Breakdown of Mimi niko tayari kujifunza Kiswahili.
mimi
I
kuwa
to be
kujifunza
to learn
Kiswahili
Swahili
tayari
ready
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Questions & Answers about Mimi niko tayari kujifunza Kiswahili.
What does Mimi mean and why is it used here?
Mimi means I. In Swahili the verb already shows the subject, so Mimi is optional and used here for emphasis or clarity.
Can I drop Mimi from this sentence?
Yes. You can simply say Niko tayari kujifunza Kiswahili since niko (“I am”) already indicates the subject “I.”
What does niko consist of and mean?
It’s ni- (the 1st‐person singular subject prefix) + -ko (the existential/locative “to be here/there”). Together, niko literally means I am (here/located) and is used to express a present state (like being ready).
Why “niko tayari” and not just “ni tayari”?
Some states or adjectives (such as tayari, “ready”) require the existential/locative form -ko rather than the simple copula ni-. Hence niko tayari rather than ni tayari.
What is the meaning of tayari?
Tayari means ready or prepared. It’s a loanword from Arabic tayyarī.
Why do we use kujifunza instead of jifunza?
In Swahili the infinitive (“to …”) is formed by adding the prefix ku- to a verb stem. Jifunza alone is a finite verb (“you learn,” “he learns,” etc.), whereas kujifunza means to learn.
What does Kiswahili mean?
Kiswahili refers to the Swahili language. The prefix ki- is the noun‐class marker used for languages (and some tools).
Why is Kiswahili capitalized in the middle of the sentence?
Because names of languages are proper nouns in both English and Swahili, so they’re always capitalized.
How would I ask “Are you ready to learn Swahili?”
Use the question‐marker je plus the 2nd‐person form -ko:
Je, uko tayari kujifunza Kiswahili?
How do I say “I’m not ready to learn Swahili”?
Replace the affirmative prefix ni- with its negative si- to form siko:
Mimi siko tayari kujifunza Kiswahili
(or just Siko tayari kujifunza Kiswahili).