Mimi ninahitaji kinywaji baridi sasa.

I need a cold drink now.

Breakdown of Mimi ninahitaji kinywaji baridi sasa.

• mimi: I
• sasa: now
• kuhitaji: to need
• baridi: cold
• kinywaji: the drink

Questions & Answers about Mimi ninahitaji kinywaji baridi sasa.

Why does the sentence start with Mimi? Is it necessary?

Mimi means “I.” In Swahili the subject pronoun is optional because the verb prefix ni- in ninahitaji already tells you the subject is “I.” You can drop Mimi and simply say Ninahitaji kinywaji baridi sasa.

What does the prefix ni- in ninahitaji do?

The ni- at the beginning of ninahitaji is the subject prefix for first person singular (“I”). It attaches to the tense/aspect marker -na- and the verb root -hitaji (“need”).

What tense or aspect is shown by the -na- in ni-na-hitaji?

The -na- is the present continuous/habitual marker in Swahili. It covers both “I need” and “I am needing.” There is no separate simple present vs. progressive in standard Swahili—-na- handles ongoing actions or general truths.

Can I say nahitaji instead of ninahitaji?

Yes. In everyday speech many learners and native speakers shorten ni-na-hitaji to na-hitaji or even nahitaji. However, when learning formal grammar it’s clearer to keep ni-na-hitaji to see each part.

What is kinywaji, and why does it begin with ki-?

Kinywaji means “drink” or “beverage.” It’s a noun formed by taking the verb root -nywa (“to drink”) and adding the class 7 prefix ki- and the nominal suffix -ji. Noun class 7 is for singular “things,” so kinywaji = “one drink.”

How do I make kinywaji plural?

You switch from noun class 7 to class 8 by replacing ki- with vi-, giving vinywaji (“drinks” or “beverages”).

Why is the adjective baridi placed after kinywaji?

In Swahili adjectives follow the noun they modify. Here baridi (“cold”) has no prefix because class 7 adjectives are unchanged. So “cold drink” is kinywaji baridi.

Where can sasa (“now”) go in the sentence? Must it be at the end?

Sasa is flexible. You can say:

• Ninahitaji kinywaji baridi sasa (now at end)
• Sasa ninahitaji kinywaji baridi (now at front)
  Both are correct; putting it in the middle (before kinywaji) sounds less natural.

If I want to be extra polite, how can I soften Ninahitaji kinywaji baridi sasa?

You can add tafadhali (“please”) at the start or end:

• Tafadhali, ninahitaji kinywaji baridi sasa.
• Ninahitaji kinywaji baridi sasa, tafadhali.

How would I ask someone “Do you need a cold drink now?” in Swahili?

Turn the statement into a question by swapping pronoun and adding question tone:

• Je, unahitaji kinywaji baridi sasa?
  Here unahitaji uses the u- prefix for “you.” The particle Je marks it as a yes/no question.