Mimi ninapenda vazi hili.

I like this attire.

Breakdown of Mimi ninapenda vazi hili.

• mimi: I
• kupenda: to like
• hili: this
• vazi: the attire

Questions & Answers about Mimi ninapenda vazi hili.

Do I need to say Mimi, or is Ninapenda vazi hili enough?

You don’t need Mimi. The subject is already encoded in the verb by the subject prefix ni-.

• Neutral/most common: Ninapenda vazi hili.
• Emphatic/contrastive: Mimi ninapenda vazi hili. (as in “I, for my part, like this garment.”)

Why does the verb look like ninapenda? What are its parts?

Swahili verbs are built as: subject prefix + tense/aspect marker + verb stem.

• ni- = “I” (subject prefix)
• -na- = present/habitual/progressive
• penda = “like/love” (verb stem)
  So ni-na-penda → ninapenda.

Common tense/aspect swaps with the same verb:

• Past: Nilipenda (ni- + -li- + penda)
• Perfect/recently completed: Nimependa
• Future: Nitapenda

Can I say Napenda instead of Ninapenda?

In careful/standard Swahili, use ninapenda. In everyday speech you will often hear napenda, and it’s widely understood, but stick with ninapenda in writing, classwork, or exams. You’ll also hear emphatic colloquial forms like Mimi napenda… in conversation.

How do I say “I don’t like this garment”?

Sipendi vazi hili.
Explanation: the present negative uses the negative subject prefix and drops -na-; the verb’s final -a changes to -i. For 1st person singular: si- + pendi → sipendi.

What exactly does vazi mean? Is it the usual word for “dress”?

vazi means “garment/outfit/attire” and can sound a bit formal or general. For everyday items:

• A women’s “dress”: gauni → gauni hili
• “Clothes/clothing” or “a clothing item” (very common): nguo → nguo hii
  So depending on what you mean, you might say:
• Ninapenda gauni hili (I like this dress).
• Ninapenda nguo hii (I like this clothing item/this dress).

Why is it hili and not hii? What noun class is vazi?

vazi is in noun class 5 (ji-/Ø), whose singular “this” is hili. Its plural is mavazi (class 6), whose “these” is haya.

• Singular: vazi hili
• Plural: mavazi haya
  Compare with nguo (class 9/10):
• Singular “this”: hii → nguo hii
• Plural “these”: hizi → nguo hizi

Can I say hili vazi instead of vazi hili?

Yes. vazi hili is the neutral, most common order. hili vazi is possible and tends to be more emphatic/contrastive (drawing attention to “this” rather than the noun), e.g., Hili vazi (si lile) “This garment (not that one).”

Where do adjectives go when there’s a demonstrative?

A very common, natural order is: noun + adjective + demonstrative.

• Ninapenda vazi zuri hili (I like this beautiful garment).
  Adjectives agree with the noun class:
• Class 5 (vazi): zuri → vazi zuri
• Class 6 (mavazi): mazuri → mavazi mazuri
  You’ll also hear the demonstrative before the noun for emphasis: Hili vazi zuri…

How do I replace vazi hili with “it” inside the verb?

Use the appropriate object marker for the noun class. For class 5 singular (vazi), the object marker is -li-:

• Ninalipenda = “I like it.” (ni- + -na- + -li- + penda)
  If the object is stated after the verb, adding the object marker makes it emphatic/topical:
• Ninalipenda vazi hili (As for this garment, I like it).
  For comparison, class 9 (nguo) uses -i-: Ninaipenda (nguo hii).

How is the sentence pronounced? Where is the stress?

Swahili generally stresses the second-to-last syllable of each word.

• Mimi: MI-mi
• ninapenda: ni-na-PE-nda
• vazi: VA-zi
• hili: HI-li
  Vowels are pure: a (as in “father”), i (as in “machine”), e (as in “they” but shorter), o (as in “told”), u (as in “flute”).

Does penda mean “like” or “love”?

Both—context decides. To strengthen it, add an intensifier such as sana (“very/really”):

• Ninapenda vazi hili sana (I really like/love this garment).
  For affectionate “love” toward people, you’ll also hear -penda with context or phrases like ninakupenda (“I love you”).

Is Mimi ninapenda too strong or marked?

It’s fine but slightly emphatic. Use it when you need contrast or focus (e.g., answering “Who likes this one?” — Mimi ninapenda vazi hili). In neutral statements, most speakers simply say Ninapenda vazi hili.