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Questions & Answers about Mimi sina pesa leo.
Do I need the pronoun Mimi here, or can I just say Sina pesa leo?
You don’t need Mimi. The verb sina already shows the subject is “I.” Adding Mimi puts emphasis or contrast on “me” (As for me, I don’t have money today). In neutral speech, Sina pesa leo is most common.
What is sina made of?
Sina is the negative present of “to have,” which is expressed with kuwa na (to be with). It’s built from:
- si- (1st person singular negative subject prefix) + -na → sina = I don’t have.
What’s the affirmative version of sina?
Nina. So: Nina pesa leo = I have money today.
Can you give me the full present-tense forms of “to have” (affirmative and negative)?
Affirmative:
- I: nina
- you (sg): una
- he/she: ana
- we: tuna
- you (pl): mna
- they: wana
Negative:
- I: sina
- you (sg): huna
- he/she: hana
- we: hatuna
- you (pl): hamna
- they: hawana
Why isn’t it written as two words (si na)? Why is it one word, sina?
Here the negative prefix merges into a single verb form. Sina is a standard, fixed form meaning “I don’t have.” Writing si na would be ungrammatical in this context.
Can I move leo to other positions?
Yes. All of these are natural, with shifting emphasis:
- Sina pesa leo.
- Leo sina pesa.
- Mimi leo sina pesa. Placing leo earlier highlights “today.”
Does Swahili need words like “any” or “some” here?
No. Swahili has no articles, and Sina pesa naturally means “I don’t have (any) money.” If you want to emphasize “not any at all,” you can say Sina pesa yoyote or Sina pesa hata kidogo.
Is pesa countable? What about singular/plural and agreement?
- In this meaning (“money”), pesa is used as a mass noun; there’s no separate plural form.
- It belongs to noun class 9/10. Agreement shows the number:
- Singular idea (money as a whole): pesa yangu, pesa nyingi (my money, a lot of money).
- Plural idea (individual sums/notes/coins): still pesa, but with plural agreement: pesa zangu, pesa nyingi (my monies/many coins).
How could I intensify or soften the idea?
- Stronger: Sina pesa kabisa (I have no money at all), Sina hata senti (not even a cent).
- Softer/hedged: Sina pesa ya kutosha leo (I don’t have enough money today), Sina pesa nyingi leo (I don’t have much money today).
Does this mean “I don’t have money right now” or “I won’t have money all day”?
Context decides. Sina pesa leo usually means “I don’t have money today” (for the day in general). For “right now,” say Sasa hivi sina pesa. For “all day,” you can emphasize: Leo nzima sina pesa.
How would I say “I don’t have the money today”?
Use a demonstrative: Sina ile pesa leo or Sina pesa hiyo leo (I don’t have that/the money today).
How do I ask someone “Do you have money today?”
- Neutral/standard: Una pesa leo? or Je, una pesa leo?
- Colloquial (esp. Kenya): Uko na pesa leo?
- Polite framing: Samahani, je, una pesa leo?
Is this blunt? How do I make it more polite?
Add a polite marker or apology:
- Samahani, sina pesa leo.
- Tafadhali nielewe, sina pesa leo. You can also soften with kwa sasa (for now): Sina pesa kwa sasa.
Why not say Mimi si na pesa leo?
Because the negative of “to have” is a single verb form sina, not si na. Also, si is the negative copula (“am not”) used before nouns/adjectives (e.g., Mimi si mgonjwa), not before na in this construction.
Pronunciation tips for the sentence?
- Vowels are pure and short: mi-mi si-na pe-sa le-o (five syllables after “mimi”).
- Stress is on the penultimate syllable of each word: MÍ-mi SÍ-na PÉ-sa LÉ-o.
- leo has two separate vowel sounds: le-o.
Are there regional alternatives to express “have”?
Yes. In colloquial East African Swahili (esp. Kenya), people often use -ko na with the verb “to be”: Niko na pesa (I have money), negative Siko na pesa. In standard Swahili, nina/sina is preferred.
How do I say it in other tenses?
- Past: Nilikuwa na pesa jana (I had money yesterday), negative Sikuwa na pesa jana.
- Future: Nitakuwa na pesa kesho (I will have money tomorrow), negative Sitakuwa na pesa kesho.