Mimi nina chozi.

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Breakdown of Mimi nina chozi.

• kuwa na: to have
• chozi: the tear

Questions & Answers about Mimi nina chozi.

What does Mimi mean in the sentence?

Mimi translates to "I" in English. It serves as the subject pronoun to indicate that the speaker is talking about themselves.

What is the function of nina in this sentence?

Nina is the first-person singular form of the verb "kuwa na", which means "to have." It expresses possession in the present tense—so it tells us that the speaker has something.

What does chozi mean, and is it singular or plural?

Chozi means "tear" or "tears." In Swahili, many nouns do not change form between singular and plural without additional markers. In context, chozi is understood as "tears," although the same word can be used for the singular form as well.

Why is the subject mimi explicitly stated when the verb nina already includes subject information?

In Swahili, subject pronouns are typically dropped because the verb conjugation clearly indicates the subject. However, including mimi can add emphasis or help avoid ambiguity—especially for learners or in contexts where clarification is needed.

How does the word order in Mimi nina chozi compare to typical English sentence structure?

The sentence follows a subject-verb-object (SVO) order, which is the same as in English. Mimi (subject) comes first, nina (verb) follows, and chozi (object) is placed at the end, making it familiar and easier to understand for native English speakers.