Mama atakaanga samaki leo, kwa sababu Juma anapenda chakula hicho.

Mother will fry fish today, because Juma likes that meal.

Breakdown of Mama atakaanga samaki leo, kwa sababu Juma anapenda chakula hicho.

• Juma: Juma
• kupenda: to like
• samaki: the fish
• leo: today
• mama: the mother
• hicho: that
• chakula: the meal
• kwa sababu: because

Questions & Answers about Mama atakaanga samaki leo, kwa sababu Juma anapenda chakula hicho.

How is the future tense formed in the verb "atakaanga"?

In Swahili, the future tense is typically formed by adding the prefix ata- to the verb stem. In this sentence, kaanga is the root meaning "to fry," so atakaanga means "will fry." The prefix agrees with the third-person singular subject “Mama.”

What does the word "samaki" mean, and is it singular or plural in this sentence?

Samaki translates to "fish" in English. In Swahili, some nouns—including samaki—do not change form between singular and plural. Context tells you whether it refers to one fish or several.

What role does the phrase "kwa sababu" play in this sentence?

Kwa sababu means "because." It functions as a conjunction that introduces a reason or explanation. In the sentence, it links the action of frying fish with the reason that Juma likes that particular food.

How is the demonstrative "hicho" used in the phrase "chakula hicho"?

In the phrase, chakula means "food" and hicho is a demonstrative adjective meaning "that." It specifies or points out the particular food in question and agrees with chakula in noun class, much like saying "that food" in English.

What does "leo" mean, and why is its placement significant?

Leo translates to "today." It serves as an adverb of time indicating when the action takes place. Its position at the end of the clause is typical in Swahili, where time adverbs are often placed after the verb and object to emphasize the timing of the action.

How is the present tense expressed in the clause "Juma anapenda chakula hicho"?

In this clause, the present tense is formed by using the prefix a- before the verb stem penda (meaning "to like"). Since Juma is the third-person singular subject, anapenda means "he likes" or "is liking," indicating a habitual or currently true condition.