Ninapenda kusikiliza muziki wa redio wakati ninapika.

I like to listen to radio music while I cook.

Breakdown of Ninapenda kusikiliza muziki wa redio wakati ninapika.

• mimi: I
• kupenda: to like
• kupika: to cook
• wa: of
• muziki: the music
• kusikiliza: to listen
• redio: the radio
• wakati: while

Questions & Answers about Ninapenda kusikiliza muziki wa redio wakati ninapika.

What do the prefixes ni- and -na- in ninapenda mean?

Breakdown of ninapenda:
• ni- = 1st person singular subject marker (“I”)
• -na- = present-tense marker (“am …ing” or simple present)
• penda = root “like”
Together, ni + na + penda = ninapenda, literally “I-present-like,” i.e. “I like.”

Why is the second verb kusikiliza in the infinitive rather than conjugated like “nasikiliza”?

After verbs of preference (like penda), Swahili generally uses the infinitive form of the following verb. The infinitive is marked by the prefix ku- (“to”). So:
• kusikiliza = “to listen”
This makes ninapenda kusikiliza = “I like to listen.”

What role does wa play in muziki wa redio?

This is a genitive (possessive/associative) construction.
• muziki (class 3) = “music”
• redio (class 9) = “radio”
• wa = genitive link for class 3 nouns
Putting them together: muziki wa redio = “music of the radio” (i.e. “radio music”).

How does wakati ninapika work, and why is wakati used?

• wakati = “when” or “while,” introducing a time clause.
• ninapika = “I cook” (ni- subject + ‑na- present + pika “cook”).
Thus wakati ninapika = “while I cook.” You simply place wakati before a normal verb phrase to mark “when/while.”

What’s the difference between napenda and ninapenda?

• ninapenda spells out both the subject (“ni-”) and the tense (“-na-”).
• napenda is the colloquial contraction where the i of ni- merges into the n, but the meaning stays “I like.”
Both forms are widely understood, though ninapenda is more “fully” formed.

Can I say napenda kusikiliza muziki redioni to mean “I like listening to music on the radio”?

Yes. By adding the locative suffix -ni to redio, you get redioni = “on the radio.” So:
• napenda kusikiliza muziki redioni = “I like to listen to music on the radio.”
You can also simply say ninapenda kusikiliza redio = “I like listening to the radio.”

Could I replace wakati ninapika with ninapopika? How?

Yes. Swahili has a relative/temporal marker -po- meaning “when/while.” You insert it into the verb:
• ni- (I) + ‑na- (present) + ‑po- (when) + pika (cook) = ninapopika
So you can say:
Ninapenda kusikiliza muziki wa redio ninapopika.
This literally means “I like listening to radio music when I cook,” just like the original.

Why do we repeat the subject prefix in ninapika even though the subject is in the main clause?

Each clause in Swahili has its own verb structure. The subordinate clause introduced by wakati is independent in terms of subject and tense marking, so you still need ni- and -na- on pika to show “I cook.”