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Questions & Answers about Ngazi iko karibu na ukuta.
Why is iko used here instead of ni?
In Swahili, ni is used for identification or definition (“X is Y”), while iko (from the verb kuwa, “to be”) plus the locative suffix -ko means “exists at” or “is located at.” We use iko for non-human things to express where they are.
What exactly does iko represent and how is it formed?
Iko breaks down into the 3rd-person singular non-human subject marker i- plus the locative suffix -ko. It literally means “it is at” (e.g., “it is located at that place”). For a human subject you’d say yuko instead (from yu- + -ko).
Why do we say karibu na ukuta instead of just karibu ukuta?
In Swahili, the word karibu (“near”) functions like an adjective/adverb and requires the preposition na (“with”/“and”) to link it to the thing you’re near. So you always say karibu na + object (e.g., karibu na ukuta).
What part of speech is ukuta, and why does it start with u?
Ukuta is a noun meaning “wall.” It belongs to noun class 3, which typically uses the prefix u-. The stem is -kuta, but in everyday use you learn the full form ukuta.
How would I ask “Where is the ladder?” in Swahili?
You’d say Ngazi iko wapi?
Here wapi means “where,” and iko is the locative “is located at.”
How do I say “The ladder is far from the wall” in Swahili?
Replace karibu (“near”) with mbali (“far”) and keep na:
Ngazi iko mbali na ukuta.
How can I add possession like “my ladder” to this sentence?
Insert the possessive adjective before ngazi. For “my ladder” say ngazi yangu, then the rest stays the same:
Ngazi yangu iko karibu na ukuta.
What if the subject was a person, like “the child is near the wall”? Would I still use iko?
No. For a human 3rd-person singular you use yuko rather than iko. So you’d say:
Mtoto yuko karibu na ukuta.