Learn Hardcore Swahili: Benki iko karibu na shule.

iko is the locative form of the verb kuwa (to be) used when describing where something is located. The plain copula ni is for attributive sentences (e.g. Kitabu ni kizuri – “The book is good”), but you don’t use ni for physical location. Swahili expresses location with forms like -ko, -po, -mo, and you must attach the correct subject prefix (here i- from noun class 9) to get iko.

What role does na play in the phrase karibu na shule?

Here na is a preposition meaning “with” or “to,” but in combination with karibu it creates the idiomatic expression karibu na = “near to.” Swahili often uses na after locative adjectives or verbs to link the thing that’s near with its reference point:
Benki iko karibu na shule = “The bank is near (to) the school.”

Why does iko begin with i- in Benki iko karibu na shule?

Every noun in Swahili belongs to a noun class that determines agreement. Benki (“bank”) is in noun class 9, whose subject concord (SC) is i-. The locative verb -ko therefore takes that prefix: i- + -ko = iko. If the subject were class 7 (e.g. kitabu), you’d get kiko, and if it were the plural class 10 (e.g. “banks”), you’d get ziko.

How do you ask “Is the bank near the school?” in Swahili?

You can add the question particle Je at the beginning or simply use rising intonation. For example:
• Je benki iko karibu na shule?
• Benki iko karibu na shule?
“Je” signals a yes/no question; without it, listeners rely on tone.

Why doesn’t karibu change its form to agree with shule?

Karibu here is an invariable adverb/adjective in its base form. It doesn’t take noun-class prefixes like adjectives or verbs do. The locative meaning comes from pairing karibu with na (“near to”), not from any agreement morphology. So karibu remains unchanged regardless of the noun class of shule.

Can you say Benki iko karibu shule without na?

In casual speech some Swahili speakers drop na and say Benki iko karibu shule, and the meaning is clear. However, the standard—and grammatically preferred—form is karibu na, so it’s best to include na in writing and formal contexts.

How would you say “The banks are near the schools”?

You must change the verb’s subject concord to match the plural noun class. With benki (class 9/10), the plural subject concord is zi- + -ko, giving ziko. Shule itself remains unchanged (class 9/10). The full sentence is:
Benki ziko karibu na shule
= “The banks are near the schools.”