Mimi nina nyumba kubwa.

I

Breakdown of Mimi nina nyumba kubwa.

• kuwa na: to have
• nyumba: the house
• kubwa: big

Questions & Answers about Mimi nina nyumba kubwa.

What does each word in the sentence "Mimi nina nyumba kubwa" mean?

• Mimi means I.
• Nina is derived from the subject prefix ni- (indicating "I") combined with the present tense marker -na, meaning have.
• Nyumba translates to house.
• Kubwa means big.
So, the full sentence translates to "I have a big house."

Why is the pronoun Mimi included if the verb nina already indicates “I have”?

In Swahili, the subject is encoded in the verb’s prefix (here, ni- indicates "I"), which means using the pronoun is optional. However, including Mimi can provide extra clarity or emphasis—especially useful for beginners or in contexts where you want to stress the subject.

How does the sentence structure of "Mimi nina nyumba kubwa" compare to English?

Both Swahili and English use a subject–verb–object structure in this case. In English, you say "I have a big house." In Swahili, it becomes "Mimi nina nyumba kubwa," with the adjective kubwa following the noun nyumba. Unlike English, Swahili does not require articles like "a" or "the," and the subject can sometimes be omitted because the verb already shows who is acting.

What does the form nina reveal about Swahili verb conjugation and tense?

The verb nina combines two elements:
• Ni-: the subject prefix for "I."
• -na: a present tense marker that often implies habitual or ongoing action.
Thus, nina translates to "I have" in the present tense, indicating current or regular possession.

How are adjectives like kubwa used with nouns such as nyumba in Swahili?

In Swahili, adjectives typically follow the nouns they modify. In this sentence, kubwa comes after nyumba to describe the noun. Additionally, adjectives must agree with the noun in terms of noun class, although in simple contexts the adjective form remains unchanged.