Mama ana mkono imara anapokanda unga wa chapati.

Mother has a strong arm when kneading chapati dough.

Breakdown of Mama ana mkono imara anapokanda unga wa chapati.

• kuwa na: to have
• mama: the mother
• wa: of
• chapati: the chapati
• mkono: the arm
• imara: strong

Questions & Answers about Mama ana mkono imara anapokanda unga wa chapati.

What is the role of the repeated subject marker "ana" in this sentence?

The word ana appears twice because Swahili requires a subject prefix for each independent verb phrase. In "Mama ana mkono imara", ana means "has," indicating possession (i.e. "Mama has a strong hand"). In "anapokanda", ana again signals that Mama is the subject who is performing the action of pounding. Even though the subject is the same, the subject marker is needed with each verb.

How is the present tense formed in the verb anapokanda?

In Swahili, the present tense is signaled by the infix -na- attached to the subject prefix and the verb stem. In anapokanda, the a- refers to the third-person singular subject (Mama) and -na- indicates that the action is ongoing or habitual—so it translates as "she pounds" or "is pounding."

Why does the adjective imara come after the noun mkono?

Swahili typically places adjectives after the noun they describe. Thus, mkono imara literally orders as "hand strong," which in English becomes strong hand. This noun–adjective order is a standard feature of Swahili grammar.

How is possession or association shown in the phrase unga wa chapati?

The word unga means "flour," and the linking word wa is used to form a genitive construction. In unga wa chapati, wa connects unga with chapati, indicating a specific type of flour—namely, chapati flour. This construction is common in Swahili for showing relationships or possession between nouns.

What does the verb kanda mean in this context, and why is it used?

The verb kanda means "to pound," "to grind," or "to beat." In this sentence, as part of anapokanda, it describes Mama’s action of pounding the flour used for chapati. This usage highlights the method by which the chapati flour is prepared.