Kofia weusi iko mezani.

The black hat is on the table.

Breakdown of Kofia weusi iko mezani.

• kuwa: to be
• kofia: the hat
• weusi: black
• mezani: on the table

Questions & Answers about Kofia weusi iko mezani.

What does each word in Kofia weusi iko mezani mean?

Breakdown:

• kofia – hat
• weusi – black (adjective “-eusi” with class-9 prefix w-)
• iko – “it is located” (locative form of kuwa with class-9 subject prefix i-)
• mezani – “on the table” (from meza, table, plus locative suffix -ni)

Why is the adjective weusi placed after the noun kofia, and how does adjective–noun agreement work in Swahili?

In Swahili:

1. Adjectives normally follow the noun they describe.
2. Each adjective takes a prefix matching the noun’s class.
3. Kofia belongs to noun class 9, whose adjective prefix is w-.
4. The root of “black” is -eusi, so with the class-9 prefix w- you get weusi.

What role does iko play in this sentence? Why not uko or ipo?

• iko is the present-tense locative form of kuwa (“to be”) for class 9 nouns.
• It literally means “it is located (somewhere).”
• You could also use ipo (same class-9 prefix i-
  • root po) with virtually the same meaning.
• uko (prefix u-
  • root ko) is more common with class 11 or when you talk about things “by you” in casual speech, but iko is a safe, general choice for “it is here/there.”

Why does meza change to mezani, and what does the -ni suffix indicate?

• The suffix -ni marks a locative case in Swahili (roughly “at,” “in,” or “on”).
• When you attach -ni to meza (table), you get mezani, meaning “on the table.”
• Locative suffixes attach directly to the noun root (with slight sound adjustments).

Could I say Kofia nyeusi iko mezani instead of Kofia weusi iko mezani? Which is correct?

Yes, kofia nyeusi iko mezani is actually the more standard form:

• Class 9 adjective concord is an “n-” prefix that nasalizes before a vowel, yielding nyeusi.
• weusi is heard in some dialects or learner speech by analogy with other classes, but rigorous grammar texts use nyeusi for class 9.

How would I ask “Where is the black hat?” in Swahili?

Use wapi (“where”):

• Kofia weusi iko wapi?
  Or, if you prefer the standard concord:
• Kofia nyeusi iko wapi?

Can I omit weusi and just say Kofia iko mezani? Would the meaning change?

Yes, you can omit the adjective:

• Kofia iko mezani simply means “The hat is on the table.”
• You lose the color detail, but the sentence remains grammatically correct.

What is the typical word order in this kind of locative sentence?

The structure is:

1. Subject (noun + any adjectives)
2. Locative verb (iko/ipo)
3. Locative complement (noun + -ni, or juu ya…, etc.)

Example: [Subject] Kofia weusi – [Verb] iko – [Complement] mezani.

Are there alternate ways to say “on the table” besides mezani?

Yes. A common alternative is juu ya meza, literally “above/of table.”

• Kofia weusi iko juu ya meza.
  You can also express other positions like kando ya meza (“beside the table”) or katikati ya meza (“in the middle of the table”).

Is kofia originally a Swahili word or borrowed from another language?

kofia is a borrowed word (a loan) from Arabic kūfīyah (“cap”).
It’s been in Swahili for centuries and now behaves like any native noun in class 9.