Sipendi maji mengi.

I do not like a lot of water.

Breakdown of Sipendi maji mengi.

• mimi: I
• maji: the water
• mengi: a lot

Questions & Answers about Sipendi maji mengi.

Why does Sipendi have the prefix si-?

The si- prefix is a negative marker for the first person singular in Swahili. It turns napenda (I like) into sipendi (I do not like).

What does maji mengi literally mean?

Maji means water, and mengi is the adjective meaning many or much in the context of Class 6 nouns. So maji mengi literally means a lot of water.

Why do we say mengi instead of nyingi?

In Swahili, adjectives must agree with the noun class they modify. Maji belongs to the MA- noun class, and so we pair it with mengi instead of nyingi.

Is Sipendi maji mengi commonly used in everyday conversation?

Yes. Native Swahili speakers often use short negatives like Sipendi and combine them with a noun phrase such as maji mengi to express dislike or avoidance in everyday speech.

Can sipendi be used with other nouns?

Absolutely. You can attach sipendi to any noun phrase. For example, Sipendi chakula cha moto (I don’t like hot food) or Sipendi baridi (I don’t like cold) follow the same pattern.