Learn Hardcore Swahili: Yule ndiye mkulima aliyesambaza mbegu bora wiki iliyopita. - That is the farmer who distributed the good seeds last week.

Yule is the demonstrative pronoun “that one” when pointing to a person, and ndiye is the copula ni (“is”) plus the pronoun ye (“he/she”). Together Yule ndiye literally means “that one is he” – in English we’d simply say “that is the one” or “that’s the one.”

What does mkulima mean?

Mkulima comes from the verb root -kulima (“to farm”) with the class 1 noun prefix m-, so mkulima means “farmer” or literally “one who farms.”

How is aliyesambaza formed?

Breakdown of aliyesambaza:
• a- = 3rd person singular subject marker (“he”)
• li- = past tense marker (“did”)
• -ye- = relative-marker linking the verb to the noun it describes
• sambaza = verb root “distribute”
Altogether aliyesambaza = “who distributed.”

Why isn’t there a separate word for “who” in mkulima aliyesambaza?

In Swahili, relative clauses attach markers (like -ye-) directly to the verb instead of using a separate pronoun for “who.” So mkulima aliyesambaza literally means “the farmer who distributed.”

What does mbegu bora mean?

Mbegu (noun class 3) means “seed(s),” and bora means “good quality,” “better,” or “best” depending on context. Mbegu bora therefore means “good seeds” or more specifically “improved seeds.”

How is “last week” expressed by wiki iliyopita?

Wiki is “week” (noun class 9). Iliyopita is a relative clause formed by:
• i- = noun class 9 prefix
• li- = past tense marker
• opita = verb root “pass”
So wiki iliyopita = “the week that passed,” i.e. “last week.”

Why does iliyopita start with i-?

Because relative clauses must agree in noun class with the noun they modify. Wiki is class 9, whose singular prefix is i-, so the relative verb must also begin with i-.

Can I use yeye or huyo instead of yule?

• Yeye is a personal pronoun meaning “he/she” and cannot serve as a demonstrative.
• Huyo is an alternative demonstrative pronoun (common in colloquial use) roughly equivalent to yule. You could say Huyo ndiye mkulima… in informal speech, but yule is the standard.

Why is the copula ndiye instead of just ni?

When you want to say “it is he/she who …” you attach the pronoun to ni. For a class 1 person you use ni + ye = ndiye (“it is he/she”), not just ni.

Could I omit yule and simply say Ndiye mkulima aliyesambaza mbegu bora wiki iliyopita?

Yes. Ndiye mkulima aliyesambaza mbegu bora wiki iliyopita means “It is the farmer who distributed good seeds last week.” Omitting yule removes the demonstrative “that one,” so you still identify the farmer but without the extra “that’s the one” emphasis.