Breakdown of Mimi ninapenda kupiga gitaa asubuhi.
mimi
I
kupenda
to like
asubuhi
in the morning
kupiga
to play
gitaa
the guitar
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Questions & Answers about Mimi ninapenda kupiga gitaa asubuhi.
Why is Mimi used at the beginning? Can I drop it?
Yes. Mimi means “I” and is a subject pronoun used for emphasis or clarity. Swahili verbs already include a subject prefix, so ninapenda by itself implies “I like.” Dropping Mimi gives the more natural Ninapenda kupiga gitaa asubuhi.
What do the parts ni-, -na-, and penda represent in ninapenda?
ni- is the first-person singular subject prefix (“I”), -na- is the present-tense marker (“am …ing” or “do …”), and penda is the verb stem meaning “like.” Together ni-na-penda = “I like” or “I am liking.”
Why is the second verb kupiga in the infinitive form instead of a finite form like nina piga?
After verbs of preference (kupenda, kutaka, kujua, etc.), Swahili uses the infinitive ku- + verb for the action being liked. So kupiga = “to play,” making ninapenda kupiga gitaa literally “I like to play guitar.”
Why is it kupiga gitaa and not kugita gitaa or cheza gitaa?
In Swahili, piga (“to strike/beat/play” for instruments) is the correct verb for playing an instrument. Kugita isn’t a verb, and cheza is used for games, dances, or acting, not musical instruments. So you must say kupiga gitaa.
Why is gitaa spelled with two as at the end?
Swahili avoids closed syllables and often lengthens vowels in loanwords. The double a indicates a long final vowel, so gitaa approximates the English “guitar” in Swahili phonology.
What does asubuhi mean, and why does it come at the end of the sentence?
Asubuhi means “in the morning.” Adverbs of time normally appear at the end in Swahili. You can front it for emphasis: Asubuhi ninapenda kupiga gitaa.
Can I say kila asubuhi instead of asubuhi? What’s the difference?
Yes. Kila means “every,” so kila asubuhi = “every morning.” Without kila, asubuhi simply means “in the morning” in a general sense.
How would I say “She likes to play the guitar in the morning” in Swahili?
Use the third-person prefix a-: Yeye anapenda kupiga gitaa asubuhi. You can drop yeye for brevity: Anapenda kupiga gitaa asubuhi.