Ushirikiano ni muhimu.

Cooperation is important.

Breakdown of Ushirikiano ni muhimu.

• ni: to be
• muhimu: important
• ushirikiano: the cooperation

Questions & Answers about Ushirikiano ni muhimu.

What is the function of ni in this sentence?

Ni acts as the linking verb (or copula) and corresponds to the English “is.” In equational sentences like this, it connects the subject (ushirikiano) with the predicate adjective (muhimu), establishing that “Cooperation is important.”

Does the adjective muhimu change form to match the noun ushirikiano?

In Swahili, adjectives sometimes take prefixes to agree with the noun class of the noun they modify. However, muhimu is used in its basic form here and does not change to match ushirikiano. It simply serves as “important” regardless of the noun’s class.

How is the noun ushirikiano formed, and what does its structure tell us about its meaning?

Ushirikiano is constructed from the root shirik- (related to sharing or cooperating) with the abstract noun prefix u- and the ending -iano. This morphological structure signals that it is an abstract noun meaning “cooperation” or “collaboration.”

How does the word order in Ushirikiano ni muhimu compare to English?

The structure of the sentence is similar to English. It follows the subject–copula–predicate adjective order: ushirikiano (cooperation) is followed by ni (is) and then muhimu (important). This resemblance makes it easier for English speakers to grasp the basic pattern.

How would you form the negative version of this sentence in Swahili?

To express “Cooperation is not important” in Swahili, you replace ni with the negative copula sio, forming Ushirikiano sio muhimu. This demonstrates how the copula changes when negating an equational predicate.