Kitabu changu kina sura nyingi.

My book has many chapters.

Breakdown of Kitabu changu kina sura nyingi.

• kuwa na: to have
• kitabu: the book
• nyingi: a lot
• changu: my
• sura: the chapter

Questions & Answers about Kitabu changu kina sura nyingi.

What does the word kitabu mean?

Kitabu translates to “book” in English.

How is possession indicated in the phrase kitabu changu?

In Swahili, the possessive adjective follows the noun. Here, changu means “my,” so kitabu changu directly translates to “my book.”

What does kina signify in this sentence?

Kina is a verb form meaning “has.” It agrees with the noun kitabu (which belongs to a specific noun class in Swahili), so the phrase kina sura nyingi means “has many chapters.”

How does the word order in kina sura nyingi differ from English?

In Swahili, adjectives usually follow the noun they modify. In this sentence, sura means “chapter” and nyingi means “many,” resulting in “chapters many.” In English, we say “many chapters,” with the adjective preceding the noun.

Why is the verb form kina used instead of something like ina?

Verb forms in Swahili are determined by the noun class of the subject. Kitabu belongs to a class that requires the form kina for “has.” Other noun classes would use a different form such as ina.

Can you break down the sentence Kitabu changu kina sura nyingi word by word?

Certainly. Kitabu means “book.” Changu is the possessive “my.” Kina means “has,” agreeing with kitabu’s noun class. Sura translates as “chapter” (and in this context implies “chapters”), while nyingi means “many.” Altogether, the sentence means “My book has many chapters.”