Learn Hardcore Swahili: Mama anasema thamani ya upole ni kubwa kuliko mali nyingi. - Mother says that the value of gentleness is greater than much wealth.

Anasema is the present tense, third person singular form of the verb kusema (to say). Here, it functions as the reporting verb in the sentence, indicating that Mama (mother) is stating something, much like "says" in English.

How does the phrase thamani ya upole translate into English, and what does each word mean?

The word thamani means "value," ya serves as a possessive marker equivalent to "of," and upole translates to "gentleness" or "mildness." Together, thamani ya upole means "the value of gentleness," showing possession by linking the two nouns.

How is the comparison expressed in the sentence?

The comparison is made using the copula ni (which means "is") and the comparative conjunction kuliko (which means "than"). The phrase kubwa kuliko mali nyingi translates to "is greater than much wealth," with kubwa meaning "great" or "big" and mali nyingi referring to "a lot of wealth."

What does mali nyingi mean, and why is nyingi placed after mali?

Mali means "wealth" or "property," and nyingi means "many" or "a lot" when used with an uncountable noun like wealth. In Swahili, adjectives typically follow the noun they describe, which is why nyingi comes after mali, together expressing the idea of "a great amount of wealth."

Can you explain the overall structure of the sentence and how its parts connect?

Certainly. The sentence begins with Mama (mother) as the subject, followed by anasema (says), indicating that what follows is a statement made by her. The reported statement is thamani ya upole ni kubwa kuliko mali nyingi, where thamani ya upole (the value of gentleness) acts as the subject of the subordinate clause. The copula ni links this subject to the predicate kubwa kuliko mali nyingi (is greater than much wealth). This structure shows a complete thought with a clear comparative element, typical of Swahili sentence construction.