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Dada zako wanapika samaki?

Dada zako wanapika samaki?
Are your sisters cooking fish?
FromLesson 33inHardcore Swahili
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Breakdown of Dada zako wanapika samaki?

kupika
to cook
samaki
the fish
dada
the sister
zako
your
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Questions & Answers about Dada zako wanapika samaki?

What does dada zako mean? Why is it zako rather than yako?
dada means “sister.” zako is the 2nd-person singular possessive for plural nouns (“your”). Since you’re talking about your sisters (plural), you say dada zako. If it were one sister, you’d say dada yako.
How is the verb wanapika built up and what does it mean?

Break wanapika into three pieces:

  • wa- = 3rd-person plural subject prefix (“they” – agreeing with dada zako)
  • -na- = present-tense marker (often “are …ing” or general present)
  • pika = verb root “cook”
    Together wanapika can be translated “they are cooking” (or “they cook” in a habitual sense).
How do I know who is doing the cooking in this sentence?
The noun phrase dada zako tells you “your sisters.” Swahili also repeats that information on the verb with the subject prefix wa- in wanapika. You don’t need a separate pronoun like “they” in English.
Is wanapika present continuous (“are cooking right now”) or simple present (“cook” regularly)?

The -na- marker covers both the simple present (habitual) and the present continuous. Often context decides. If you want to stress “right now,” you can add sasa (“now”):
“Dada zako wanapika samaki sasa?” → “Are your sisters cooking fish right now?”

What does samaki mean? How do I say “one fish” vs. “many fish”?

samaki means “fish.” It’s one of the nouns that stays the same for singular and plural.

  • To say “one fish,” add a numeral or moja: samaki moja.
  • To say “two fish,” samaki wawili.
  • If context implies plural, you can leave it as samaki.
Why isn’t there a word for “the” or “a” before samaki?
Swahili has no articles like “a” or “the.” Definiteness or indefiniteness is understood from context. If you need “that fish,” you can add a demonstrative: samaki huo (“that fish”).
Why isn’t je used at the beginning to mark this as a yes/no question?

The question particle je is optional in yes/no questions. You can either say:

  • Je, dada zako wanapika samaki?
    or simply rely on intonation:
  • Dada zako wanapika samaki?
    Both are correct.
How would I answer “Yes, my sisters are cooking fish” or “No, they aren’t”?

Yes:
Ndiyo, dada zangu wanapika samaki.
(“Yes, my sisters are cooking fish.” Note zangu = “my” for plural.)
No:
Hapana, hawapiki samaki.
(“No, they aren’t cooking fish.” Here ha- in hawapiki negates the present tense.)