Breakdown of Ni vizuri kujifunza kusimama bila kuumia mgongo.
ni
to be
kujifunza
to learn
bila
without
vizuri
good
kusimama
to stand
kuumia
to hurt
mgongo
back
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Questions & Answers about Ni vizuri kujifunza kusimama bila kuumia mgongo.
What does Ni vizuri mean in this sentence?
Ni vizuri literally means “It is good.” Here Ni is the copula (like “it is”) and vizuri is an adjective meaning “good” or “well.”
Why is there no explicit subject like it or this in the sentence?
Swahili often uses an impersonal copula Ni without a separate subject pronoun. The “it” or “this” is implied by Ni, so you don’t need an extra word for “it” or “this.”
Why do both kujifunza and kusimama start with ku-?
In Swahili ku- is the infinitive marker, equivalent to the English “to.” Thus kujifunza = “to learn” and kusimama = “to stand.”
How do I know when to use kujifunza versus jifunza?
jifunza (no ku-) is a verb stem used for present tense, subjunctive, or imperative forms (e.g. Unajifunza = “you are learning,” Jifunze! = “Learn!”). When you want the infinitive “to learn,” you must add ku-: kujifunza.
What is the role of bila in this sentence?
bila means “without.” It must be followed by a noun or a verbal noun (infinitive form) to express “without doing something.” So bila kuumia = “without hurting.”
Why is the verb after bila in the infinitive (kuumia) instead of a conjugated form?
After bila, Swahili requires a nominalized verb or verbal noun, which is formed by the infinitive ku- + verb stem. A conjugated verb (e.g., haumii) wouldn’t work because bila needs a noun-like element.
Why is it kuumia mgongo and not mgongo kuumia?
The standard order is [infinitive] + [object], so you say kuumia mgongo (“to hurt one’s back”). Swahili places the verb (even in its infinitive form) before its object.
What does mgongo mean, and why isn’t there a possessive marker?
mgongo means “back” (as in the human back or spine). Here it’s a direct object of the infinitive kuumia, so you don’t need a possessive prefix. The object simply follows the verb.
Could I add a subject or object marker to umia in kuumia?
No. In the infinitive form ku-, you drop all subject or object concords. If you needed a subject or object marker, you’d conjugate the verb into a finite tense instead of using the infinitive.