Mwalimu anakupa mwanafunzi kitabu.

The teacher gives the student a book.

Breakdown of Mwalimu anakupa mwanafunzi kitabu.

• mwanafunzi: the student
• kitabu: the book
• mwalimu: the teacher
• kupa: to give

Questions & Answers about Mwalimu anakupa mwanafunzi kitabu.

What does Mwalimu mean and what role does it play in the sentence?

Mwalimu translates to teacher in English. In this sentence, it is the subject; it tells us who is performing the action.

How is the verb anakupa constructed and what does it indicate about the action?

The verb anakupa comes from the root kupa meaning to give. The prefix ana- signals that the subject (the teacher) is performing the action in the present tense (he/she gives). The infix -ku- is an object marker, typically indicating you (singular) as the recipient of the action.

Why does the sentence include both the object marker ku- and the noun mwanafunzi?

In Swahili, it is common to combine an object marker on the verb with a clarifying noun. Here, ku- acts as a pronoun meaning you, and mwanafunzi (meaning student) further specifies who the recipient is. This is similar to the English construction “I called you, John,” where the proper name is added for emphasis or clarification.

What does the word order in this sentence tell us about Swahili sentence structure?

Swahili typically follows a Subject–Verb–Indirect Object–Direct Object order. In this example, Mwalimu is the subject, anakupa is the verb (including the object marker), mwanafunzi functions as the indirect object (or a clarifying label for the pronoun in the verb), and kitabu is the direct object (the thing being given).

What does kitabu mean, and what is its function in the sentence?

Kitabu means book. It serves as the direct object in the sentence, indicating what is being given by the teacher.