Mtoto wa tatu anacheza mpira uwanjani.

The third child is playing ball in the field.

Breakdown of Mtoto wa tatu anacheza mpira uwanjani.

• kucheza: to play
• mtoto: the child
• mpira: the ball
• uwanjani: in the field
• wa tatu: third

Questions & Answers about Mtoto wa tatu anacheza mpira uwanjani.

Why is it mtoto wa tatu and not just mtoto tatu for the third child?

In Swahili, ordinal numbers (first, second, third, etc.) are usually formed using the possessive linker -a- plus the number:

• mtoto wa tatu – literally child of three → the third child
• siku ya kwanza – literally day of one → the first day

So:

• mtoto tatu is not correct for the third child.
• You need the linker wa (the class-1 form of -a-) to connect mtoto to tatu, giving mtoto wa tatu.

The form of -a- changes with the noun class; for mtoto (class 1), it becomes wa.

What exactly does wa mean in mtoto wa tatu?

Wa is the class-1 form of the possessive/linker particle -a-. It often shows:

• possession:
  
  • mtoto wa mama – the child of the mother / the mother’s child
• or a descriptive/associative relationship, as with ordinals:
  
  • mtoto wa tatu – the third child (literally, child of three)

So in mtoto wa tatu, wa links mtoto and tatu and turns three into third in this context.

Why isn’t there a separate word for is in anacheza?

Swahili usually doesn’t use a separate word for is / am / are in the present tense. Instead, the verb itself carries:

• the subject information (who is doing it)
• and often the tense information (when it’s happening)

In anacheza:

• a- = he/she (3rd person singular subject marker)
• -na- = present tense marker (often “is doing / does”)
• -cheza = root play

So anacheza already means he/she is playing or he/she plays. There is no need for a separate word for is.

What is the difference between anacheza and just cheza?

• cheza is the bare verb root, usually used:

  • in dictionaries
  • in commands: Cheza! – Play!
  • after certain auxiliaries or particles

• anacheza is a fully conjugated verb:

  • a- (he/she) + -na- (present) + cheza (play)
  • meaning he/she is playing or he/she plays

So cheza by itself is not a normal, complete verb form in a sentence like this; anacheza is.

Does anacheza mean is playing (right now) or plays (generally)?

Anacheza with -na- usually covers both:

• progressive: The third child is playing (right now).
• habitual/general: The third child plays (e.g., every afternoon).

Context decides which is intended. If you want to be very clearly progressive, you can add a time expression:

• Mtoto wa tatu anacheza mpira sasa. – The third child is playing ball now.

What does mpira mean here? Is it specifically football (soccer) or just ball?

Mpira can mean:

1. a ball (any ball)
2. rubber (as a material)
3. football/soccer (by extension, especially in East Africa, depending on context)

In many everyday contexts:

• kucheza mpira is often understood as to play football/soccer.
• But literally it can just mean to play ball.

If you want to be explicit:

• mpira wa miguu – football (soccer)
• mpira wa kikapu – basketball

Why is it uwanjani and not just uwanja?

The -ni at the end of uwanjani is a locative suffix, which often means in / at / on.

• uwanja – field, ground, yard, open space
• uwanjani – in the field / at the field / on the field

So:

• Mtoto wa tatu anacheza mpira uwanja. – sounds wrong/unfinished.
• Mtoto wa tatu anacheza mpira uwanjani. – correct: The third child is playing ball *in the field.*

Is uwanjani like a single word, or uwanja + ni?

Morphologically, it is:

• uwanja (noun: field/ground)
• -ni (locative suffix meaning in/at/on)

In practice, it’s written as one word: uwanjani. Many common location words in Swahili work that way:

• nyumba → nyumbani – at home / in the house
• shule → shuleni – at school
• kanisa → kanisani – at church

Why is there no separate word for the in Mtoto wa tatu?

Swahili usually does not have separate words for the or a/an. There is no article system like in English.

• mtoto can mean:
  • a child
  • the child
• mtoto wa tatu can mean:
  • the third child
  • a third child (in some contexts)

The definiteness (a vs the) is understood from context, not from a special word.

How would I say three children are playing ball in the field, not the third child?

You would change both the subject and the verb to plural:

• Watoto watatu wanacheza mpira uwanjani.

Breakdown:

• watoto – children (plural of mtoto)
• watatu – three (for people, using wa- form)
• wanacheza – they are playing (wa- = they, -na- = present, cheza = play)
• mpira – ball
• uwanjani – in the field

So:

• mtoto wa tatu = the third child (one child, ordinal)
• watoto watatu = three children (three children, cardinal)

What is the difference between wa tatu and watatu?

They look similar but work differently:

1. wa tatu (two words)

   • wa = linker/possessive for class 1 (from -a-)
   • tatu = the number three
   • as in mtoto wa tatu – the third child

2. watatu (one word)

   • wa- = plural human/animate prefix (class 2)
   • -tatu = three
   • as in watoto watatu – three children

So:

• mtoto wa tatu – the third child (ordinal)
• watoto watatu – three children (cardinal number)

They are not interchangeable.

Can I change the word order, like Mtoto wa tatu uwanjani anacheza mpira?

Swahili has a fairly flexible word order compared to English, but:

• The standard, neutral order is Subject – Verb – Object – (Location/Time):

  • Mtoto wa tatu anacheza mpira uwanjani.

You can sometimes move the location phrase for emphasis:

• Uwanjani, mtoto wa tatu anacheza mpira. – In the field, the third child is playing ball.

But Mtoto wa tatu uwanjani anacheza mpira sounds marked/awkward as a neutral statement. For a learner, it’s best to stick to:

• Mtoto wa tatu anacheza mpira uwanjani.

How would I say The third child played ball in the field or will play ball in the field?

You just change the tense marker in the verb:

• Present:

  • Mtoto wa tatu anacheza mpira uwanjani.
    – The third child is playing / plays ball in the field.

• Past:

  • Mtoto wa tatu alicheza mpira uwanjani.
    – The third child played ball in the field.
    (a- = he/she, -li- = past, cheza = play)

• Future:

  • Mtoto wa tatu atacheza mpira uwanjani.
    – The third child will play ball in the field.
    (a- = he/she, -ta- = future, cheza = play)