Word
Mimi natumia laptopu kusoma habari.
Meaning
I use a laptop to read news.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Breakdown of Mimi natumia laptopu kusoma habari.
mimi
I
kusoma
to read
kutumia
to use
habari
the news
laptopu
the laptop
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Questions & Answers about Mimi natumia laptopu kusoma habari.
What does Mimi mean and why is it explicitly stated in the sentence?
Mimi means I in Swahili. Although Swahili verbs include subject prefixes that indicate the subject, the pronoun Mimi is often added for emphasis, clarity, or contrast—even when the verb already implies the subject.
How is the verb natumia structured, and what does it convey?
Natumia comes from the verb kutumia, which means to use. In standard Swahili, the present tense is formed by combining the subject prefix (normally ni- for "I") and the tense marker na-, resulting in ninatumia. However, when the subject is already clearly provided—as with Mimi—the subject prefix is sometimes omitted, leaving natumia to indicate that the speaker is currently using something.
What role does laptopu play in this sentence?
Laptopu is the direct object of the verb natumia and is a loanword from English (laptop). It refers to the device being used, and it is assimilated into Swahili vocabulary with a Swahili noun ending.
Why is the verb kusoma in the infinitive form, and what does it indicate?
Kusoma is the infinitive form of the verb meaning to read. In Swahili, using the infinitive after a main verb can indicate the purpose or goal of the action. In this sentence, kusoma habari explains why the laptop is being used—namely, for reading news.
What does habari mean within this context?
Habari translates to news in English. It is the object of the infinitive verb kusoma, indicating that news is what is being read using the laptop.
How is the overall sentence structured in Swahili grammar?
The sentence follows a Subject-Verb-Object pattern with an additional infinitive phrase. Mimi serves as the subject, natumia is the main verb (meaning "to use"), laptopu is the direct object, and kusoma habari functions as an infinitive phrase that explains the purpose of using the laptop.
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