Mama anapenda kupika ugali na wali katika jiko letu jipya.

Mother likes to cook ugali and rice in our new kitchen.

Breakdown of Mama anapenda kupika ugali na wali katika jiko letu jipya.

• kupenda: to like
• kupika: to cook
• katika: in
• mpya: new
• mama: the mother
• na: and
• jiko: the kitchen
• ugali: the ugali
• wali: the rice

Questions & Answers about Mama anapenda kupika ugali na wali katika jiko letu jipya.

What does the verb anapenda mean and how is it constructed?

Anapenda means “likes”. It comes from the base verb penda (to like/love) with the subject prefix a-, which indicates third person singular. This prefix agrees with Mama (the subject) and shows that she is the one who likes something.

Why is the verb kupika in its infinitive form?

In Swahili, when a conjugated verb like anapenda (likes) is followed by another action, that action is expressed in the infinitive form. Here, kupika means “to cook”. This construction shows that Mama likes to cook ugali and rice.

What do the nouns ugali and wali represent in this sentence?

Ugali is a traditional East African staple made from maize flour, resembling a dense porridge or polenta. Wali means “rice”, typically referring to cooked rice. Both are common foods in the region that Mama enjoys preparing.

What does the phrase katika jiko letu jipya mean and how is it structured?

The phrase katika jiko letu jipya means “in our new kitchen.” It is made up of:

• katika: a preposition meaning “in”
• jiko: meaning “kitchen” (or “stove”, depending on context)
• letu: the possessive meaning “our”
• jipya: meaning “new” This locative phrase explains where the cooking takes place.

How does subject-verb agreement work in this sentence?

In Swahili, the verb includes a subject marker as a prefix. In anapenda, the prefix a- indicates a third person singular subject, which agrees with Mama. This system allows the subject to be clearly identified without needing an extra pronoun, reflecting a key feature of Swahili grammar.

What can we infer about the overall sentence structure from this example?

This sentence shows a typical Swahili structure:

• It starts with the subject (Mama).
• A conjugated verb (anapenda) follows, which carries the subject prefix.
• The action Mama likes is expressed by an infinitive verb (kupika) followed by its objects (ugali na wali).
• Finally, a locative phrase (katika jiko letu jipya) provides additional context regarding the location of the action. This pattern is an example of Swahili’s subject-verb-object (SVO) order with added modifiers for clarity and context.