Questions & Answers about Mimi ninanunua mkanda mzuri sokoni.
What do the parts of the verb ninanunua represent?
Break it down as follows:
• ni- – first person singular subject prefix (“I”)
• -na- – present/habitual tense marker (“am/ do …ing”)
• nunua – verb root “buy”
So ninanunua literally means I am buying or I buy (habitually).
Is Mimi necessary in the sentence? What’s its role?
Mimi is the explicit pronoun “I” used for emphasis or clarity. It’s not strictly necessary because ni- in ninanunua already tells you the subject is “I.” If you drop Mimi, the sentence still makes sense:
Ninanunua mkanda mzuri sokoni.
Why is the adjective mzuri placed after mkanda, and why does it start with m-?
In Swahili, adjectives follow the noun. They must also agree in noun class with that noun.
• mkanda is class 3 (singular, m-/mi- class).
• The adjective root is zuri (“good/nice”).
• To agree with class 3, you add the prefix m- to zuri, giving mzuri.
Thus mkanda mzuri = “a nice belt.”
What does sokoni mean, and why isn’t there a word for “in” or “at”?