Godoro hili ni zito.

This mattress is heavy.

Breakdown of Godoro hili ni zito.

• ni: to be
• hili: this
• godoro: the mattress
• zito: heavy

Questions & Answers about Godoro hili ni zito.

What does each word in Godoro hili ni zito correspond to in English?

The sentence breaks down like this:

• godoro – mattress
• hili – this (for nouns in a particular noun class, here class 5)
• ni – is / are (linking word, like the verb to be)
• zito – heavy

So Godoro hili ni zito = This mattress is heavy.

What noun class is godoro, and why does that matter?

Godoro belongs to noun class 5 (often called the JI-/Ø class) and its plural is in class 6 (the MA- class):

• singular: godoro (mattress) – class 5
• plural: magodoro (mattresses) – class 6

Noun class matters because:

• It controls which demonstrative you use (here hili for class 5).
• It controls how many adjectives and verbs agree with the noun (e.g. magodoro haya ni mazito = these mattresses are heavy).

Why is the demonstrative hili and not hiki or huyu?

Swahili demonstratives agree with noun class. For class 5 nouns (like godoro), the proximal (near speaker) demonstrative is hili:

• class 1 (person): huyu (this person) – e.g. mtu huyu
• class 7 (ki-/vi-): hiki (this thing) – e.g. kitabu hiki (this book)
• class 5: hili (this) – e.g. godoro hili (this mattress), tunda hili (this fruit)

So you use hili simply because godoro is class 5.

Could I say Hili godoro ni zito instead of Godoro hili ni zito?

Yes, both orders are possible, but they have slightly different feel:

• Godoro hili ni zito. – neutral, common order (noun + demonstrative).
• Hili godoro ni zito. – puts a bit more emphasis on this (as opposed to another mattress).

Both are grammatically correct. In everyday speech, you’ll probably hear Godoro hili… more often.

What exactly does ni do here? Is it a verb?

Ni functions like the verb to be (is/are) in sentences that link a subject to a description or a noun:

• Mimi ni mwalimu. – I am a teacher.
• Godoro hili ni zito. – This mattress is heavy.

Some important points:

• Ni itself doesn’t change for person or number: mimi ni, wewe ni, magodoro haya ni.

• For clear past or future, you usually use forms of kuwa with subject prefixes instead of ni:

  • Past: Godoro hili lilikuwa zito. – This mattress was heavy.
  • Future: Godoro hili litakuwa zito. – This mattress will be heavy.

So yes, it behaves like a verb to be, but it’s special and doesn’t take tense markers directly.

Can I leave out ni and just say Godoro hili zito?

In standard Swahili, you should keep ni:

• Godoro hili ni zito. – correct
• Godoro hili zito. – sounds wrong/unfinished in standard language

You may hear ni dropped in rapid or colloquial speech in some patterns, but for learners it’s best to always include ni in sentences of the type:

[subject] + ni + [description]
Godoro hili ni zito.

Why is the adjective zito and not something like lito or nzito to agree with godoro?

The adjective zito comes from the root -zito (heavy), which changes its form depending on noun class by adding a class prefix or not.

Examples with different noun classes:

• class 1: mtu mzito – a heavy person
• class 2: watu wazito – heavy people
• class 3: mti mzito – a heavy tree
• class 4: miti mizito – heavy trees
• class 5: godoro zito / tunda zito – a heavy mattress/fruit
• class 6: magodoro mazito / matunda mazito – heavy mattresses/fruits
• class 7: kitabu kizito – a heavy book
• class 8: vitabu vizito – heavy books
• class 9/10: nyumba nzito – a heavy house

For class 5 (godoro), the pattern is: no extra prefix → zito. That’s why in Godoro hili ni zito, the adjective is just zito.

How would I say These mattresses are heavy?

You need the plural noun (class 6), the class-6 demonstrative, and the class-6 adjective form:

• singular: Godoro hili ni zito. – This mattress is heavy.
• plural: Magodoro haya ni mazito. – These mattresses are heavy.

Changes:

• godoro → magodoro (class 5 → class 6 plural)
• hili → haya (this → these for class 6)
• zito → mazito (heavy for class 6)

Why isn’t there a word for the in Godoro hili ni zito?

Swahili does not have separate words for a/an or the. Definiteness is shown by:

• Context
• Demonstratives like hili, hicho, kile (this, that, that over there)
• Sometimes word order and other elements

So Godoro hili is understood as this mattress, which is already specific, so no separate the is needed.

How is Godoro hili ni zito pronounced?

Approximate pronunciation (each syllable is clear and evenly timed):

• godoro – go-DO-ro

  • go as in go
  • do like daw in doll (but shorter)
  • ro like ro in robot but with a tapped/flipped r

• hili – HEE-lee

  • hi like he
  • li like lee

• ni – nee (short, like knee but very brief)

• zito – ZEE-to

  • zi like zee
  • to like toe (short)

Stress is usually on the second-last syllable: goDOro, HIli, NI, ZIto.