Word
Shati hili ni mweusi.
Meaning
This shirt is black.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
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Questions & Answers about Shati hili ni mweusi.
What noun class is the word shati, and how can I tell from the sentence?
Shati belongs to noun class 5 (singular). You can tell because it takes the class 5 demonstrative hili and the adjective agreement prefix m- in mweusi. In Swahili, noun classes determine which prefixes demonstratives, adjectives, and verbs use to agree with the noun.
Why is the demonstrative hili used here, and when would I use hii or hiyo instead?
Demonstratives in Swahili agree with the noun’s class. For class 5 singular nouns like shati, the correct demonstrative is hili. You would use hii for class 9/10 singular nouns (and hizi for their plurals), and hiyo for class 9/10 when pointing to something farther away.
What does ni do in this sentence? Can I leave it out?
Ni is the copula “to be” in the present tense. It links the subject (shati hili) with the predicate adjective (mweusi). You generally cannot omit it in a full declarative equational sentence; you need ni to form a complete clause.
Why does mweusi start with m-? Where does that prefix come from?
The adjective root for “black” is -weusi (sometimes shown as nyeusi). To agree with a class 5 noun, adjectives take the class 5 prefix m-, giving mweusi. In Swahili, adjectives always carry the noun class prefix to agree in class and number.
How do I turn this into a question: “Is this shirt black?”?
You can add Je at the beginning or rely on intonation. For example:
- Je, shati hili ni mweusi?
- Shati hili ni mweusi? (spoken with rising intonation)
Both mean “Is this shirt black?”
How would I say “That shirt is black” instead of “this shirt”?
Use the farther demonstrative for class 5, which is hilo. So you get:
Shati hilo ni mweusi.
How do I negate the sentence to say “This shirt is not black”?
Replace the affirmative copula ni with the negative form sio for class 5. The sentence becomes:
Shati hili sio mweusi.
Can I change the word order, for example saying hili shati ni mweusi or mweusi shati hili ni?
No. The standard order in Swahili equational sentences is:
Subject (noun + demonstrative) + copula (ni/sio) + predicate (adjective phrase).
So it must be Shati hili ni mweusi.