Sisi tunakula chakula cha mchana nyumbani.

We are eating lunch at home.

Breakdown of Sisi tunakula chakula cha mchana nyumbani.

• sisi: we
• kula: to eat
• nyumba: the home
• kwenye: at
• chakula cha mchana: the lunch

Questions & Answers about Sisi tunakula chakula cha mchana nyumbani.

What does the subject pronoun Sisi mean in this sentence?

Sisi translates to "we" in English, indicating that the sentence is speaking about a group including the speaker.

How is the verb tunakula constructed and what does it signify?

The verb tunakula is made up of a subject prefix and a tense marker attached to the root. The "tu-" prefix means "we", and the "-na-" infix marks the present tense, while "kula" means "to eat". Together, tunakula expresses "we are eating" or "we eat".

What is the role of the phrase chakula cha mchana in the sentence?

Chakula means "food", and mchana means "afternoon". The particle "cha" acts as a possessive marker linking the two, thus chakula cha mchana specifically refers to the "afternoon meal" or "lunch".

What does nyumbani indicate in the sentence?

Nyumbani means "at home". This word functions as an adverbial phrase providing the location where the action (eating) is taking place.

Does this sentence follow typical Swahili word order, and how is it structured?

Yes, it does follow typical Swahili word order. The usual structure is Subject (Sisi) + Tense/Verb (tunakula) + Object (chakula cha mchana) + Location/Adverb (nyumbani), which makes it easy to identify each component of the sentence.

Why is the subject Sisi explicitly included even though the verb tunakula already indicates the subject?

While the verb tunakula contains enough information to imply "we", including Sisi explicitly can enhance clarity and emphasis, especially for learners or in contexts where the speaker wants to stress the subject group.

How does the possessive marker cha function in the phrase chakula cha mchana?

The marker cha links chakula (food) to mchana (afternoon) by indicating a relationship of possession or specification. This construction effectively conveys that the food is specifically for the afternoon meal—that is, it means "lunch".