Mimi ninasoma kitabu ili niweze kujifunza.

I am reading a book so that I can learn.

Breakdown of Mimi ninasoma kitabu ili niweze kujifunza.

• mimi: I
• kitabu: the book
• kusoma: to read
• kujifunza: to learn
• ili: so that
• kuweza: to be able

Questions & Answers about Mimi ninasoma kitabu ili niweze kujifunza.

Why is Mimi included even though ninasoma already indicates first person?

In Swahili, the subject prefix ni- on a verb does show that the subject is "I," so Mimi isn't strictly required. However, including Mimi can emphasize the speaker or add clarity, especially in longer sentences or when you really want to stress "I" as the subject.

How does the tense in ninasoma work?

The prefix ni- tells us it's first person singular ("I"), while -na- indicates the present tense (something happening right now). The root verb is -soma ("read" or "study"). So, ninasoma literally means "I am reading/studying."

What part of speech is kitabu, and why is it used here?

Kitabu is a noun meaning "book." It's used here as the object of ninasoma, so it answers the question "What am I reading?" or "What am I studying?"

Why do we have ili niweze instead of simply saying iliboresha or some other verb?

Ili introduces the purpose or intention (like "in order to" in English). Niweze is the subjunctive form ("I may be able to"), showing what the speaker wants to achieve. It’s different from a simple statement of fact because it expresses desire or purpose, not just reality.

What does the form kujifunza signify in this context?

Kujifunza is a reflexive or mediopassive form of the verb -funza, meaning "to learn" or "to teach oneself." In this sentence, it shows that the speaker is engaging in the act of learning for their own benefit.