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Sisi tunatumia ndoo kubeba maji.

Sisi tunatumia ndoo kubeba maji.
We use a bucket to carry water.
FromLesson 14inHardcore Swahili
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Breakdown of Sisi tunatumia ndoo kubeba maji.

sisi
we
maji
the water
kubeba
to carry
kutumia
to use
ndoo
the bucket
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More from this lesson

daimaDaima ninakumbuka mama akinifundisha heshima.mahaliMimi ninapenda mahali pa kupumzika.Nataka uweke kitabu changu mahali pa usalama daima, ili kisipotee.kutoatakatakaSisi tunasafisha takataka sokoni.

Questions & Answers about Sisi tunatumia ndoo kubeba maji.

What does Sisi mean in this sentence?
Sisi is the subject pronoun meaning we. It identifies the group performing the action.
How is the verb tunatumia constructed and what does it convey?
Tunatumia is formed from the verb tumia (to use) with the subject prefix tu-, which means we. Thus, tunatumia translates as we use or we are using, combining both subject and action into one word.
What does the noun ndoo represent?
The noun ndoo translates to bucket in English. It denotes the tool that is being used in the sentence.
What is the function of the phrase kubeba maji?
Kubeba maji is an infinitive phrase where kubeba means to carry and maji means water. This phrase explains the purpose of using the ndoo—that the bucket is used for carrying water.
Why is the subject pronoun Sisi included even though the verb already indicates the subject?
In Swahili, the subject prefix in the verb (here, tu- in tunatumia) already shows that the subject is we. However, including Sisi can add emphasis or clarity, even though it’s technically optional.
How does the structure of this sentence illustrate typical Swahili word order?

The sentence follows a common Swahili structure:

  1. Sisi (subject)
  2. tunatumia (verb with subject and tense markers)
  3. ndoo (object/tool)
  4. kubeba maji (infinitive phrase indicating purpose) This order clearly delineates who is acting, what is being used, and for what purpose, which is typical in Swahili sentence construction.