Mbwa wetu anapenda kula samaki sokoni.

Our dog likes to eat fish at the market.

Breakdown of Mbwa wetu anapenda kula samaki sokoni.

• kupenda: to like
• samaki: the fish
• kula: to eat
• kwenye: at
• soko: the market
• mbwa: the dog
• wetu: our

Questions & Answers about Mbwa wetu anapenda kula samaki sokoni.

Why is it anapenda instead of apenda?

In Swahili, the prefix ana- indicates the present tense for third-person singular (he/she/it). Without the tense marker -na-, the verb would be in a different form (for instance, apenda can imply a subjunctive or a habitual form in certain contexts).

What does kula mean, and why does it follow directly after anapenda?

Kula means to eat. In Swahili, when expressing that someone likes to do something, you use anapenda followed by the infinitive form of the verb, in this case kula. So, anapenda kula translates to likes to eat.

How does the possessive form wetu work in this sentence?

Wetu is the first-person plural possessive (meaning our) that agrees with nouns belonging to the N/N class (which mbwa, meaning dog, can fall under). Essentially, mbwa wetu means our dog.

Why do we say samaki sokoni instead of something else like samaki katika soko?

Sokoni is a locative form of soko (market). Adding -ni to soko makes it at the market. In Swahili, using -ni on a noun often implies location, so sokoni literally indicates at the market.

Why is the prefix for dog the same in both singular and plural (as in mbwa)?

Some Swahili nouns look the same in singular and plural. Mbwa has the same form for both one dog and multiple dogs. Context or additional words (like wetu, wangu, or numbers) help clarify whether it’s singular or plural.