Lenzi ya kamera ni safi.

The camera lens is clean.

Breakdown of Lenzi ya kamera ni safi.

• ni: to be
• ya: of
• safi: clean
• kamera: the camera
• lenzi: the lens

Questions & Answers about Lenzi ya kamera ni safi.

Why do we say lenzi ya kamera, with ya between lenzi and kamera?

Swahili marks “of”/possessive relationships with a genitive connector that agrees with the noun class of the first (head) noun.

• Lenzi (“lens”) is class 9 (zero prefix).
• The genitive concord for class 9/10 is ya.
  So “lens of the camera” = lenzi ya kamera.
  (If lenzi were class 1 you’d get wa, class 7 cha, class 5 la, etc.)

How can I tell that lenzi belongs to noun class 9/10?

• Class 9/10 nouns typically have no visible prefix in the singular/plural form.
• Borrowed or imported words (like lenzi, kamera) with no native prefix usually slot into class 9/10 by default.
• You also see it in agreement: the fact we use ya after lenzi confirms it’s class 9/10.

What is the role of ni in lenzi ya kamera ni safi? Can I drop it?

Ni is the copula “is,” linking a subject (lenzi ya kamera) to a predicate adjective (safi).

• In equational sentences (X is Y), you normally need ni.
• Without it, /lenzi ya kamera safi/ is ungrammatical.
  So ni must stay to mean “is clean.”

Why doesn’t safi change to agree with lenzi? Aren’t adjectives supposed to get class prefixes?

Some adjectives—called “absolute” or stative adjectives—never take class-agreement prefixes. Instead they remain in their base form and rely on the copula ni.
Examples of absolute adjectives: safi, mbaya (“bad”), zuri (“good”), mbichi (“raw”), etc.

How would I say “lenses of the camera” in the plural? Does lenzi change form?

Class 9/10 nouns like lenzi look identical in singular and plural, but their genitive concord changes:

• Singular “lens of the camera”: lenzi ya kamera
• Plural “lenses of the camera”: lenzi za kamera
  If you want to stress “many lenses,” add a quantifier: lenzi nyingi za kamera (“many camera lenses”).

Why do borrowed words like kamera behave like class 9/10 nouns?

When Swahili borrows words without a Swahili noun-class prefix, they’re usually assigned to class 9/10 (the zero-prefix class). That’s why kamera remains unchanged and slots into class 9/10 patterns.

Could I say lenzi safi ya kamera instead of lenzi ya kamera ni safi to mean “a clean camera lens”?

Lenzi safi ya kamera is understandable as “clean lens of the camera,” but it’s mixing attributive order with an uninflecting adjective. Native speakers typically either:

1. Use the full equational sentence: lenzi ya kamera ni safi (“the camera lens is clean”), or
2. Insert a relative clause if you want a pure noun phrase: lenzi ya kamera ambayo ni safi (“the lens of the camera which is clean”).
   Attributive adjectives that agree in class (e.g. ndogo, kubwa) follow the noun directly, but safi is best kept in its predicate position with ni.