Kipepeo anapenda maua.

to like

Breakdown of Kipepeo anapenda maua.

• ua: the flower
• kipepeo: the butterfly

Questions & Answers about Kipepeo anapenda maua.

What does each word in the sentence mean, and what noun forms are involved?

Kipepeo means butterfly. It is a singular noun belonging to the ki-/vi- class (its plural form would be vipepeo). Anapenda is a conjugated form of the verb penda – it means likes or loves. Maua means flowers and is the plural form of the noun ua (flower).

How is the verb anapenda constructed grammatically?

The verb anapenda is broken down into three parts:
• a- is the subject prefix for third person singular.
• na- is the tense marker that indicates the present or habitual aspect.
• penda is the root verb meaning to like or to love.
Together, they form a present tense verb meaning “he/she likes” or “is liking.”

Why are there no articles like “the” before kipepeo or maua?

Swahili does not use definite or indefinite articles like English does. Nouns simply stand alone, and the context determines whether they’re interpreted as definite or indefinite.

Why is maua used here instead of a singular form, and what does that tell us about the object?

Maua is the plural form of ua (flower). Even though the subject is singular (kipepeo), the sentence expresses that the butterfly likes flowers in general (multiple flowers), which is why the plural form maua is used.

What is the typical word order in Swahili sentences, and does this sentence follow that structure?

Swahili typically follows a Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) word order. In the sentence "Kipepeo anapenda maua," kipepeo is the subject, anapenda is the verb, and maua is the object. This sentence perfectly follows the SVO structure.