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Mara nyingine mimi ninapenda kusoma hadithi usiku.

Mara nyingine mimi ninapenda kusoma hadithi usiku.
Sometimes I like to read a story at night.

Breakdown of Mara nyingine mimi ninapenda kusoma hadithi usiku.

mimi
I
kupenda
to like
kusoma
to read
usiku
at night
hadithi
the story
mara nyingine
sometimes
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Questions & Answers about Mara nyingine mimi ninapenda kusoma hadithi usiku.

Why do we have both mimi and the prefix ni- in ninapenda if they both mean “I”? Isn’t that redundant?

In Swahili, the subject is normally shown by the subject prefix on the verb:

  • ni- = I
  • u- = you (sing.)
  • a- = he/she
  • tu- = we
  • m- = you (pl.)
  • wa- = they

So ninapenda by itself already means “I like”.

Adding the independent pronoun mimi (I) is optional and is usually done for:

  1. Emphasis

    • Mimi ninapenda kusoma… = I like to read (as opposed to someone else).

  2. Clarity or contrast

    • Wao wanapenda kuangalia TV, lakini mimi ninapenda kusoma.
      “They like to watch TV, but I like to read.”

You can safely say:

  • Mara nyingine ninapenda kusoma hadithi usiku.

and it is fully correct and natural.

Can I drop mimi and just say Mara nyingine ninapenda kusoma hadithi usiku?

Yes. That is actually the more typical everyday version.

  • Mara nyingine mimi ninapenda… – more emphatic / contrastive.
  • Mara nyingine ninapenda… – neutral, normal statement.

Both are correct. If you are not stressing “I” in contrast to someone else, you can just leave out mimi.

What exactly does Mara nyingine mean? Is it the same as “sometimes”?

Mara nyingine literally means “another time” or “other times”, but in usage it often corresponds to English “sometimes”.

Rough meanings:

  • mara = time / occasion (as in “one time”, “many times”)
  • nyingine = other / another (feminine agreement with mara)

So:

  • Mara nyingine ninapenda kusoma hadithi usiku.
    ≈ “Sometimes I like to read stories at night.”

Other common ways to say “sometimes”:

  • Wakati mwingine – also “sometimes / at other times”
  • Wakati fulani – “at certain times”

In this sentence mara nyingine is very natural and idiomatic.

What is the difference between ninapenda and napenda? Which should I use?

Structurally, ninapenda is:

  • ni- (I) + -na- (present tense) + penda (like)
    → ninapenda.

In everyday spoken Swahili, the initial vowel of the subject prefix is often dropped before -na-:

  • ni
    • na → nna → na (simplified in speech)
  • So you will often hear napenda, unapenda, anapenda, etc.

Meaning:

  • ninapenda and napenda both mean “I like / I love” in the present.

For learners:

  • ninapenda is the full, clear, textbook form (good to learn first).
  • napenda is very common in speech; you will hear and see it a lot.

Both are accepted in many contexts; in formal writing, ninapenda is safer.

Does ninapenda mean “I like” or “I am liking”? How does the present tense work here?

Swahili -na- present tense usually covers both:

  1. Simple present (“I like / I read / I do”)
  2. Present continuous (“I am reading / I am doing”)

In this sentence:

  • ninapenda = “I like / I love (generally)”
  • The meaning comes from context: with kusoma hadithi usiku, it expresses a general preference, not a temporary action.

So:

  • Mara nyingine ninapenda kusoma hadithi usiku.
    → “Sometimes I like to read stories at night.” (habitual/general)

If you wanted to show more strongly habitual action, you could also see structures like:

  • Mara nyingine hupenda kusoma hadithi usiku. (using hu- habitual)
  • Mara nyingine huwa ninapenda kusoma hadithi usiku.

But ninapenda here is perfectly natural.

What is kusoma exactly? Does it mean “to read” or “to study”?

Kusoma is the infinitive form:

  • ku- (infinitive marker) + soma (read/study)

Its meanings include:

  1. To read

    • Ninapenda kusoma vitabu. – I like to read books.

  2. To study (as in “being a student”)

    • Ninasoma Chuo Kikuu. – I study at the university.

In your sentence:

  • kusoma hadithi = “to read stories”

Context makes it clear it’s about reading, not studying.

Is hadithi singular or plural? Does it mean “a story” or “stories”?

Hadithi can be both singular and plural (it belongs to noun class 9/10, which often have the same form for singular and plural).

It can mean:

  • a story / a tale
  • stories / tales

Examples:

  • Ninasoma hadithi. – I am reading a story / some stories.
  • Hadithi hii ni nzuri. – This story is good. (singular: hii = this)
  • Hadithi hizi ni nzuri. – These stories are good. (plural: hizi = these)

In:

  • kusoma hadithi usiku

the English translation “stories” is natural, but grammatically Swahili doesn’t mark the plural here. The number would be clear from context or from determiners (like hii/hizi).

Why is usiku at the end of the sentence? Could it go somewhere else?

Placing time expressions at the end of the sentence is very common and natural in Swahili:

  • Mara nyingine ninapenda kusoma hadithi usiku.
    → [Sometimes] [I like] [to read stories] [at night].

Other possible orders (all grammatically correct):

  • Mara nyingine usiku ninapenda kusoma hadithi.
  • Usiku mara nyingine ninapenda kusoma hadithi.
  • Ninapenda kusoma hadithi usiku mara nyingine. (less common order, but possible)

However, the original:

  • Mara nyingine mimi ninapenda kusoma hadithi usiku.

sounds very natural and neutral. As a learner, it’s a good pattern to follow: [time adverb] + [subject] + [verb] + [object] + [extra time/ place].

What does usiku mean exactly? Is it “night” or “at night”?

Usiku is the noun “night”, but it is frequently used without a preposition to mean “at night”.

So:

  • usiku = night / at night
  • asubuhi = morning / in the morning
  • mchana = daytime / in the daytime
  • jioni = evening / in the evening

Examples:

  • Ninalala usiku. – I sleep at night.
  • Ninafanya kazi mchana. – I work in the daytime.

Therefore:

  • kusoma hadithi usiku = “to read stories at night.”
Could I say Wakati mwingine instead of Mara nyingine in this sentence?

Yes, you can. Both are commonly used and would be understood as “sometimes”.

  • Mara nyingine ninapenda kusoma hadithi usiku.
  • Wakati mwingine ninapenda kusoma hadithi usiku.

Subtle nuance (often very small):

  • mara nyingine – a bit more like “other times / sometimes (on some occasions)”
  • wakati mwingine – “other times / at other times (time periods)”

In everyday conversation they overlap a lot, and for this sentence both are fine and natural.