Kioo changu kinakung’aa.

My mirror is shining.

Breakdown of Kioo changu kinakung’aa.

• changu: my
• kioo: the mirror
• kung’aa: to shine

Questions & Answers about Kioo changu kinakung’aa.

What does the noun kioo mean and which noun class does it belong to?

Kioo means window. It is a noun from the ki-/vi- class in Swahili, which is why its associated possessive form and subject concord on verbs adjust to this class.

How is the possessive pronoun changu formed in relation to kioo?

In Swahili, possessive pronouns must agree with the noun’s class. Since kioo belongs to the ki- class, the appropriate possessive form is changu—formed by using the linking element cha- (instead of ki-) and adding -ngu to convey “my.”

What does the verb form kinakung’aa tell us about subject agreement and tense?

The verb kinakung’aa is conjugated to agree with the noun kioo. The form starts with ki-, which replaces the standard infinitive prefix ku- for ki- class nouns, followed by na-, the present tense marker. The remainder, -kung’aa, is the unchanged verb root, indicating that the action (or state) is happening now—in this case, that the window is broken.

Why does the infinitive kung’aa transform into kinakung’aa in this sentence?

In Swahili, an infinitive verb starts with ku-, but when it is conjugated to match a specific subject, that prefix changes according to the noun class. Because kioo is a ki- class noun, the ku- becomes ki- and, with the addition of the present tense marker na-, the form becomes kinakung’aa. This change ensures both subject agreement and proper tense marking.

How would you modify the sentence to express the past tense, such as “My window was broken”?

To express the past tense in Swahili, you would replace the present tense marker na- with the past tense marker li-. For the noun kioo (from the ki- class), the subject prefix then pairs with li- to form kili-. Therefore, “My window was broken” becomes Kioo changu kilikung’aa.