Watoto wanacheza nje ya nyumba.

The children are playing outside the house.

Breakdown of Watoto wanacheza nje ya nyumba.

• kucheza: to play
• mtoto: the child
• nyumba: the house
• nje ya: outside of

Questions & Answers about Watoto wanacheza nje ya nyumba.

What does Watoto mean and what is its singular form?

Watoto is the plural noun meaning “children.” Its singular form is mtoto, meaning “child.” In Swahili noun class terms, mtoto is class 1 and watoto is class 2.

What does wanacheza mean and what are the roles of its parts?

wanacheza means “they are playing.” It breaks down into three parts:

• wa-: the class 2 subject prefix for “they”
• -na-: the present-tense marker
• cheza: the verb root “play”

Why isn’t there a separate word for “are” in the sentence?

In Swahili, person and tense are fused with the verb root. The -na- in wanacheza indicates present tense, so you don’t need a separate verb “to be.”

What does nje ya nyumba mean and why do we use ya?

nje ya nyumba literally means “outside of the house.”

• nje = “outside”
• ya = the possessive/linking particle for class 9 nouns (like nyumba, “house”)
  So ya nyumba links “outside” to “house.”

Can I use mbali na or katika instead of nje ya?

No, those have different meanings:

• katika means “in” or “inside”
• mbali na means “far from”
  To express “outside of,” the natural choice is nje ya.

How would I ask “Where are the children playing?” in Swahili?

You would say Watoto wanacheza wapi?
Here, wapi means “where?” An appropriate answer is Nje ya nyumba (“Outside the house”).

How do you make this sentence negative?

Change the subject-prefix to the negative form (class 2), drop -na-, and add the final -i:
Watoto hawachezi nje ya nyumba.
This means “The children are not playing outside the house.”

How do I say “outside my house” instead of “outside the house”?

Use the possessive adjective for class 9 nouns:
nje ya nyumba yangu
Here yangu is “my,” so the phrase is “outside my house.”

Can I omit Watoto and just say Wanacheza nje ya nyumba?

Yes—if context makes “they” clear you can drop the noun. The verb wanacheza still tells the listener that “they” (class 2) are playing.