Word
Mimi ninunua nguo nzuri sokoni.
Meaning
I am buying nice clothes at the market.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Breakdown of Mimi ninunua nguo nzuri sokoni.
mimi
I
kwenye
at
soko
the market
kununua
to buy
nzuri
nice
nguo
the clothing
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Questions & Answers about Mimi ninunua nguo nzuri sokoni.
What does Mimi mean, and why is it included even though the verb already shows the subject?
Mimi means "I" in English. Swahili verbs include subject prefixes—in this case, "ni-" in "ninunua" indicates "I". Although the subject is clear from the verb alone, including Mimi adds emphasis or clarifies who is acting.
How is the verb ninunua formed and what does each part represent?
The verb ninunua breaks down into two components: the subject prefix "ni-" and the verb root "nunua". The "ni-" indicates that the action is done by "I" (first-person singular), and "nunua" means "buy." Together, ninunua translates as "I buy."
Why does the adjective nzuri come after the noun nguo?
In Swahili, adjectives typically follow the nouns they modify. Therefore, "nguo nzuri" correctly means "nice/beautiful clothes," with the adjective nzuri placed after nguo.
What does sokoni mean, and why does it have the ending -ni?
Sokoni is derived from soko, which means "market." The -ni suffix is a locative marker used in Swahili to indicate location, so sokoni translates as "at the market."
Is the explicit subject pronoun Mimi necessary in every sentence of this type, and why might it be included?
No, the explicit pronoun Mimi is not strictly necessary because the subject is already indicated by the verb conjugation (ni- in ninunua). It is often included for emphasis, clarity, or when contrasting with another subject.
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