Nyumba zilizo karibu na shule ni za bei nafuu.

The houses that are near the school are cheap.

Breakdown of Nyumba zilizo karibu na shule ni za bei nafuu.

• ni: to be
• shule: the school
• nyumba: the house
• karibu: near
• bei: the price
• zilizo: which

Questions & Answers about Nyumba zilizo karibu na shule ni za bei nafuu.

What does nyumba mean in the sentence?

It translates to houses. In Swahili, nyumba can refer to a single house or houses in general, and here context (with modifiers in plural form) indicates that it means houses.

What is the function of zilizo in the sentence?

Zilizo is a relative marker meaning "that are" or "which are." It introduces the subordinate clause "zilizo karibu na shule," which qualifies nyumba by specifying exactly which houses are being discussed—that is, those that are near the school. It also shows agreement with the noun’s class.

How is the location "near the school" expressed in this sentence?

The location is conveyed by the phrase karibu na shule. Here, karibu means "close" or "near," and na shule functions to specify "the school." This construction tells us that the houses in question are located close to the school.

What role does ni play in the sentence?

Ni acts as the copula, similar to the English "are." It links the subject phrase "Nyumba zilizo karibu na shule" to the predicate "za bei nafuu," effectively stating that the houses (which are near the school) are inexpensive.

What does the phrase za bei nafuu mean, and why is za used?

Za bei nafuu literally translates to "of cheap price," meaning "inexpensive" or "cheap." The word bei means "price," and nafuu means "cheap" or "low-priced." The particle za is used because Swahili requires modifiers and adjectives to agree in noun class with the noun they describe—in this case, nyumba.

How does this sentence illustrate noun class agreement in Swahili?

Swahili grammar demands that adjectives, relative markers, and possessive particles agree with the noun’s class. In this sentence, nyumba is modified by zilizo in the relative clause and by za in za bei nafuu. Both these markers match the noun class of nyumba, ensuring that every descriptive element in the sentence is grammatically cohesive.