Bibi anauliza, “Umri wako ni miaka mingapi sasa?”

Grandmother asks, “How old are you now?”

Breakdown of Bibi anauliza, “Umri wako ni miaka mingapi sasa?”

• ni: to be
• sasa: now
• wako: your
• kuuliza: to ask
• mwaka: the year
• bibi: grandmother
• ngapi: how many
• umri: the age

Questions & Answers about Bibi anauliza, “Umri wako ni miaka mingapi sasa?”

What does Bibi mean here? Does it always mean grandmother?

Bibi most commonly means grandmother, and in this sentence it clearly refers to someone’s grandma.

However, it can also mean:

• “Ma’am” / “Madam” / “Lady” – a polite way to address an older woman.
• In some contexts (especially written as Bi.), it can function like “Mrs.” before a woman’s name, e.g. Bi. Amina.

Context usually tells you whether bibi = grandmother or just an older woman / madam.

How is the verb anauliza formed, and what tense is it?

Anauliza comes from the verb root -uliza (to ask).

It breaks down as:

• a- = subject prefix for he / she
• -na- = present tense marker (“is/does” in a present ongoing/general sense)
• -uliza = verb root “ask”

So anauliza literally means “he/she is asking” or “he/she asks”.

In this sentence: Bibi anauliza = Grandma is asking / Grandma asks.

Why is it Umri wako and not Umri yako for “your age”?

In Swahili, possessive words like “my, your, his/her” agree with the noun class of the thing possessed.

• Umri (age) belongs to a noun class that uses w- on possessives.
• So we get:
  
  • umri wangu = my age
  • umri wako = your age
  • umri wake = his/her age

By contrast:

• kitabu chako (your book) – because kitabu uses ch-
• nyumba yako (your house) – because nyumba uses y-

So umri yako is grammatically wrong; it must be umri wako.

What does Umri wako ni miaka mingapi literally mean compared to “How old are you?” in English?

Literally, Umri wako ni miaka mingapi? means:

• “Your age is how many years?”

English uses the adjective “old”:
How old are you?

Swahili typically uses the noun umri (“age”) + miaka mingapi (“how many years”) to ask the same thing. So the natural English translation is “How old are you?”, but the structure in Swahili is more like “Your age is how many years?”

What is miaka, and why is it plural?

Miaka means years. It is the plural form of:

• mwaka = year
• miaka = years

When talking about age, Swahili usually talks in years, so you use the plural:

• miaka kumi = ten years
• miaka mitano = five years

So in miaka mingapi, miaka is the plural “years”.

What does mingapi mean, and why does it start with mi-?

-ngapi is the basic form of the question word “how many?”.

It changes its prefix to agree with the noun class:

• vitabu vingapi = how many books (vi- for vitabu)
• siku ngapi = how many days (no extra prefix for siku)
• miaka mingapi = how many years (mi- for miaka)

So mingapi = “how many” agreeing with miaka (“years”).
Miaka mingapi = how many years.

Why is ni used in Umri wako ni miaka mingapi? What does it do?

Ni is the copula—it plays the role of “is/are” when linking two noun phrases.

• Umri wako ni miaka mingapi?
  Literally: Your age is how many years?

Structure:

• Umri wako = your age
• ni = is
• miaka mingapi = how many years

So ni is the “is” linking umri wako and miaka mingapi.

What is the role of sasa at the end? Is it necessary?

Sasa means “now”.

In this sentence, it adds a nuance of “as of now / at this point in time”:

• Umri wako ni miaka mingapi sasa?
  ≈ How old are you now?

It can imply:

• The age might have changed since last asked.
• The speaker is updating their knowledge.

Grammatically, sasa is optional.
Without it: Umri wako ni miaka mingapi? = How old are you?
With it: How old are you now? (slightly more specific).

Could you rephrase this question in another natural Swahili way?

Yes, some very common alternatives are:

• Una miaka mingapi sasa?
  Literally: “You have how many years now?” → How old are you now?

• Umri wako ni upi sasa?
  Literally: “Your age is which now?” (more formal, less common in conversation).

The most everyday spoken version is probably:

• Una miaka mingapi? or
• Una miaka mingapi sasa?

How is a question marked in Swahili? The word order looks the same as a statement.

Swahili usually forms wh‑questions (who, what, when, how many, etc.) by:

• Keeping normal statement word order
• Adding a question word (like nani, nini, wapi, lini, ngapi)
• Using question intonation and a question mark in writing

Example:

• Statement: Umri wako ni miaka kumi.
  → Your age is ten years.
• Question: Umri wako ni miaka mingapi?
  → Your age is how many years?

No extra question particle is required; the question word (mingapi) and intonation make it a question.

Why is there a comma before the quoted speech in Bibi anauliza, Umri wako…?

In Swahili punctuation (especially in modern writing), it’s normal to use a comma before direct speech, similar to English:

• Bibi anauliza, “Umri wako ni miaka mingapi sasa?”
  → Grandma asks, “How old are you now?”

So the pattern often is:

• [Reporting clause], “[direct speech]”

You may also sometimes see different quote styles (single quotes, no comma in casual writing, etc.), but the version you have is standard and clear.

Is Bibi always capitalized like a name?

It depends on how it is used:

1. As a kinship title / name substitute (like “Grandma” as a name):
   It is often capitalized:

   • Bibi anauliza… = Grandma asks…

2. As a common noun meaning “an old lady / a grandmother” in general:
   It can be lowercase:

   • bibi mzee = an old lady

In your sentence, Bibi is behaving like a name (“Grandma”), so capitalizing it is natural in English-style writing.