Mimi bado ninasoma kitabu.

I am still reading a book.

Breakdown of Mimi bado ninasoma kitabu.

• mimi: I
• kitabu: the book
• kusoma: to read
• bado: still

Questions & Answers about Mimi bado ninasoma kitabu.

Why is the pronoun mimi explicitly stated when ninasoma already shows the subject?

In Swahili, the subject is often embedded in the verb through prefixes (here, ni- indicates "I"). However, including mimi adds emphasis or clarity, especially in contexts where the speaker wants to stress who is performing the action or contrast with others.

How is the present continuous tense formed in ninasoma?

The verb ninasoma is built from three parts: the subject prefix ni- (for "I"), the continuous marker na- (which indicates an ongoing action), and the root soma (meaning "read"). This combination expresses that the action—in this case, reading—is currently in progress.

What is the meaning of bado and why is it placed after mimi?

Bado translates to "still" in English. Its placement immediately after mimi (the subject) fits Swahili's word order, which tends to position adverbs or time markers close to the subject to emphasize the continuation or persistence of the action.

Why is there no article like "a" or "the" before kitabu?

Swahili does not use articles. Nouns like kitabu ("book") stand alone without an equivalent to the English "a," "an," or "the." Context and additional modifiers are used instead to convey definiteness or indefiniteness when necessary.

Can mimi be omitted in everyday conversation, and if so, why might a speaker choose to include it?

Yes, mimi can be omitted because the verb form already indicates the subject. However, a speaker might include mimi for emphasis, to avoid ambiguity in complex sentences, or simply to reinforce who is performing the action.