Sisi tunatembea karibu na mji.

We are walking near town.

Breakdown of Sisi tunatembea karibu na mji.

• sisi: we
• na: with
• mji: the town
• kutembea: to walk
• karibu: near

Questions & Answers about Sisi tunatembea karibu na mji.

What does Sisi mean in this sentence, and why is it included even though the verb already carries a subject marker?

Sisi means “we”. Although the verb tunatembea carries the subject prefix tu- (indicating “we”), including Sisi can provide added clarity and emphasis. In many contexts, Swahili speakers include the explicit subject pronoun to avoid ambiguity or to stress who is performing the action.

How is the verb tunatembea constructed, and what tense or aspect does it represent?

The verb tunatembea is formed by combining the subject prefix tu- (for “we”) with the root tembea (meaning “to walk”). This construction typically represents the present tense, which in Swahili can convey either a habitual action or an action happening at the moment (present continuous) depending on the context.

What is the function of the phrase karibu na mji in the sentence?

The word karibu means “close” or “near.” In the phrase karibu na mji, the preposition na acts as a connector, linking karibu to mji (which means “city” or “town”). Together, they indicate that the walking is taking place near the city.

How does the sentence structure in Swahili compare to English, especially regarding subject placement?

The sentence follows a subject–verb–adverbial/prepositional phrase order: Sisi (subject) + tunatembea (verb) + karibu na mji (adverbial phrase). This is quite similar to English (“We are walking near the city”), but a key difference is that Swahili often repeats the subject explicitly (with words like Sisi) even though the verb already includes a subject marker.

How does the verb tembea change with different subjects, and what does this reveal about Swahili grammar?

In Swahili, verb conjugation relies on subject prefixes. The base verb is tembea (“to walk”). For “we”, the prefix tu- is attached, forming tunatembea. For another subject, such as “he/she”, the verb becomes anatembea (with the prefix a-). This illustrates Swahili’s agglutinative nature, where agreement in person and number is marked directly on the verb through specific prefixes.