Baba ni mwenye nguvu.

Father is strong.

Breakdown of Baba ni mwenye nguvu.

• ni: to be
• baba: the father
• mwenye nguvu: strong

Questions & Answers about Baba ni mwenye nguvu.

What role does the word ni play in the sentence "Baba ni mwenye nguvu"?

The word ni is the copula in Swahili and functions much like the English "is." It links the subject Baba with its description mwenye nguvu, indicating that they are equivalent.

Why is the adjective "strong" expressed as mwenye nguvu rather than using a single word equivalent to "strong"?

Swahili often expresses qualities through a possession construction. Instead of having a standalone adjective for "strong," the language uses mwenye (meaning "one who has") combined with nguvu (meaning "strength"). This construction literally translates as "one who has strength" and is a common way to describe inherent qualities.

What does the phrase mwenye nguvu literally mean, and how does its structure help convey meaning?

Literally, mwenye nguvu means "one who has strength." The structure emphasizes possession of a quality. The use of mwenye shows that the subject possesses the attribute that follows (in this case, nguvu, or strength), which is a typical grammatical pattern in Swahili for forming descriptive expressions.

How would you say "My father is strong" in Swahili using a similar structure?

To say "My father is strong," you would add the possessive yangu to modify Baba. The complete sentence would be Baba yangu ni mwenye nguvu. The word yangu means "my" and agrees with the noun Baba.

Is the structure used in "Baba ni mwenye nguvu" typical for forming descriptive statements in Swahili?

Yes, it is very typical. Swahili commonly uses a subject-copula-predicate structure where the descriptive predicate is a phrase that shows possession of a quality (using mwenye + noun). This pattern is standard and is used for many other descriptive expressions in the language.

If I wanted to express other qualities using this construction, how would I form such adjectives?

You can use the same pattern by combining mwenye with the noun that represents the quality you want to express. For example, to say "one who has wisdom," you could say mwenye hekima (meaning "wise"). The structure remains consistent—pair the mwenye with the appropriate noun for the quality.