Mimi ninavutiwa na mandhari ya bustani jioni.

I am attracted to the garden scenery in the evening.

Breakdown of Mimi ninavutiwa na mandhari ya bustani jioni.

• mimi: I
• katika: in
• jioni: the evening
• ya: of
• na: by
• bustani: the garden
• kuvutiwa: to be attracted
• mandhari: the scenery

Questions & Answers about Mimi ninavutiwa na mandhari ya bustani jioni.

Why does the sentence start with Mimi? Is it necessary?

In Swahili the verb ninavutiwa already contains the subject marker ni- (“I”), so Mimi (“I”) is not strictly required. You include Mimi for emphasis or clarity (especially in spoken Swahili). Omitting it – “Ninavutiwa na mandhari ya bustani jioni” – is perfectly correct.

What exactly does ninavutiwa mean, and how is it built?

Breakdown of ninavutiwa:

• ni- = subject prefix “I”
• -na- = present‐tense marker
• vuti- = root “attract, fascinate, interest”
• -w- = passive suffix
• -a = verb ending
  Altogether it means “I am fascinated by/interested in.”

I see two nas in the sentence. Are they the same?

No. The first -na- is part of the verb (ni-na-vutiwa) marking the present tense. The second na is a preposition meaning “by” or “with”: ninavutiwa na mandhari… = “I am fascinated by the scenery…”

What role does ya play in mandhari ya bustani?

ya is the genitive/linker that means “of.” It connects mandhari (scenery) to bustani (garden): “scenery of a garden.” The form ya is used because bustani begins with a consonant that requires ya (rather than wa, la, etc.).

Why is jioni at the end without a preposition like katika?

Time words such as jioni (“evening”) often act as adverbs in Swahili and can stand alone: “in the evening.” You could say katika jioni, but it’s more natural to drop katika in casual speech.

Which parts of this sentence are optional? Could I drop Mimi or jioni?

You may omit Mimi since the verb already shows the subject. You could alsoomit jioni if the time frame is understood or unimportant. However, dropping mandhari or ya bustani would change the meaning entirely.

How would I say the same idea in an active‐voice construction, like “Mandhari ya bustani inanivutia jioni”? How do the two compare?

Active form:
Mandhari ya bustani inanivutia jioni.
Breakdown:

• Mandhari ya bustani = “garden scenery” (subject)
• ina- = present tense for “it”
• ni- = object marker “me”
• vutia = “attract/fascinate”
• jioni = “in the evening”
  Both active and passive convey the same meaning. The passive (ninavutiwa…) focuses on your feeling; the active (inanivutia…) highlights the scenery as the subject.

If I wanted to say “every evening” instead of just “in the evening,” where would kila jioni go?

Most naturally before the verb:
Kila jioni ninavutiwa na mandhari ya bustani.
You can also place it at the end:
Ninavutiwa na mandhari ya bustani kila jioni.
Swahili word order is flexible for time expressions.

Could I use a different verb like penda (“to like”) instead of vutia? How would that look?

Yes. You might say:
Mimi ninapenda mandhari ya bustani jioni.
Here ni-na-penda = “I like.” You lose the nuance of “being fascinated,” but the structure (subject + tense + verb + object + time) remains the same.