Mama anununua barafu sokoni.

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Breakdown of Mama anununua barafu sokoni.

• soko: the market
• mama: the mother
• kununua: to buy
• barafu: the ice

Questions & Answers about Mama anununua barafu sokoni.

What is the structure of the verb anununua in this sentence?

The verb anununua is built from three parts:
• a- is the subject prefix that agrees with Mama (third-person singular).
• na is the present tense marker indicating an ongoing or current action.
• nunua is the verb stem meaning to buy.
Together, they form anununua, meaning is buying.

What does the word sokoni mean, and why does it end with -ni?

Sokoni comes from the noun soko (market) with the locative suffix -ni attached. This suffix indicates location, so sokoni means at the market.

How does Swahili indicate the subject of the sentence when it’s already clear from the verb form?

In Swahili, the subject is marked twice for clarity. The noun Mama explicitly indicates who is performing the action, and the verb anununua incorporates the subject prefix a- to agree with Mama. This redundancy is common in Swahili to reinforce who is doing the action.

What is the typical word order in a Swahili sentence like this one?

Swahili usually follows a Subject – Verb – Object – Place order. In Mama anununua barafu sokoni:
• Mama is the subject.
• anununua is the verb (showing the action and its tense).
• barafu is the object (what is being bought).
• sokoni is the locative modifier (where the action takes place).

Why does the verb appear longer than the basic form nunua?

The basic verb nunua means to buy. When forming a sentence, Swahili adds prefixes to show both the subject and the tense. Here, the subject prefix a- for a third-person singular subject and the present tense marker na are attached to nunua, resulting in anununua. Although it may seem lengthy initially, breaking it into its parts can help clarify its meaning.