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Kwaya inaimba wimbo mpya jioni.

Kwaya inaimba wimbo mpya jioni.
The choir sings a new song in the evening.
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Questions & Answers about Kwaya inaimba wimbo mpya jioni.

What does kwaya mean, and why is it used here?
Kwaya means “choir.” It’s a loanword from English/Italian but is fully integrated into Swahili. In this sentence it functions as the subject (the doer of the action).
How is inaimba constructed?

inaimba breaks down into three parts:

  • i-: the subject concord for kwaya (noun class 9)
  • -na-: the present‐continuous tense marker
  • imba: the verb root meaning “to sing”
    Put together, inaimba means “it (the choir) is singing” or more naturally “sings.”
Why is wimbo mpya placed after the verb?

Swahili uses a flexible SVO (Subject–Verb–Object) order, but a typical pattern is: Subject – Verb – Object – Adverbial.
Here:

  • Subject = kwaya
  • Verb = inaimba
  • Object = wimbo mpya
    It’s normal for the object phrase to follow the verb.
How do the noun wimbo and the adjective mpya agree?

Wimbo (song) is in noun class 3 (prefix m-, plural mi-). Adjectives must carry the same class concord:

  • mpya has an implicit class 3 concord m- built in, so no extra prefix is visible.
    Therefore wimbo mpya correctly means “new song.”
What does jioni mean, and why is there no preposition like “in”?

Jioni means “evening.” Swahili often expresses time adverbials without a preposition:

  • jioni = “in the evening”
    If you really wanted a preposition you could add katika, but it’s usually omitted: katika jioni.
How do we know this sentence is present tense?
The marker -na- in inaimba signals present tense (today, right now, or habitual). Past would be -li- (formed as iliimba), future -ta- (as itaimba).
Why isn’t there a word for “the” before kwaya?
Swahili does not use definite articles like the or indefinite articles like a/an. Nouns stand alone: kwaya can mean “a choir” or “the choir” depending on context.
How would we pluralize this sentence?

To make kwaya plural (noun class 10), use the prefix zi- for class 10 subject concord:

  • Zikwaya zinaimba nyimbo mpya jioni.
    Literally: “The choirs are singing new songs in the evening.”
Could we replace jioni with usiku?

Yes, but the meaning shifts:

  • jioni = “in the evening” (around sunset)
  • usiku = “at night” (later hours)
    So kwaya inaimba wimbo mpya usiku means “the choir sings a new song at night.”
How can I emphasize wimbo mpya (the new song)?

You can front the object for focus:

  • Wimbo mpya kwaya inaimba jioni.
    Or use clefting:
  • Ndiyo wimbo mpya ambao kwaya inaimba jioni.
    Both methods highlight wimbo mpya in the sentence.