Juma anategemea mama.

Juma depends on mother.

Breakdown of Juma anategemea mama.

• Juma: Juma
• mama: the mother
• kutegemea: to depend

Questions & Answers about Juma anategemea mama.

What is the English translation of Juma anategemea mama?

It translates to "Juma depends on Mama" (or "Juma relies on his/her mother"). The verb anategemea comes from kutegemea, which means "to depend on" or "to rely on", and mama refers to "mother".

How does the verb form anategemea indicate the subject and the tense in the sentence?

In Swahili, verbs are conjugated with prefixes that indicate both the subject and the tense. In anategemea, the prefix a- denotes a third person singular subject (referring to Juma), and the tense marker (often na- for the present tense) is incorporated as well. This combination tells us that Juma is performing the action in the present.

How can I tell that Juma is the subject of the sentence?

Juma appears at the beginning of the sentence as the standalone noun, and the verb anategemea starts with the subject marker a-, which matches a third person singular subject. This clear subject-verb agreement confirms that Juma is the one doing the depending.

Why does mama appear without any noun class or gender prefix?

In Swahili, many kinship terms like mama (mother) and baba (father) are used without an additional noun class prefix, especially in everyday or familiar contexts. Their meanings are well established, so there’s no need for further marking in the sentence.

What is the word order of this sentence, and is it typical in Swahili?

The sentence follows a Subject–Verb–Object (SVO) order. Juma is the subject, anategemea is the verb, and mama is the object. This SVO structure is standard in Swahili, making it easier to identify who is doing what in the sentence.

Could you explain how the verb kutegemea is conjugated to form anategemea?

Certainly. The base form of the verb is kutegemea (meaning "to depend on"). When forming the present tense for a third person singular subject, the ku- from the infinitive is dropped and replaced by the subject prefix a- combined with the present tense marker (often noted as na-). Thus, kutegemea becomes anategemea, signaling that Juma (third person singular) currently depends on Mama.