Nyota zinaonekana usiku.

Stars are visible at night.

Breakdown of Nyota zinaonekana usiku.

• usiku: at night
• nyota: the star
• kuonekana: to be visible

Questions & Answers about Nyota zinaonekana usiku.

What does each part of the verb form zinaonekana mean?

• zi- = subject marker for noun class 10 (plural of the N-class). It agrees with nyota (stars).
• -na- = present tense marker (current/habitual “are”).
• onekana = verb stem meaning “to be visible/seen; to appear.”
• Final -a = default verb ending.

So nyota zinaonekana literally tracks as “stars are-be-visible.”

How do I know whether nyota here is singular or plural?

The noun nyota has the same form in singular (class 9) and plural (class 10). You tell the number from the verb agreement:

• Singular: Nyota inaonekana usiku. (“A/The star is visible at night.”) — class 9 subject marker i-
• Plural: Nyota zinaonekana usiku. (“Stars are visible at night.”) — class 10 subject marker zi-

Is kuonekana the passive of kuona (“to see”)? What about kuonwa?

• kuonwa is the straightforward passive of kuona: “to be seen (by someone).”
• kuonekana means “to be visible; to appear; to seem” (no specific viewer implied). Examples:
• Picha hii imeonwa na watu wengi. = “This picture has been seen by many people.”
• Picha hii inaonekana vizuri. = “This picture is clearly visible/looks good.”

Can I use the habitual marker hu- for a general truth, as in “Stars are (generally) visible at night”?

Yes. Nyota huonekana usiku is very natural for a general truth or habitual statement.

• hu- marks neutral habitual/generic aspect and does not take a subject prefix.
• Nuance: Nyota huonekana usiku sounds like a general fact; Nyota zinaonekana usiku can be read as “are (now) visible” or “are (typically) visible,” depending on context.

Why is there no preposition for “at” before usiku?

Time words often act as adverbials without a preposition in Swahili. So you just say usiku for “at night.” More examples:

• asubuhi = in the morning
• mchana = in the daytime/afternoon
• jioni = in the evening
• kesho = tomorrow
• jana = yesterday

Where can the time word usiku go in the sentence?

Common options:

• Nyota zinaonekana usiku. (neutral/default)
• Usiku, nyota zinaonekana. (fronted for emphasis on “at night”) Time expressions often appear either at the end or fronted for emphasis.

How do I make the sentence negative (“Stars are not visible at night”)?

Use the negative prefix ha-, keep the class-10 subject marker zi-, drop -na-, and end the verb with -i:

• Nyota hazionekani usiku. Breakdown: ha-zi-onekana-i → hazionekani

How do I say “Stars can be seen at night”?

Add kuweza (“to be able to”):

• Nyota zinaweza kuonekana usiku. This explicitly expresses ability/capability.

How do I say “tonight” instead of just “at night”?

Use any of these:

• leo usiku (very common)
• usiku wa leo
• usiku huu Examples: Leo usiku nyota zinaonekana. = “Tonight the stars are visible.”

Does nyota ever mean anything other than astronomical “stars”?

Yes, context decides:

• A celebrity or sports “star”: Yeye ni nyota wa muziki. = “She is a music star.”
• Luck/fortune/horoscope: nyota can mean “one’s star” (fate/sign). In your sentence it clearly means astronomical stars.

How would I say “A star is visible at night” (singular)?

• Nyota inaonekana usiku. Here, the singular is shown by the class‑9 subject marker i- in inaonekana.

Any pronunciation tips for this sentence?

• ny in nyota is a single sound [ɲ], like the “ny” in “canyon”: say “NYO-ta.”
• zi in zinaonekana is “zee.”
• Vowels are pure and consistent: zi-na-o-ne-ka-na u-si-ku (each vowel clearly pronounced).