Mimi ninakimbia mjini kila asubuhi.

I run in town every morning.

Breakdown of Mimi ninakimbia mjini kila asubuhi.

• mimi: I
• asubuhi: the morning
• kila: every
• kukimbia: to run
• mjini: in town

Questions & Answers about Mimi ninakimbia mjini kila asubuhi.

Why is Mimi used at the beginning? Do I always need it?

Mimi means “I,” but Swahili verbs include a subject marker, so you rarely need the pronoun. You can simply say Ninakimbia mjini kila asubuhi and the meaning is clear. Including Mimi adds emphasis or contrast (“As for me, I run…”).

What does ninakimbia consist of?

Break ninakimbia down as ni- (1st person singular subject marker) + -na- (present tense/aspect marker) + -kimbia (verb root “run”).

What exactly does the -na- in ninakimbia indicate?

The -na- infix marks the present tense, covering both the simple present (“I run regularly”) and present continuous (“I’m running now”) depending on context.

Why is mji written as mjini, and what does it mean?

Swahili uses locative suffixes like -ni to indicate “in” or “at.” For the noun mji (town/city), you add -ni → mjini, meaning “in town” or “in the city.”

Could I say katika mji instead of mjini?

Yes. katika + noun also means “in/inside town”: Ninakimbia katika mji kila asubuhi. However, using the locative suffix (mjini) is more concise and idiomatic.

What does kila asubuhi mean, and why use kila?

Kila means “every,” and it always pairs with a singular noun. So kila asubuhi = “every morning.”

Can I swap the order of mjini and kila asubuhi?

Yes. Swahili word order for adverbials (location/time) is fairly flexible. You can say Ninakimbia kila asubuhi mjini just as naturally.

Why doesn’t Swahili use articles like the or a before mji and asubuhi?

Swahili has no definite or indefinite articles. Nouns stand alone without “the” or “a.” Context or demonstratives (e.g., huyo, hiyo) clarify specificity if needed.

How would I turn this into future tense (“I will run in town every morning”)?

Replace the present marker -na- with the future marker -ta-: Nitakimbia mjini kila asubuhi. You may still include Mimi at the front for emphasis.