni mtamu sokoni.
What does ni do in this sentence?
Ni is the copula, the word that links the subject to a description. In English, this is often is or are.
So:
- Samaki ni mtamu = The fish is tasty / Fish is tasty
A useful point for learners: ni itself does not change for singular or plural.
- samaki ni mtamu = the fish is tasty
- samaki ni watamu = the fish are tasty
Why is it mtamu and not just tamu?
The basic adjective stem is -tamu, meaning sweet, pleasant-tasting, or tasty.
The m- in mtamu is an agreement prefix. It shows that the adjective is agreeing with a singular animate noun.
This can feel surprising because samaki does not look like a typical m-/wa- noun. But in Swahili, animal nouns often take animate agreement. So:
- samaki ni mtamu = the fish is tasty
- samaki ni watamu = the fish are tasty
So mtamu is not a different dictionary word; it is -tamu with the right agreement prefix added.
Is samaki singular or plural?