Sahani ngapi ziko mezani?

to be

Breakdown of Sahani ngapi ziko mezani?

• meza: the table
• sahani: the plate
• kwenye: on

Questions & Answers about Sahani ngapi ziko mezani?

What does each word mean and how is the sentence built?

• sahani = plate/plates (Class 9/10; same form for singular and plural)
• ngapi = how many
• ziko = they are/are located (zi- = plural subject agreement; -ko = “be (at) somewhere”)
• mezani = at/on the table (from meza “table” + locative suffix -ni)

So the structure is literally “plates how many are (at) table-LOC?”

Why is it ziko and not iko?

Because the subject is plural. Sahani is a Class 9/10 noun whose plural takes the subject prefix zi-, giving ziko. If you were talking about one plate, you would say:

• Sahani moja iko mezani. (One plate is on the table.)

Which noun class is sahani, and how do I know it’s plural here?

• sahani is Class 9/10; its singular and plural look the same.
• Plural is signaled by agreement: ziko (zi- = plural) and the question word ngapi (“how many”) both point to a plural interpretation.
• Contrast:
  • Singular: Sahani iko mezani.
  • Plural: Sahani ziko mezani.

Does ngapi change with different nouns?