Hizo meza nzuri ziko nyumbani.

to be

Breakdown of Hizo meza nzuri ziko nyumbani.

• nyumba: the home
• kwenye: at
• nzuri: nice
• meza: the table
• hizo: those

Questions & Answers about Hizo meza nzuri ziko nyumbani.

What does Hizo mean in the sentence?

Hizo is a demonstrative adjective meaning "those" in English. It agrees with the noun it modifies, showing that the object (in this case, meza) is plural.

What is the role of meza, and how do we know it refers to more than one table?

Meza means "table" (or "tables") in Swahili. Although many Swahili nouns (like meza) do not change form between singular and plural, the use of the plural demonstrative hizo and the verb form ziko makes clear that we are talking about more than one table.

Why does the adjective nzuri come after meza rather than before it?

In Swahili, the normal word order places adjectives after the noun they modify. So instead of saying "nice table" as in English, you say "table nice" (i.e. meza nzuri) to describe the table.

What does ziko mean, and how does it show agreement with the subject?

Ziko is the present tense form of the verb "to be" that is used with nouns of the class to which meza belongs. The zi- prefix agrees with the noun’s class, indicating that the tables are located somewhere (in this case, nyumbani).

What does nyumbani indicate in this sentence?

Nyumbani means "at home." It functions as an adverbial locative, specifying where the tables are located.