Kitabu changu ni bora.

My book is better.

Breakdown of Kitabu changu ni bora.

• ni: to be
• kitabu: the book
• changu: my
• bora: better

Questions & Answers about Kitabu changu ni bora.

What is the literal translation of Kitabu changu ni bora?

The sentence literally means "My book is best." In natural English, we would say "My book is the best." It emphasizes that the speaker considers their book to be of the highest quality.

What does the word kitabu mean?

Kitabu translates directly to "book." It is the noun around which the sentence is built.

Why does the possessive changu follow kitabu instead of preceding it like in English?

In Swahili, possessive adjectives customarily follow the noun they modify. Thus, kitabu changu literally becomes "book my," which is the standard structure in Swahili for expressing possession.

How is the form changu determined by the noun class of kitabu?

Kitabu belongs to the ki-/vi- noun class (often identified as class 7 in singular form). Swahili possessives change according to noun class; in this case, changu is the appropriate possessive form meaning "my" that agrees with kitabu.

What role does ni play in this sentence?

The word ni functions as the copula in Swahili, linking the subject (kitabu changu) with the predicate (bora). It is equivalent to the English verb "is" in this context.

How does the adjective bora function, and why is it used in this position?

Bora is a predicate adjective meaning "best." In Swahili, when an adjective follows the copula to describe the subject, it typically appears uninflected (without adopting noun class prefixes). This is why bora appears in its plain form after ni.

Is the sentence in a positive form, and how might the structure change for other tenses or negation?

Yes, the sentence is in the positive present form. For other tenses or when forming negative statements, Swahili employs different markers or modifications—especially with the copula or verb endings—while still typically following the subject-predicate structure.