Learn Hardcore Swahili: Mimi ninapenda somo la biolojia.

Ninapenda somo la biolojia.
I like biology (neutral).
Mimi ninapenda somo la biolojia.
I like biology (maybe implying “unlike others” or answering “who likes it?”).

In everyday speech, people very often just say Ninapenda somo la biolojia.

What exactly does ninapenda mean? Is it “I like” or “I am liking”?

Ninapenda is a present tense form that usually covers both:

English “I like” (habit, general preference)
English “I am liking” (current, ongoing feeling – though English rarely uses this with like)

In structure:

ni- = I (subject)
-na- = present tense
penda = to like / to love

So ninapenda somo la biolojia naturally translates as “I like the subject of biology.”
Context decides whether it feels more “right now” or “in general”, but English will almost always translate it as “I like …” here.

Can I say napenda instead of ninapenda? Is there a difference?

Yes, you can say napenda, and it’s very common.

Ninapenda is the full form.
Napenda is a shortened, colloquial form (the initial “ni” is dropped in casual speech).

Meaning is the same: “I like.”

In careful / formal Swahili (e.g. in writing, exams), you’ll mostly see ninapenda.
In everyday conversation, you’ll hear both, but napenda is extremely common.

So you can say:

Mimi ninapenda somo la biolojia. (very clear, slightly more formal)
Mimi napenda somo la biolojia. (casual speech)

Why is it somo la biolojia instead of just biolojia?

Both are possible, but there’s a nuance:

Biolojia = biology as a field of knowledge.
Somo la biolojia = the school subject / class of biology.

So:

Ninapenda biolojia.
I like biology (as a subject/field, generally).
Ninapenda somo la biolojia.
I like the biology subject / the biology lessons (more clearly about school).

In many contexts, people will understand Ninapenda biolojia as “I like biology (as a school subject)”, but somo la biolojia makes that “school subject” meaning explicitly clear.

What does somo mean exactly? Is there a plural form?

Somo means:

lesson, subject, or topic (especially in a school context).

Its plural is:

masomo = lessons / subjects.

Examples:

Hili ni somo la biolojia.
This is the biology lesson / subject.
Ninapenda masomo yangu.
I like my subjects.
Masomo ya sayansi ni magumu.
Science subjects are difficult.

In noun classes, somo/masomo belong to the 5/6 class, which is why they use la / ya for “of” (see next question).

Why do we use la in somo la biolojia? Why not ya or something else?

La is a possessive/“of” marker that must agree with the noun class of the word it follows.

Somo is a class 5 noun.
Class 5 uses la for “of”.

So we get:

somo la biolojia = the subject of biology.

If it were plural, we’d use the class 6 form:

masomo ya biolojia = biology subjects.

Other classes use different forms:

kitabu cha biolojia – biology book (class 7 → cha)
vitabu vya biolojia – biology books (class 8 → vya)
mwaka wa tatu – third year (class 3 → wa)

So la in somo la biolojia is there because somo is class 5.

Does biolojia have any special meaning or grammar, or is it just “biology”?

Biolojia is simply the Swahili word for biology, borrowed from English (and ultimately from Greek).

Some notes:

It’s usually a class 9 noun (like many loanwords).
It does not change form between singular and plural:
- biolojia can mean “biology” in general, or “biology” as a subject.
Spelling: b-i-o-l-o-j-i-a.

Examples:

Ninasoma biolojia. – I study biology.
Biolojia ni somo gumu. – Biology is a difficult subject.

Can we change the word order, like in English “Biology is a subject I like”?

Swahili’s default word order is Subject – Verb – Object (SVO):

Mimi ninapenda somo la biolojia.
- Subject: Mimi (I)
- Verb: ninapenda (like)
- Object: somo la biolojia (the biology subject)

You can move elements for emphasis, but it’s less flexible than English and often sounds marked or poetic.

For example, you might hear:

Somo la biolojia ninapenda.
Literally “The subject of biology, I like it” (emphasising that subject).

But something like “Ninapenda biolojia somo la” is wrong. The “of” phrase must stay attached:

✅ somo la biolojia
❌ biolojia somo la

So for a learner, it’s safest to stick to:

[Subject] [Verb] [Object]
Mimi ninapenda somo la biolojia.

How would I say “I don’t like the subject of biology”?

To make ninapenda negative in the present tense, we:

Change the subject prefix ni- → si-.
Drop the tense marker -na-.

So:

Ninapenda somo la biolojia. – I like the biology subject.
Sipendi somo la biolojia. – I don’t like the biology subject.

Other examples:

Unapenda biolojia. → Hupendi biolojia.
You like biology. → You don’t like biology.
Anapenda somo hili. → Hapendi somo hili.
He/She likes this subject. → He/She doesn’t like this subject.

How would I say “I like biology very much / a lot”?

You can add sana (“very much / a lot”) after the object:

Ninapenda somo la biolojia sana.
I like the biology subject very much.
Ninapenda biolojia sana.
I like biology a lot.

You can also place sana right after the verb in speech:

Ninapenda sana somo la biolojia.

Both orders are common; placing sana at the end is slightly more typical.

What’s the difference between kupenda and ninapenda?

Kupenda is the infinitive form, meaning “to like / to love.”

ku- = infinitive marker
penda = like / love

Examples:

Ninapenda kusoma biolojia.
I like to study biology.
Kupenda kusoma ni vizuri.
To like studying is good.

Ninapenda is a conjugated verb:

ni- = I (subject)
-na- = present tense
penda = like / love

So:

Kupenda = to like
Ninapenda = I like

How would I say “Do you like the subject of biology?” in Swahili?

You mainly have two options:

Just use a statement with rising intonation:
- Unapenda somo la biolojia?
  Do you like the subject of biology?
Add je at the beginning to mark a question more clearly:
- Je, unapenda somo la biolojia?

Both are correct. In writing, je makes it unambiguous that it’s a question.

Is mimi always necessary when I talk about myself?

No. In fact, it’s usually omitted unless you want to stress “I (and not someone else)” or answer a “who” question.

Compare:

Ninapenda somo la biolojia.
I like the subject of biology. (normal)
Mimi ninapenda somo la biolojia.
I like the subject of biology. (maybe implying contrast)
Nani anayependa somo la biolojia?
Who likes the subject of biology?
Mimi ninapenda somo la biolojia.
I like the subject of biology.

So for everyday, neutral sentences, just using the verb with the subject prefix is enough.