Nyumba yetu ni mbali na bahari.

to be

Breakdown of Nyumba yetu ni mbali na bahari.

• nyumba: the house
• bahari: the ocean
• mbali: far
• yetu: our

Questions & Answers about Nyumba yetu ni mbali na bahari.

Why does the sentence use ni?

In Swahili, ni is commonly used as a copula to mean is or are. It serves as a linking verb that describes a state of being.

What is the role of mbali in this sentence?

Mbali means far. In this context, it acts like an adjective or adverb to describe how distant the house is from the ocean.

Why is yetu placed after nyumba?

In Swahili, possessive forms often follow the noun. So nyumba yetu literally translates as house our, which is the typical word order in Swahili.

Does na always mean ‘from’?

No, na can mean and, with, or from depending on context. In this sentence, it’s understood as from because it indicates distance from the ocean.

Are there any variations to say the same idea?

Yes, you could say something like Nyumba yetu iko mbali na bahari (using iko instead of ni) to express location. Both forms are acceptable.

How would we say ‘Our house is near the ocean’?

You could replace mbali with karibu, which means near. The resulting sentence would be Nyumba yetu ni karibu na bahari.