Sisi tunacheza mpira nyumbani.

We are playing ball at home.

Breakdown of Sisi tunacheza mpira nyumbani.

• sisi: we
• kucheza: to play
• mpira: the ball
• nyumbani: at home

Questions & Answers about Sisi tunacheza mpira nyumbani.

What does Sisi mean in this sentence?

Sisi translates to we. It functions as the subject pronoun for the first-person plural in Swahili.

How is the verb tunacheza formed to reflect both the subject and the tense?

Tunacheza is made up of the subject prefix tu- (indicating we) and the root cheza (meaning play). The inclusion of na serves as a marker for the present continuous aspect, so the verb conveys that we are playing. In everyday usage, however, it can also simply indicate a habitual action.

What does mpira mean, and what should I understand from it in this context?

Mpira means ball. In many contexts, especially when related to playing a sport, it is understood as a soccer ball (or football) depending on regional usage.

What role does the word nyumbani play in the sentence?

Nyumbani means at home. It is an adverb of place that indicates where the action is occurring, without needing an additional preposition as in English.

Why is the subject repeated both as Sisi and through the prefix tu- in tunacheza?

While Swahili verbs include subject markers (like tu- for we), the explicit use of Sisi can add emphasis or clarity. It’s not mandatory but is often included in spoken language to reinforce who is performing the action.

Is tunacheza equivalent to the English present continuous (“we are playing”) or the simple present (“we play”) tense?

Tunacheza employs the na infix, which typically signals an ongoing action—much like the present continuous in English (“we are playing”). However, many native speakers use the same form for habitual or general activities, making it context-dependent whether it’s interpreted as continuous or simple present.

Why does nyumbani not need a preposition like "at" in the sentence?

In Swahili, location adverbs such as nyumbani inherently contain the meaning of location. Therefore, they stand alone without needing an extra preposition equivalent to English “at.”