Kitabu pili ni changu.

to be

Breakdown of Kitabu pili ni changu.

• kitabu: the book
• pili: second
• changu: mine

Questions & Answers about Kitabu pili ni changu.

What does the sentence Kitabu pili ni changu mean in English?

It means "The second book is mine." In this sentence, kitabu translates as “book,” pili indicates the second in a sequence (ordinal “second”), ni serves as the copula meaning “is,” and changu means “mine.”

Why is the possessive pronoun changu used instead of something like yangu?

In Swahili, possessive pronouns must agree with the noun’s class. Since kitabu (book) belongs to class 7, the first-person singular possessive form for that class is changu rather than yangu.

Why is the numeral pili used here instead of mbili which also means “two”?

While mbili is the cardinal number for “two” (indicating quantity), pili is used in an ordinal sense to mean “second” (indicating position in a sequence). So, in this sentence, kitabu pili specifies “the second book” rather than “two books.”

Is it acceptable to say kitabu cha pili instead of kitabu pili, and if so, what is the difference?

Yes, kitabu cha pili is the fuller, more formal ordinal construction. The linking element cha agrees with the noun class of kitabu (class 7) and makes the ordinal relationship explicit. Kitabu pili is a commonly used, slightly abbreviated form that conveys the same meaning in everyday conversation.

What role does the copula ni play in this sentence?

The copula ni functions as the linking verb “is” in this sentence. It connects the subject (kitabu pili) with the predicate (changu), thereby stating that “the second book is mine.”