Breakdown of Shule yetu ina kompyuta mpakato kumi ambazo wanafunzi wanaweza kukopa.
mwanafunzi
the student
kuwa na
to have
shule
the school
yetu
our
kuweza
to be able to
kumi
ten
kompyuta mpakato
the laptop
ambazo
which
kukopa
to borrow
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Questions & Answers about Shule yetu ina kompyuta mpakato kumi ambazo wanafunzi wanaweza kukopa.
Why is ina used here, and what does shule yetu ina literally mean?
ina is the third-person singular present tense form of the verb -kuwa na, which means to have. Therefore, shule yetu ina kompyuta literally translates to our school has computers.
How is kuna different from ina when saying “there is/are” in Swahili?
kuna is an impersonal existential verb meaning there is/are and doesn’t require a specific subject. For example, kuna kompyuta means there are computers.
ina, on the other hand, is a personal form of -kuwa na and needs a subject—so shule yetu ina kompyuta means our school has computers.
Why isn’t kompyuta changed to show plural like English “computers”?
kompyuta is a borrowed noun treated as class 9/10 in Swahili, which typically stays the same in both singular and plural. Plurality is indicated by context, numerals, or agreement on adjectives and verbs, not by changing the noun ending.
What does mpakato mean, and why is it placed after kompyuta?
mpakato is a Swahili coinage meaning portable (i.e. “laptop”), formed with the class 3 prefix m- plus the root pakato. In Swahili, adjectives and descriptive words follow the noun, so you say kompyuta mpakato (“computer portable”).
Why is it mpakato kumi and not mapakato kumi for “ten laptops”?
When counting nouns in classes 5–10, the counted noun often remains in singular form and the numeral itself indicates plurality. This is especially true for borrowed nouns in class 9/10. So you say kompyuta mpakato kumi (“ten portable computers”), not mapakato kumi.
What role does ambazo play in this sentence?
ambazo is the class 10 plural relative pronoun meaning that/which. It refers back to the plural noun kompyuta and introduces the relative clause wanafunzi wanaweza kukopa (“students can borrow”).
Why is it ambazo and not ambayo?
ambayo is the relative pronoun for singular class 9 nouns. Since kompyuta refers to multiple computers here, you use the class 10 plural form ambazo.
Why do we see wa twice in wanafunzi wanaweza? Isn’t that repetitive?
The first wa- in wanafunzi is the noun class 2 plural prefix (plural of mwanafunzi, “student”). The second wa- in wanaweza is the subject concord for third-person plural on the verb -weza (“to be able”). They look the same but mark different grammatical roles.
What does wanaweza kukopa mean, and how is it different from wanaweza kukopesha?
wanaweza means they can or they are able to, from the auxiliary verb -weza. kukopa means to borrow (the borrower’s action). Together, wanaweza kukopa means they can borrow. In contrast, kukopesha means to lend (the lender’s action), so wanaweza kukopesha would mean they can lend.