Mlima ni mkubwa.

to be

Breakdown of Mlima ni mkubwa.

• mkubwa: big
• mlima: the mountain

Questions & Answers about Mlima ni mkubwa.

What is the literal word-by-word breakdown of "Mlima ni mkubwa"?

"Mlima" means "mountain," "ni" functions as the copula equivalent to "is," and "mkubwa" means "big."

Why doesn't the sentence include a definite article like "the"?

Swahili does not use definite or indefinite articles. The meaning of "the" or "a" is usually understood from context without needing an explicit word.

How does adjective agreement work in this sentence?

In Swahili, adjectives agree with the noun’s class. Since "mlima" belongs to the m-/mi- class, the adjective "kubwa" takes the corresponding prefix, resulting in "mkubwa" to match the noun.

What is the function of the word "ni" in this sentence?

"Ni" serves as the copula—essentially the equivalent of the verb "to be" in English. It links the subject "mlima" with its descriptor "mkubwa."

Is "Mlima ni mkubwa" an example of a typical Swahili sentence structure, and can this structure be applied to other sentences?

Yes, this sentence follows the common Subject – Copula – Complement structure in Swahili. You can use this pattern to describe other subjects by ensuring that the adjective agrees with the noun’s class—for example, "Mtoto ni mdogo" (The child is small).