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Mimi nina roboti nyumbani.

Mimi nina roboti nyumbani.
I have a robot at home.
FromLesson 34inHardcore Swahili
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Breakdown of Mimi nina roboti nyumbani.

mimi
I
kuwa na
to have
nyumba
the home
roboti
the robot

Questions & Answers about Mimi nina roboti nyumbani.

Why is Mimi included at the beginning? Do we have to use it?
Mimi means I/me. In Swahili, the verb nina already contains the subject marker ni- (for I), so you don’t have to repeat it. Mimi is used for emphasis or clarity. You can simply say Nina roboti nyumbani and it will still mean I have a robot at home.
What exactly does nina mean, and how is it formed?

Nina is the present-tense form of kuwa na (to have). It is built as: • ni- (first person singular subject marker, I)
• -na- (present-tense/aspect marker)
• -a (final vowel)
Together these combine into nina, meaning I have.

Why doesn’t roboti change to mark plural? How do you say robots?

Roboti is treated as a class 9/10 loanword, and in that class singular and plural are identical. To indicate robots, you add a number or adjective: • roboti mbili (two robots)
• roboti nyingi (many robots)
but the noun itself remains roboti.

Why is there no object marker in nina roboti?
In Swahili, you only use an object-marker prefix on the verb when you replace the object with a pronoun. If you mention the object noun explicitly, you simply use the plain verb. So nina roboti is correct; you don’t insert an object marker.
What is nyumbani, and how is it formed?

Nyumbani means at home or in the house. It is the locative form of nyumba (house) formed by adding the suffix -ni. It functions like an adverb of place: • nyumba → nyumbani

How would I say I don’t have a robot at home?

You replace the affirmative subject marker ni- with the negative si-, and you omit the present-tense -na-. So: • Mimi sina roboti nyumbani
or simply Sina roboti nyumbani

Can I move nyumbani to the front of the sentence?

Yes. Swahili allows topicalisation for emphasis. For example: • Nyumbani nina roboti (As for at home, I have a robot)
but the neutral SVO order Nina roboti nyumbani is most common.

How do I add an adjective, for example red, to roboti?

Adjectives agree with the noun class. Roboti is class 9/10, so you use the adjective prefix ny-. Place the adjective after the noun: • roboti nyekundu (red robot)
Putting it together: • Mimi nina roboti nyekundu nyumbani

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