Mimi ninasahau kalamu yangu.

I forget my pen.

Breakdown of Mimi ninasahau kalamu yangu.

• mimi: I
• yangu: my
• kalamu: the pen
• kusahau: to forget

Questions & Answers about Mimi ninasahau kalamu yangu.

What does Mimi mean in this sentence?

Mimi means I. It is the subject pronoun referring to the speaker. Although Swahili verbs are marked for subject, including Mimi can add emphasis or clarity.

How is the verb ninasahau constructed from its base form?

The base form of the verb is kusahau, meaning to forget. In ninasahau, the prefix ni- indicates I, and the infix -na- indicates the present tense. Together, they form the equivalent of “I forget” or “I am forgetting.”

Why is the subject pronoun Mimi used even though the verb already reflects the subject?

In Swahili, the subject is often incorporated into the verb through prefixes. However, using Mimi makes the sentence clearer or more emphatic, similar to saying “I, personally, forget my pen.”

What does kalamu yangu mean, and how is possession shown in this phrase?

Kalamu means pen, and yangu means my. The possessive adjective follows the noun it modifies, so kalamu yangu literally translates to “pen my,” which means “my pen.”

Does the sentence structure in Swahili differ from English in this example?

Not significantly. The sentence follows a similar Subject-Verb-Object order as in English (“I forget my pen”). The main differences involve Swahili’s use of prefixes and infixes on the verb to indicate the subject and tense.