Mimi na Juma tunatembea karibu na bahari.

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Breakdown of Mimi na Juma tunatembea karibu na bahari.

• Juma: Juma
• na: and
• kutembea: to walk
• karibu na bahari: near the ocean

Questions & Answers about Mimi na Juma tunatembea karibu na bahari.

What does the phrase Mimi na Juma represent, and why is it included even though the verb already indicates “we”?

Mimi means “I” and na functions as “and” to link Juma (a proper noun). Together, Mimi na Juma means “Juma and I.” Although the verb is conjugated as tunatembea (which includes the subject marker for “we”), it is common in Swahili to state the subjects explicitly either for emphasis or clarity.

How is the first-person plural present tense formed in the verb tunatembea?

The root verb tembea means “to walk.” The prefix tuna- is composed of two elements: tu-, which is the first-person plural subject marker (meaning “we”), and -na-, which is the present tense marker. Thus, tunatembea translates to “we are walking” or “we walk.”

Why does the word na appear twice in this sentence, and how do their roles differ?

In Mimi na Juma, the word na is a conjunction meaning “and,” linking the two subjects. In karibu na bahari, na functions as a locative connector; it links the adjective karibu (“near” or “close to”) with bahari (“sea”) to indicate location. Even though it is the same word, its meaning is determined by its context in the sentence.

What does karibu na bahari tell us about where the action is taking place?

The word karibu means “close” or “near” and bahari means “sea.” Together, karibu na bahari means “near the sea.” This phrase serves as a locative complement that specifies where Mimi and Juma are walking.

How does the structure of this Swahili sentence compare to a typical English sentence?

Swahili typically follows a Subject–Verb–Complement order. Here, Mimi na Juma is the subject, tunatembea is the verb (with subject and tense encoded in its prefix), and karibu na bahari tells us where the action occurs. In English, you might say “Juma and I are walking near the sea,” but English relies on separate words to express subject and tense while Swahili combines these elements in the verb form.