Vitabu vyote viko kwenye meza.

All the books are on the table.

Breakdown of Vitabu vyote viko kwenye meza.

• ni: to be
• kitabu: the book
• kwenye: at
• meza: the table
• vyote: all

Questions & Answers about Vitabu vyote viko kwenye meza.

What does the adjective vyote mean in this sentence?

Vyote means "all". It specifies that every one of the books (indicated by vitabu) is being referred to. In Swahili, adjectives must agree with the noun they modify, so vyote is in the proper form for vitabu (the plural form of kitabu).

Why is the copula viko used instead of forms like kiko or vime?

Viko is the locative form of the verb to be. Swahili uses different forms of the copula to agree with the noun’s class and number. Since vitabu is plural (from the singular kitabu, which would take kiko in the singular), the form viko is used to indicate that the books are in a specific location—here, kwenye meza.

What is the role of kwenye in the sentence?

Kwenye is a preposition that comes before location nouns and conveys where something is. It can be understood as equivalent to "on", "at", or "in" in English. In this sentence, kwenye meza tells us that the books are positioned on the table.

How does noun–adjective agreement work in this sentence with vitabu and vyote?

In Swahili, adjectives agree with the noun in terms of both class and number. Vitabu is the plural form of kitabu and belongs to a noun class that requires adjectives to begin with vy-. Therefore, the adjective for all must be vyote to match vitabu. This concordance is a key feature of Swahili grammar.

Why are there no articles such as "the" before vitabu or meza?

Swahili does not use definite or indefinite articles like "the" or "a". Instead, meaning is carried by the noun itself and its context along with noun class markers. Thus, although English uses "the" before nouns, Swahili naturally omits such articles.

How would the sentence change if referring to a singular book instead of multiple books?

For a singular book, you would use kitabu rather than vitabu. The copula must also agree with the singular form. The sentence would become Kitabu kipo kwenye meza, where kipo is the singular form of the copula appropriate for kitabu.