Learn Hardcore Swahili: Je, una runinga mpya nyumbani? - Do you have a new television at home?

Je is an interrogative particle in Swahili that marks the sentence as a yes/no question. It doesn’t add extra meaning beyond indicating you expect a “yes” or “no” answer.

What does una mean, and why is it used here instead of kuna?

Una means “you have.” It’s formed from the verb -na (“have”) with the subject prefix u- (second-person singular). Kuna, by contrast, means “there is/are” and expresses existence, not personal possession.

How is una built grammatically?

It splits into three parts:
• u- (you, singular subject prefix)
• -na- (present-tense marker + verb root “have”)
Together they form una, “you have.”

Why does the adjective mpya come after the noun runinga?

In Swahili most adjectives follow the noun they modify. Here runinga (“television”) is followed by mpya (“new”). Because runinga is a class 9/10 noun, mpya takes no extra agreement prefix.

What is nyumbani, and why not just nyumba?

Nyumbani is the locative form of nyumba (“house”). The suffix -ni marks “in/at/on,” so nyumbani means “at home.” It specifies the location of the TV.

Can you omit Je and still ask the question?

Yes. In informal or conversational Swahili you can drop Je and rely on rising intonation:
Una runinga mpya nyumbani?
still means “Do you have a new TV at home?” Je just makes the question more explicit.

How would you respond to this question in Swahili?

Affirmative:
Ndiyo, nina runinga mpya nyumbani.
(“Yes, I have a new TV at home.”)
—or simply—
Nina. (“I have.”)

Negative:
Hapana, sina runinga mpya nyumbani.
(“No, I don’t have a new TV at home.”)
—or simply—
Sina. (“I don’t have.”)

What noun class is runinga, and how does it affect agreement?

Runinga is treated as a class 9/10 noun (a loan from English). Verbs and adjectives agreeing with it follow class 9/10 patterns. For example:
Runinga ni kubwa.
(“The TV is big.”)
Here ni is the copula, and kubwa needs no extra prefix for class 9/10.