Mimi nanusa maua katika bustani.

I smell flowers in the garden.

Breakdown of Mimi nanusa maua katika bustani.

• mimi: I
• katika: in
• bustani: the garden
• ua: the flower
• kunusa: to smell

Questions & Answers about Mimi nanusa maua katika bustani.

What does Mimi mean in this sentence?

Mimi means I in English and serves as the first-person singular subject pronoun. Although Swahili verbs include subject prefixes, the pronoun may be stated explicitly for emphasis or clarity.

How is the verb nanusa formed, and what does it indicate?

The verb nanusa is composed of the prefix na- attached to the root nusa. The na- prefix indicates a present tense action (often habitual or ongoing), so nanusa translates to I smell.

Why is the subject pronoun repeated even though the verb already shows the subject?

In Swahili, the subject is often implied by the verb conjugation. However, including Mimi reinforces the identity of the speaker and can add emphasis or clarity when needed.

What does maua mean, and what role does it play in the sentence?

Maua means flowers. It acts as the direct object of the verb, specifying what is being smelled.

What do katika and bustani mean in this context?

Katika is a preposition meaning in, and bustani means garden. Together, they form a prepositional phrase that describes where the smelling is taking place.

How does the sentence structure in Swahili compare to that of English?

The sentence follows a Subject-Verb-Object order, just like English. In Mimi nanusa maua katika bustani, Mimi is the subject, nanusa is the verb, maua is the object, and katika bustani provides the location of the action.