Mimi nina rafiki mmoja.

I have one friend.

Breakdown of Mimi nina rafiki mmoja.

• mimi: I
• rafiki: the friend
• kuwa na: to have
• mmoja: one

Questions & Answers about Mimi nina rafiki mmoja.

What does the sentence Mimi nina rafiki mmoja mean in English, and how is it structured?

It means I have one friend. In this sentence, Mimi is the subject pronoun meaning I, nina is the present tense form of the verb have (from kuwa na), rafiki is the noun meaning friend, and mmoja is the numeral one. The structure follows a subject–verb–object–numeral order.

Why is the subject pronoun Mimi explicitly included, even though nina already indicates the first-person singular?

In Swahili, the verb conjugation already implies the subject. However, including Mimi can add emphasis or clarity, especially for learners who are still getting used to the language’s structure. As learners become more comfortable, native speakers might often omit the pronoun in casual conversation.

How is the verb have represented in this sentence, and what does the form nina consist of?

The verb have is represented by nina, which is a contracted form derived from the full verb kuwa na. The form nina includes the first-person singular prefix ni- (indicating I) combined with -na, which marks the present tense. Thus, nina effectively means I have.

Why does the numeral mmoja appear after the noun rafiki instead of before it, as in English?

In Swahili, adjectives and numerals typically follow the noun they modify. So unlike English, where we say one friend, in Swahili the noun rafiki is stated first, followed by mmoja to indicate the quantity. This order is a natural part of Swahili syntax.

Are there any gender or agreement issues to be aware of with the noun rafiki and the numeral mmoja?

Rafiki is a gender-neutral noun, so it can refer to a friend of any gender. In this sentence, it is singular, which is why the numeral mmoja (used for singular nouns) is used. If you were to express the idea of multiple friends, the noun and numeral would change to reflect the plural form and appropriate noun-class agreement.