Breakdown of Matunda haya ni matamu sokoni.
ni
to be
kwenye
at
soko
the market
tunda
the fruit
haya
these
matamu
delicious
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Questions & Answers about Matunda haya ni matamu sokoni.
Why is matunda used here instead of tunda?
It’s the plural form. Tunda means “fruit” (singular), and to make it “fruits” you add the prefix ma-, giving matunda.
What does haya mean, and why is it used in this sentence?
Haya is the demonstrative “these” for non-human nouns in this class (the class that includes matunda). It points to specific fruits near the speaker. (For people you’d use hawa instead.)
Why does the demonstrative haya come after the noun matunda rather than before it?
In Swahili, attributive demonstratives always follow the noun they modify. So you say matunda haya (“these fruits”), never haya matunda.
What is the function of ni in matunda haya ni matamu sokoni?
Ni is the equative copula (“to be”) linking the subject to its description. Here it connects matunda haya with matamu: “These fruits are sweet.”
Why is the adjective matamu used instead of simply tamu?
Adjectives in Swahili agree with the noun class of the noun they describe. The class 6 prefix is ma-, so tamu (“sweet”) becomes matamu when describing matunda.
How is sokoni formed, and what does it mean?
Sokoni means “at the market.” You take the noun soko (“market”), drop its final -o, and add the locative suffix -ni. This pattern also gives you nyumbani (“at home”), shuleni (“at school”), etc.
Why does sokoni appear at the end of the sentence?
Locative nouns usually follow the verb or predicate in Swahili. Placing sokoni at the end stresses “(in/at) the market.” You could also front it: Sokoni matunda haya ni matamu.
How would you turn this statement into a question in Swahili?
You can add Je at the beginning or just use rising intonation. For example:
• Je, matunda haya ni matamu sokoni?
• Matunda haya ni matamu sokoni?
Both mean “Are these fruits sweet at the market?”
How do you make this sentence negative?
Replace ni with the negative copula si and keep the adjective as is:
Matunda haya si matamu sokoni.
This means “These fruits are not sweet at the market.”
How can you say “These fruits are very sweet at the market”?
Insert the intensifier sana (“very”) after the adjective:
Matunda haya ni matamu sana sokoni.