Nimezoea kwenda shuleni.

I am used to going to school.

Breakdown of Nimezoea kwenda shuleni.

• mimi: I
• shule: the school
• kwenda: to go
• kwenye: to
• kuzoea: to be used to

Questions & Answers about Nimezoea kwenda shuleni.

What does Nimezoea literally break down into?

Nimezoea = ni- (I) + -me- (perfect/completed aspect) + zoea (become accustomed / get used to).
So literally it’s like I have gotten used to…, which often functions in English as I’m used to….

Why is -me- used here if the meaning is present (I’m used to…)?

In Swahili, -me- often describes a resulting state from a completed change.
So nimezoea means you became accustomed and now you are accustomed. That’s why it translates naturally as a present state: I’m used to….

Is there a difference between nimezoea and ninazoea?

Yes:

• nimezoea = I’m already used to it / I have gotten used to it (state achieved).
• ninazoea = I’m getting used to it (process in progress, not fully achieved yet).

What is the dictionary form of zoea? Is it a verb?

The dictionary form is kuzoea (ku- = infinitive marker).
Yes, it’s a verb meaning to get used to / to be accustomed to.

Why does Swahili say kwenda instead of kuenda?

Both exist, but kwenda is a very common pronunciation/spelling where ku- + enda contracts to kwenda.
So:

• kuenda = to go (more “full” form)
• kwenda = to go (very common contracted form)

Why is there another verb after nimezoea? How does nimezoea kwenda… work?

kuzoea can be followed by an infinitive to say you’re used to doing something:

• nimezoea + kwenda = I’m used to going… This is similar to English used to + -ing, but Swahili uses used to + infinitive.

What does shuleni mean exactly, and why not just shule?

shule = school (the noun).
shuleni = at school / to school (a location form).
The ending -ni commonly marks a place/locative sense, so shuleni means “(in/at/to) the school.”

Does shuleni mean “to school” or “at school”? How do I know which one?

shuleni can cover both to school and at school; the exact sense often comes from the verb and context.

• With kwenda (to go), it naturally reads as to school.
• With verbs like kuwa (to be), it would often read as at school.

How would I negate this sentence?

A common negation is:

• Sijazoea kwenda shuleni. = I’m not used to going to school / I haven’t gotten used to going to school.

Here si- negates I, and -ja- is used with perfect-type meanings (not yet / have not).

How would I say “I got used to going to school” (past)?

You can use past tense:

• Nilizoea kwenda shuleni. = I got used to going to school / I became accustomed to going to school.

Here ni- (I) + -li- (past) + zoea.

How would I say “I will get used to going to school” (future)?

Use future tense:

• Nitazoea kwenda shuleni. = I will get used to going to school.

Here ni- (I) + -ta- (future) + zoea.

Is kwenda shuleni always about physically going to the building, or can it mean “attending school”?

It can mean both, depending on context:

• Physical movement: I’m used to going to school (as a place).
• Attendance/habit: I’m used to going to school (as a routine / being a student).

If you want to make the routine clearer, you can add something like kila siku (every day):
Nimezoea kwenda shuleni kila siku.