Mimi nina marafiki kumi na moja.

I have eleven friends.

Breakdown of Mimi nina marafiki kumi na moja.

• mimi: I
• rafiki: the friend
• kuwa na: to have
• kumi na moja: eleven

Questions & Answers about Mimi nina marafiki kumi na moja.

Why is Mimi included in the sentence? Is it necessary?

In Swahili Mimi is the standalone first-person pronoun I. Because the verb nina already contains the subject (the ni- prefix marks I), Mimi is not strictly necessary:
• Without emphasis you can say Nina marafiki kumi na moja.
• You include Mimi only for emphasis (“As for me, I have eleven friends.”)

How do you express to have in Swahili? What is nina?

Swahili uses the construction kuwa na (“to be with”) instead of a separate verb have. In the present tense you drop the infinitive ku- and merge wa- (from kuwa) with the subject prefix:
• Subject prefix for I = ni-
• Present‐tense marker of -wa = na
• ni- + na = nina (I have)
To change tense you replace the tense marker:
• Nilikuwa na marafiki = I had friends
• Nitakuwa na marafiki = I will have friends

What noun class is marafiki, and why is it spelled that way?

Rafiki (“friend”) belongs to noun class 9/10.
• Class 9 (singular): rafiki
• Class 10 (plural): add the ma- prefix → marafiki
So marafiki simply means “friends.”

How do you form the number kumi na moja (eleven)?

Swahili builds numbers 11–19 by linking the base ten with units using the conjunction na:
• Kumi = ten
• Na = and
• Moja = one
Combine: kumi na moja = ten and one = eleven
Similarly, kumi na mbili = twelve, kumi na tatu = thirteen, etc.

Does the number kumi na moja change to match the noun class of marafiki?

No. In standard Swahili numerals from moja up to kumi (and the compounds 11–19) are invariable. You never add noun-class prefixes or concords. It’s always:
Marafiki kumi na moja.

What does the na in nina do, and how is it different from the na in kumi na moja?

They look the same but serve two roles:
• In nina the na is the present‐tense marker attached to the subject prefix ni- (“I have”).
• In kumi na moja the na is the conjunction “and” linking the tens and units.

How would you ask How many friends do you have? in Swahili?

You use the interrogative wangapi (how many) with the second-person singular subject prefix u-:
Una marafiki wangapi?
Literally: You have friends how many?

How do you say I don’t have eleven friends?

The negative of nina is sina (the tense marker na changes to i after the negative subject marker si-). So:
Sina marafiki kumi na moja.