Wingu ni kubwa.

to be

Breakdown of Wingu ni kubwa.

• kubwa: big
• wingu: the cloud

Questions & Answers about Wingu ni kubwa.

What does wingu mean, and what are the meanings of ni and kubwa in the sentence?

In this sentence, wingu translates to cloud, ni functions as the copula equivalent to is, and kubwa means big. Together, they form the sentence "The cloud is big."

What is the role of ni in this sentence?

Ni acts as a linking verb or copula in Swahili. It connects the subject (wingu) with its predicate adjective (kubwa), much like the English is does in the sentence "The cloud is big."

Does the adjective kubwa change form to agree with the noun wingu, and how does adjective agreement work here?

In a predicate structure like this one, kubwa remains in its basic form. Although adjectives in Swahili often show agreement with the noun by using a class-specific prefix when placed directly before a noun, when used with the copula ni, the adjective generally appears unaltered.

How is the word order in Wingu ni kubwa structured compared to similar English sentences?

Swahili follows a subject–copula–predicate adjective order in simple descriptive sentences. Here, wingu is the subject, ni serves as the copula (equivalent to is), and kubwa is the predicate adjective. This parallels the English sentence "The cloud is big."

Why is there no definite article such as "the" before wingu in this sentence?

Swahili does not use separate words for definite articles like "the." Instead, definiteness is implied by context. The noun wingu stands alone without an article, and its definiteness or indefiniteness is understood from the situation.

Can this sentence structure be applied to other descriptive statements in Swahili?

Absolutely. The structure [noun] + ni + [adjective] is common in Swahili for forming simple equative or descriptive sentences. For example, you could form "Mti ni mrefu" to mean "The tree is tall," following the same pattern.