Mimi ninataka kutayarisha chakula kitamu jioni.

I

Breakdown of Mimi ninataka kutayarisha chakula kitamu jioni.

• kutaka: to want
• katika: in
• jioni: the evening
• chakula: the food
• kitamu: delicious
• kutayarisha: to prepare

Questions & Answers about Mimi ninataka kutayarisha chakula kitamu jioni.

What role does the subject pronoun Mimi play in this sentence, considering that the verb already shows the subject?

In Swahili, the verb conjugation typically indicates the subject, so including Mimi (meaning I) is optional. However, beginners often use the pronoun for added clarity or emphasis, and it reinforces who is performing the action.

How is the verb kutayarisha formed, and why is it in the infinitive form?

Kutayarisha is constructed by adding the infinitive marker ku- to the root tayarisha (meaning prepare). In Swahili, when a verb like to want is used (here via ninataka), it is common to follow it with an infinitive verb to express the desired action—similar to the English structure "I want to prepare."

Why is the adjective kitamu used with chakula instead of simply using tamu?

Swahili adjectives must agree with the noun they modify. Chakula (meaning food) belongs to a noun class that uses the prefix ki-. Therefore, the adjective tamu is adapted to kitamu to match the noun’s class, ensuring grammatical consistency.

What does the word jioni indicate in this sentence?

Jioni means in the evening. It functions as a temporal adverb, specifying the time when the action (preparing the food) is intended to take place. It’s similar to saying tonight or this evening in English, depending on the context.

How does the structure ninataka kutayarisha reflect a common Swahili grammatical pattern, and what is its English equivalent?

The structure combines ninataka (the first-person singular form of to want) with the infinitive kutayarisha (to prepare). This pattern is common in Swahili—using a conjugated modal verb followed by an infinitive—to indicate desired or intended actions. It parallels the English construction “I want to prepare,” making the sentence structure intuitive for English speakers learning Swahili.