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Upepo mkali unavuma usoni wakati ninatembea sokoni.

Upepo mkali unavuma usoni wakati ninatembea sokoni.
A strong wind blows on my face while I walk at the market.
FromLesson 34inHardcore Swahili
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Questions & Answers about Upepo mkali unavuma usoni wakati ninatembea sokoni.

Why is the adjective mkali placed after the noun upepo, and what does the m- prefix mean?
In Swahili most descriptive adjectives follow the noun they modify. Additionally, adjectives carry a class-agreement prefix that matches the noun’s class. Here upepo (“wind”) is a class 3 noun, so its adjective kali (“strong/severe”) takes the class 3 prefix m-, yielding mkali. Together upepo mkali means “strong wind.”
How can I tell that upepo is class 3 and that it’s the subject of the verb in unavuma?
Swahili verbs and adjectives agree with their noun’s class. The subject prefix on the verb shows the noun class: in unavuma the initial u- is the class 3 subject prefix (for singular). That same class prefix appears on the adjective (m- in mkali). Because of those u- and m- markers, you know upepo belongs to class 3 and is doing the action “blow[ing].”
What are the parts of unavuma, and what does each part mean?

unavuma breaks down as:

  • u-: class 3 subject prefix (“it,” referring to upepo)
  • -na-: present/continuous tense marker (“is …-ing”)
  • vuma: verb root meaning “blow”
    So unavuma means “it is blowing.”
What does the suffix -ni do in usoni and sokoni, and why don’t we need “in” or “on”?

The suffix -ni marks the static locative in Swahili—essentially “at,” “in” or “on.”

  • uso (“face”) → usoni (“on the face”)
  • soko (“market”) → sokoni (“in/at the market”)
    No separate preposition is needed because the noun itself with -ni carries the locative meaning.
What role does wakati play, and why is the verb ninatembea used for “I am walking”?
  • wakati means “while” or “when” and introduces a time clause.
  • ninatembea is built from ni- (1st person singular subject “I”) + -na- (present tense marker) + tembea (root “walk”), giving “I am walking.”
    So wakati ninatembea sokoni = “while I am walking in the market.”