Questions & Answers about Yai lina protini nyingi.
Why is the verb lina used to express “has”?
Swahili expresses possession with kuwa na, which in the present tense contracts to subject-concord + na.
– Yai (egg) belongs to noun class 5.
– Class 5 subject-concord is li-.
– Add -na (present-tense “have” marker) → li-na.
So Yai lina literally “egg it-has.”
Why is there no word for “a” or “the” before yai?
Swahili has no definite or indefinite articles. Yai can mean “an egg,” “the egg,” or just “egg” in context. If you need emphasis, you add demonstratives (e.g. yeye yai “that egg”) or a possessive.
How would I change the sentence to talk about “eggs” (plural)?
- Plural of yai is mayai (class 6).
- Class 6 subject-concord is ya-.
- Present tense “have” marker is -na.
So: Mayai yana protini nyingi = “Eggs have a lot of protein.”
Why is protini not pluralized and stays the same?
Protini is a borrowed, uncountable (mass) noun—automatically treated as class 9. Mass nouns don’t change form for number; you show quantity with adjectives (like nyingi) or numerals, not by adding an “-s.”