Ninaposikia muziki, ninajisikia vizuri.

When I hear music, I feel good.

Breakdown of Ninaposikia muziki, ninajisikia vizuri.

• kujisikia: to feel
• vizuri: good
• muziki: the music
• ninaposikia: when I hear

Questions & Answers about Ninaposikia muziki, ninajisikia vizuri.

Why does the sentence use ninaposikia instead of just ninasikia?

Ninaposikia means “when(ever) I hear”, not just “I hear.”

• ninasikia muziki = I hear music / I am hearing music (now).
• ninaposikia muziki = When(ever) I hear music… (introduces a time clause that leads to another result).

So ninaposikia is used because the first part of the sentence is a “when” clause, not a simple present statement.

How is the word ninaposikia built up? What are its parts?

Ninaposikia can be broken down like this:

• ni- = I (subject prefix, 1st person singular)
• -na- = present/continuous tense marker
• -po- = relative marker for a specific time or place (when/where)
• sikia = verb root hear

Put together: ni-na-po-sikia → ninaposikia = when I hear (literally “I-present-when-hear”).

What exactly does the -po- in ninaposikia mean?

In this kind of verb form, -po- is a relative marker that often corresponds to English “when” (for specific times) or “where” (for specific places).

• With a time meaning: ninaposikia muziki = when(ever) I hear music
• With a place meaning in other sentences: ninapokaa = where I sit / where I live (depending on context)

So -po- turns a normal verb into a time/relative clause: “when I do X…”

Could I say Nikisikia muziki, ninajisikia vizuri instead? What’s the difference from Ninaposikia?

Yes, Nikisikia muziki, ninajisikia vizuri is also correct and natural.

• nikisikia uses the marker -ki-, often translated as “when/whenever/if”.
• ninaposikia with -po- leans more toward “whenever / each time (that) I hear music”, with a bit more focus on the specific moment/time.

In everyday conversation, the difference is small; both generally mean “when(ever) I hear music, I feel good.”

Why do we say ninajisikia and not just ninasikia in the second part?

Kusikia = to hear, but kujisikia = to feel (oneself) in the sense of physical/emotional state.

• ninasikia vizuri would usually mean something like I hear well (my hearing is good).
• ninajisikia vizuri means I feel good / I feel well (my body/mood feels good).

Because we’re talking about how the speaker feels, the reflexive verb kujisikia is the right one.

What does the ji- in ninajisikia do?

ji- is a reflexive prefix. It roughly means “oneself”.

• kusikia = to hear
• kujisikia = to feel oneself (to feel, in terms of mood or physical state)

So:

• ninajisikia = I feel (myself) → I feel
  You’ll see ji- in many reflexive verbs, like:
• kujiuliza = to ask oneself
• kujiona = to see oneself / to think of oneself (in a certain way)

Can I drop the second ni- and say Ninaposikia muziki, najisikia vizuri?

Yes, that is very natural.

Both are correct:

• Ninaposikia muziki, ninajisikia vizuri.
• Ninaposikia muziki, najisikia vizuri.

In speech and writing, people often shorten ni-na- to na- in the second clause when it’s clear who the subject is. So najisikia here is understood as ninajisikia (I feel).

Do I have to put the “when” clause first? Can I say Ninajisikia vizuri ninaposikia muziki?

You can put the clauses in either order:

• Ninaposikia muziki, ninajisikia vizuri.
• Ninajisikia vizuri ninaposikia muziki.

Both mean the same thing. The first version (starting with ninaposikia muziki) is very common, but the second is also correct and natural.

Why doesn’t the sentence use a separate word like wakati for “when”?

Swahili often expresses “when” directly inside the verb using markers like -po- (as in ninaposikia).

You can add wakati if you want, but it’s not necessary:

• Wakati ninaposikia muziki, ninajisikia vizuri.
• Or shorter and more natural: Ninaposikia muziki, ninajisikia vizuri.

In many everyday sentences, a special word for “when” is not used; the verb form itself already carries that meaning.

What kind of word is muziki here, and could I use nyimbo instead?

Muziki is a noun meaning “music” in general (often instrumental or music as an art form).

• muziki = music
• wimbo (sg.) / nyimbo (pl.) = song / songs

You could say something like Ninaposikia nyimbo, ninajisikia vizuri, but that sounds more like “When I hear songs, I feel good” (emphasis on individual songs), not “music” in a general sense. Muziki is the best match for broad “music” here.

What does vizuri mean exactly, and why is it used here?

Vizuri means “well / nicely / in a good way”.

It comes from the adjective -zuri (good, beautiful):

• mzuri = good, nice, beautiful (class 1 noun)
• vizuri = good/well (adverb, or class 8 plural)

In this sentence, vizuri is used adverbially to describe how you feel:

• ninajisikia vizuri = I feel well / I feel good.

Is ninajisikia vizuri more about physical health, or emotions, or both?

Ninajisikia vizuri can refer to both physical and emotional state, depending on context.

• After being sick: Leo ninajisikia vizuri = Today I feel well (physically).
• Talking about mood: Ninajisikia vizuri nikikaa na marafiki = I feel good when I sit with friends.

Context will usually make it clear whether you mean healthy or happy (or both).

What tense or aspect does -na- express in ninaposikia and ninajisikia?

The marker -na- is the present/continuous tense-aspect. It often covers what English expresses as:

• simple present: I feel, I hear
• present continuous: I am feeling, I am hearing
• general/habitual present: I (usually) feel, I (whenever) hear

In this sentence, both verbs are in the present/habitual:

• ninaposikia = when(ever) I hear
• ninajisikia vizuri = I feel good (in general / whenever that happens).