Breakdown of Mvulana anapenda kuogelea baharini.
kupenda
to like
kwenye
at
bahari
the ocean
kuogelea
to swim
mvulana
the boy
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Swahili grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Mvulana anapenda kuogelea baharini.
What does Mvulana mean?
Mvulana translates to boy in English. It is a noun referring to a young male.
How is the verb anapenda constructed and what does it mean?
Anapenda means likes (or loves) and is in the present tense. It is formed using the subject concord a- (for third person singular, referring to “he” or “she”) combined with the root penda (“to like”). In this sentence, it agrees with Mvulana (boy).
What role does the prefix ku- in kuogelea play?
The prefix ku- signals that the verb is in its infinitive form. Kuogelea means to swim. In Swahili, many verbs in their basic or dictionary form begin with ku-.
What does baharini mean, and why is it different from bahari?
Baharini means in the sea (or in the ocean). The base noun bahari means sea, and the suffix -ni is a locative marker that indicates location, effectively translating the phrase to in the sea.
How does the sentence structure of "Mvulana anapenda kuogelea baharini" reflect Swahili grammar rules?
The sentence follows a Subject–Verb–Object (SVO) construction typical of Swahili. Mvulana is the subject, anapenda is the verb, and kuogelea baharini functions as a verb phrase that serves as the object, describing what the boy likes to do. The use of the infinitive kuogelea with the locative baharini neatly forms the idea of "to swim in the sea."