Breakdown of Mimi ninarekodi wimbo nyumbani.
mimi
I
nyumba
the home
kwenye
at
wimbo
the song
kurekodi
to record
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Swahili grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Mimi ninarekodi wimbo nyumbani.
What does Mimi mean in this sentence?
Mimi is the Swahili word for I. It serves as the first-person singular subject pronoun, much like “I” in English.
How is the verb ninarekodi structured, and what does it mean?
Ninarekodi is built from three parts:
• ni- indicates the subject (I).
• -na- is the present tense marker, showing that the action is current or habitual.
• rekodi is the root verb, meaning record.
Together, ninarekodi translates to I am recording or I record.
What does wimbo translate to in English?
Wimbo means song in English. It is the object of the sentence.
What role does nyumbani play in this sentence?
Nyumbani functions as an adverbial phrase meaning at home. It tells us where the action of recording is taking place.
Why is the subject Mimi explicitly stated when the verb already includes a subject prefix?
In Swahili, the subject pronoun is often included for emphasis, clarity, or contrast—even though the verb's prefix (ni-) already indicates the subject. In many contexts, the subject may be omitted if the meaning is clear.
Why are there no articles like a or the in this sentence?
Swahili does not use articles in the same way English does. Nouns are expressed without additional words such as a or the, so wimbo simply means song without needing an article.