Kitabu ninachokikamilisha leo, kinanivutia kwa hadithi yake.

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Breakdown of Kitabu ninachokikamilisha leo, kinanivutia kwa hadithi yake.

• kitabu: the book
• leo: today
• kwa: with
• mimi: me
• yake: its
• kukamilisha: to finish
• kuvutia: to captivate
• hadithi: the story

Questions & Answers about Kitabu ninachokikamilisha leo, kinanivutia kwa hadithi yake.

What does the sentence "Kitabu ninachokikamilisha leo, kinanivutia kwa hadithi yake" mean in English?

It roughly translates to "The book that I am finishing today, attracts me with its story." The speaker is indicating that while they are in the process of completing a book today, they find the book appealing because of its narrative.

How is the relative clause "ninachokikamilisha" structured?

The clause breaks down as follows:
• nina- – a first-person singular marker meaning "I am"
• cho- – a relative marker that agrees with the head noun’s class
• kikamilisha – comprises the object concord ki- (reflecting that “kitabu” belongs to noun class 7) attached to the verb root kamilisha ("to finish")
Together, these elements form a relative clause meaning "that I am finishing" and directly relate to the head noun kitabu (book).

Why does the verb appear as "kikamilisha" instead of just "kamilisha"?

In Swahili relative clauses, the verb takes an additional concord that matches the noun it refers back to. Since kitabu belongs to noun class 7, its relative concord is ki-. By attaching this to the root kamilisha, the verb becomes kikamilisha, which shows agreement with the head noun.

What is the function of "yake" in the sentence?

Yake is a possessive adjective meaning "its". It refers back to kitabu (the book) and indicates that the story (hadithi) belongs to that book. The adjective agrees in form with the noun’s class, reinforcing the connection between the book and its story.

How do the subject markers in the sentence ensure agreement between verbs and their subjects?

Swahili requires verbs to agree with their subjects through specific concords. In the relative clause, nina- indicates that the speaker (first-person singular) is performing the action. In the main clause, kina- agrees with kitabu, which is in noun class 7, showing that the book is the subject that “attracts” the speaker. Such agreement aids in clearly identifying who is doing what in the sentence.

Why is there a comma in the sentence, and what does it indicate?

The comma separates the descriptive relative clause (Kitabu ninachokikamilisha leo) from the main clause (kinanivutia kwa hadithi yake). This punctuation clarifies that the first part gives additional information about the book, while the second part states the main idea that the book is attractive due to its story.