Sipendi kubishana na marafiki.

I do not like to argue with friends.

Breakdown of Sipendi kubishana na marafiki.

• mimi: I
• rafiki: the friend
• kupenda: to like
• na: with
• kubishana: to argue

Questions & Answers about Sipendi kubishana na marafiki.

If ninapenda means I like, why is I don’t like sipendi and not *sinapenda?

Swahili forms the simple present negative a bit differently from the positive.

• ninapenda = ni- (I) + -na- (present) + pend (like) + -a
• In the negative, the pattern changes:
  • the normal subject ni- is replaced by the negative subject si-
  • the present marker -na- disappears
  • the final -a of the verb becomes -i

So:

• si- (I, negative) + pend (like) + -i → sipendi = I don’t like

Another example with the same pattern:

• ninasoma / nasoma = I read / I study
• sisomi = I don’t read / I don’t study

So *sinapenda is wrong because in the negative present you don’t keep -na-, and you do change -a to -i.

What is the ku- in kubishana, and why is it used after sipendi?

ku- here is the infinitive marker. It turns the verb into something like English to argue or arguing.

• bisha/bishana = (to) argue
• kubishana = to argue / arguing

In Swahili, after verbs like penda (to like/love), anza (to start), jaribu (to try), you normally use ku- + verb:

• Napenda kula. = I like to eat / I like eating.
• Sipendi kusafiri. = I don’t like travelling.
• Sipendi kubishana. = I don’t like arguing.

Without ku- here, the sentence would be ungrammatical or very hard to interpret. So ku- is required to show that kubishana is an infinitive (a verbal noun) acting as the object of sipendi.

What does bishana mean, and what does the ending -ana do in kubishana?

The base verb is bisha, and the extension -ana is a reciprocal suffix. It usually adds the meaning of “each other”.

• bisha can mean to knock, to dispute, to object/contradict.
• bishana tends to mean to argue with one another, to be in dispute with each other.

So:

• kubisha – to knock / to object (not necessarily mutual)
• kubishana – to argue with each other, to have back‑and‑forth disagreement

In everyday speech, kubishana is the common verb for to argue (with someone), which fits very well with na marafiki (with friends).

Can I say Sipendi kubishana na marafiki zangu to mean I don’t like arguing with my friends? How is that different from the original sentence?

Yes, you can.

• Sipendi kubishana na marafiki.
  → I don’t like arguing with friends (friends in general; not necessarily specifically “my” friends).

• Sipendi kubishana na marafiki zangu.
  → I don’t like arguing with my friends (clearly refers to your own friends).

So:

• Adding zangu (my) makes the sentence specifically about your friends.
• Without any possessive (just marafiki), it can mean “friends in general” or “friends” understood from context.

You’ll also hear marafiki wangu in some varieties. Many textbooks teach:

• rafiki yangu – my friend
• marafiki zangu – my friends

Use whichever pattern your course or teacher follows, but the key point is: adding the possessive (zangu / wangu) makes the friends specifically yours.

What is the singular of marafiki, and how does this plural form work?

The singular is rafiki (friend), and the plural is marafiki (friends).

• rafiki – friend
• marafiki – friends

Here, ma- is a plural prefix. It’s one of the common plural markers in Swahili (for what’s often called noun class 6). Many nouns form the plural with ma-, for example:

• tunda → matunda (fruit → fruits)
• jibu → majibu (answer → answers)

So marafiki is simply ma- (plural) + rafiki (friend).

What does na mean in na marafiki, and why is it necessary?

na here means with.

• kubishana na marafiki = to argue with friends

So the structure is:

• Sipendi (I don’t like)
• kubishana (arguing)
• na marafiki (with friends)

Without na, the phrase kubishana marafiki would be wrong; marafiki would just sit next to the verb with no clear relationship.

Note that na can also mean and:

• mama na baba – mother and father

Context tells you whether na is “and” or “with”. After verbs like kubishana, it is “with”.

Can I change the word order and say Sipendi na marafiki kubishana?

Normally, no. That word order is unnatural and confusing.

The usual and clear structure is:

• [Subject + verb] + [infinitive phrase]
• Sipendi + kubishana na marafiki.

Here kubishana na marafiki is one unit: arguing with friends.

Other possibilities:

• Na marafiki, sipendi kubishana.
  → Grammatically possible, but it sounds like a marked, emphatic word order: With friends, I don’t like arguing. (emphasis on with friends).

For a learner, the safest and most natural pattern is the original:

• Sipendi kubishana na marafiki.

Does Sipendi kubishana na marafiki mean “right now I don’t feel like arguing” or “in general I don’t like arguing”?

By default, sipendi in this form expresses a general or habitual meaning:

• Sipendi kubishana na marafiki.
  → I generally don’t like arguing with friends / As a rule, I’m not a fan of arguing with friends.

To talk specifically about right now, Swahili often adds other words or uses different verbs:

• Sijisikii kubishana (sasa). – I don’t feel like arguing (now).
• Sihitaji kubishana na marafiki sasa. – I don’t need to argue with friends now.

So the given sentence is best understood as a general preference, not just a temporary mood.

What’s the difference between kubishana and the noun mabishano if I say I don’t like arguments?

Both are related but grammatically different:

• kubishana – infinitive verb: to argue / arguing
• mabishano – noun: arguments, disputes

Compare:

• Sipendi kubishana na marafiki.
  → I don’t like arguing with friends (I don’t like engaging in that activity).

• Sipendi mabishano na marafiki.
  → I don’t like arguments/disputes with friends (I don’t like the existence or occurrence of such arguments).

In many real situations the meanings overlap, but:

• kubishana focuses on the action/activity,
• mabishano focuses on the event or thing (the disputes themselves).