Mama anarudi kutoka sokoni.

Mother is returning from the market.

Breakdown of Mama anarudi kutoka sokoni.

• soko: the market
• mama: the mother
• kutoka: from
• kurudi: to return

Questions & Answers about Mama anarudi kutoka sokoni.

Why do we say anarudi instead of just rudi?

In Swahili, the subject prefix ana- indicates that the action is happening in the present (third person singular). The root -rudi means “to return.” So anarudi conveys that “she is returning” right now.

What is the role of kutoka in this sentence?

Kutoka means “from” or “to come from.” In this sentence, it’s showing the origin of the return. So anarudi kutoka sokoni means “she is coming back from the market.”

Why is the word sokoni used instead of soko?

In Swahili, nouns for places often add the -ni suffix to indicate a location. Soko by itself is “market,” while sokoni means “at the market.” So saying anarudi kutoka sokoni tells us she is returning from being at the market.

Is Mama just the everyday way to refer to “mother,” or does it have any other uses?

Mama generally means “mother,” but it can also be used respectfully for older women, much like “ma’am.” In this sentence, it’s specifically referring to someone’s mother.

How would I say it if I wanted to specify my mother instead of just “Mother”?

To say “my mother,” you can use mama yangu. So you could make the full sentence: Mama yangu anarudi kutoka sokoni.