Benchi iko ukingoni mwa bustani.

to be

Breakdown of Benchi iko ukingoni mwa bustani.

• bustani: the garden
• benchi: the bench
• ukingoni mwa: at the edge of

Questions & Answers about Benchi iko ukingoni mwa bustani.

What does the verb form in iko do, and why do I sometimes see liko instead?

Iko is the “be (located)” form used with non-human subjects in many everyday contexts. It is made of the class-9/10 subject marker i- plus the locative ending -ko.

By dictionary/classroom grammar, benchi “bench” is usually class 5 (plural: mabenchi), so the “by the book” agreement would be Benchi liko … (class-5 subject marker li- + -ko).

What you’ll hear:

• Careful/standard: Benchi liko …
• Very common in speech: Benchi iko … (many speakers use iko as a default for inanimate things)

Both are widely understood. If you’re aiming for textbook accuracy, use liko.

Why is it iko and not ipo or imo? What’s the difference between -ko, -po, and -mo?

• -ko: general/non-specific location (“is located somewhere”)
• -po: specific/definite spot (“right at that particular place”)
• -mo: inside/within

Given “at the edge of the garden” is a fairly definite spot, many speakers would say:

• Benchi lipo/ipo ukingoni mwa bustani.

Your sentence with -ko is still fine and common.

What exactly is ukingoni?