Mimi ninataka kuepuka mvua jioni.

I want to avoid the rain in the evening.

Breakdown of Mimi ninataka kuepuka mvua jioni.

• mimi: I
• kutaka: to want
• katika: in
• jioni: the evening
• mvua: the rain
• kuepuka: to avoid

Questions & Answers about Mimi ninataka kuepuka mvua jioni.

What does each component of the sentence Mimi ninataka kuepuka mvua jioni mean?

Mimi means I; ninataka translates as I want (with ni- indicating the subject "I" and -na- marking the present tense of the verb taka, meaning "want"); kuepuka is the infinitive form of epuka, meaning to avoid; mvua means rain; and jioni means in the evening.

Why is the pronoun Mimi included when the verb ninataka already shows the subject?

In Swahili, verbs include subject prefixes (here ni- indicates I), so the subject is already clear. However, including Mimi can add emphasis or clarity, and it sometimes helps prevent ambiguity in a conversation.

How is the verb structure formed in this sentence?

The sentence uses a two-part verb construction. Ninataka is a conjugated verb where ni- indicates "I" and -na- marks the present tense of taka ("want"). It is followed by the infinitive kuepuka, which is formed by adding the prefix ku- to the root epuka ("avoid"). This modal-like pattern is common in expressing desires or intentions.

What is the role of the prefix ku- in kuepuka?

The ku- prefix is an infinitive marker in Swahili. By attaching ku- to epuka, it converts the verb into its unconjugated infinitive form, which here means to avoid.

How is time indicated in the sentence?

Time is expressed by the adverb jioni, which means in the evening. It tells the listener when the action of avoiding the rain is intended to take place.

If you wanted to change the subject to "they," what alterations should be made to the sentence?

You would replace Mimi with an appropriate pronoun like Wao (they) and adjust the verb accordingly. The first-person prefix ni- in ninataka would change to the third-person plural prefix wa-, resulting in wanataka. The revised sentence would be: Wao wanataka kuepuka mvua jioni.