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Questions & Answers about Mimi ninahisi joto nyumbani.
What does Mimi mean in this sentence?
Mimi is the first-person singular pronoun in Swahili, equivalent to I in English. It establishes who is performing the action in the sentence.
What does ninahisi mean and how is it structured?
Ninahisi means I feel. It is composed of the subject prefix ni- (indicating I), the continuous marker -na- (showing an ongoing action), and the root hisi (meaning feel). This structure shows that the verb itself already contains the subject and tense information.
What is the role of joto in the sentence?
Joto translates to hot (or heat, depending on context). In this sentence, it acts as the complement describing what the subject feels. Although in English we often use an adjective like hot, in Swahili joto is used as a noun to express the sensation of heat.
How is nyumbani formed and what does it signify?
Nyumbani means at home. It is derived from the noun nyumba (meaning house) with the addition of the locative suffix -ni, which indicates location. Thus, it tells you where the subject is experiencing the sensation.
Why is the subject pronoun Mimi explicitly included when the verb already indicates the subject?
In Swahili, the verb form already includes subject information through its prefix (in this case, ni- in ninahisi indicates I). However, including Mimi can serve to add emphasis or clarity, especially for learners new to the language who might be getting accustomed to the structure and role of subject pronouns.
What tense does ninahisi represent, and does it always indicate an ongoing action?
Ninahisi is in the present tense, and the -na- infix indicates that the action is occurring at the moment of speaking. It parallels the English simple present for feelings or states, suggesting that the speaker is currently experiencing the sensation (feeling hot).