Mama alinunua kitabu kwa bei nafuu.

the book

Breakdown of Mama alinunua kitabu kwa bei nafuu.

• mama: the mother
• kununua: to buy
• bei: the price
• kwa: at

Questions & Answers about Mama alinunua kitabu kwa bei nafuu.

What is the function of the prefix ali- in alinunua?

In Swahili, verbs are formed by attaching subject prefixes and tense markers to the verb root. In alinunua, the a- indicates a third person singular subject (referring to Mama), while li- is the past tense marker. Together, they tell us that “she bought” something in the past.

How is the object kitabu treated in this sentence, particularly regarding the noun's number?

Kitabu means “book” and appears in its singular form. In Swahili, plural forms are created by changing the noun’s prefix (for example, “vitabu” for “books”). Since no plural marker is present, kitabu is singular.

What role does the phrase kwa bei nafuu play, and how is it constructed?

The phrase kwa bei nafuu functions as an adverbial phrase that explains the manner in which the purchase was made. Kwa is a preposition meaning “at” or “by,” bei means “price,” and nafuu is an adjective meaning “cheap” or “inexpensive.” Together, they indicate that the book was bought “at a cheap price.”

How is the past tense expressed in this sentence?

The past tense in Swahili is marked by the infix li-. In alinunua, after the subject prefix a- (indicating “she”), the li- infix shows that the action occurred in the past. The construction is: subject prefix + past tense marker + verb root, resulting in “she bought.”

Why is it acceptable to use Mama alone as the subject without an extra pronoun?

In Swahili, as in many languages, a noun such as Mama can function as the subject by itself. It clearly identifies who is performing the action, so there is no need for an additional pronoun. The verb alinunua already includes the subject information via its prefix.

Does the sentence follow a typical Swahili sentence structure?

Yes, the sentence follows a common Swahili word order. It starts with the subject (Mama), followed by the verb with its tense and subject markers (alinunua), then the object (kitabu), and finally by an adverbial phrase (kwa bei nafuu) that describes the manner of the action. This structure aligns well with the standard Subject-Verb-Object pattern in Swahili.