Mimi sipendi utani darasani.

I do not like joking in the classroom.

Breakdown of Mimi sipendi utani darasani.

• mimi: I
• kupenda: to like
• katika: in
• darasa: the classroom
• utani: the joke

Questions & Answers about Mimi sipendi utani darasani.

What does each word in Mimi sipendi utani darasani literally mean?

• Mimi – I / me
• si- (in sipendi) – negative marker for I (1st person singular)
• -pend- (in sipendi) – root of the verb kupenda = to like / to love
• -i (in sipendi) – final vowel used in the negative present tense
• utani – joking, teasing, clowning around, jokes (as an activity or behaviour)
• darasani – in class / in the classroom (darasa = class, -ni = in/at)

So literally: I not-like joking in-class.

Do I need to say Mimi, or is Sipendi utani darasani enough?

You can definitely drop Mimi.

• Sipendi utani darasani is a perfectly correct and very natural sentence.
• Mimi sipendi utani darasani adds emphasis or contrast, like:
  
  • As for me, I don’t like joking in class (maybe others do).

In Swahili, the verb form already shows the subject, so pronouns like mimi, wewe, yeye are used mainly for emphasis, contrast, or clarity, not because they’re grammatically required.

Why is it sipendi and not si penda or si napenda?

In standard Swahili spelling, sipendi is written as one word. The negative present is formed like this:

• Affirmative: ninapenda / napenda = I like
• Negative: sipendi = I don’t like

Changes that happen in the negative:

1. The present marker -na- disappears.
2. The final -a of the verb stem becomes -i.
3. The negative subject marker si- is added for I.

So you don’t say si napenda; you compress that pattern into sipendi.

Why does penda become pendi in sipendi?

In the negative present tense, most Swahili verbs change their final -a to -i.

• kupenda (to like) → napenda (I like)
• Negative: sipendi (I don’t like)

Other examples:

• ninasoma / nasoma (I read / I am reading) → sisomi (I’m not reading / I don’t read)
• anafanya (he/she does) → hafanyi (he/she doesn’t do)

So penda → pendi is part of a regular negative-present pattern.

What kind of “tense” is sipendi? Is it “right now” or a general statement?

Sipendi here is the normal negative of the simple present / habitual aspect. It usually means a general preference, not just right now:

• Mimi sipendi utani darasani.
  = I don’t (generally) like joking in class.

If you wanted to emphasise a specific current situation, you’d usually add more context, for example:

• Leo sipendi utani darasani. – Today I don’t like joking in class.

But the bare sentence is read as a general rule or preference, like English I don’t like jokes in class.

Could I say Sitaki utani darasani instead? What’s the difference between sipendi and sitaki?

Both are correct, but they’re slightly different:

• Sipendi utani darasani.

  • Literally: I don’t like joking in class.
  • Talks about your preference or attitude in general.

• Sitaki utani darasani.

  • Literally: I don’t want joking in class.
  • Sounds more like a rule or command: you don’t want it to happen.

In many contexts they might both be understood similarly, but:

• Use sipendi when expressing likes/dislikes.
• Use sitaki when expressing will or intention (what you want/don’t want to happen).

What exactly does utani mean here? Is it the same as “jokes” in English?

Utani is more like joking / teasing / fooling around as a type of behaviour, not one specific joke text.

In this sentence, utani covers things like:

• cracking jokes
• teasing classmates
• clowning / messing around instead of working

There is also mzaha (plural mizaha), which is more like a joke or jokes as countable items. But utani is the common word for “joking around”, especially in a school/classroom context.

Why is it darasani and not just darasa? What does -ni do?

-ni is a locative suffix that usually means in, at, or on.

• darasa = class / classroom (as a noun)
• darasani = in class / in the classroom

So:

• Niko darasani. – I am in the classroom.
• Sipendi utani darasani. – I don’t like joking in class.

Using darasa without -ni would sound like you’re just naming the thing (the class), not saying where something happens.

Can I also say katika darasa instead of darasani?

Yes, katika darasa is grammatically correct and means in the class / in the classroom.

However:

• darasani is much more common and sounds more natural in everyday speech.
• katika darasa can sound a bit more formal, heavy, or written.

In most spoken contexts, people will prefer darasani.

Is the word order fixed, or can I move Mimi or darasani around?

Swahili word order is fairly flexible, especially with pronouns and time/place phrases. All of these are possible:

• Mimi sipendi utani darasani.
• Sipendi utani darasani.
• Sipendi utani mimi darasani. (emphatic: I don’t like jokes in class)
• Darasani sipendi utani. (emphatic: in class I don’t like jokes; maybe elsewhere it’s fine)

The most neutral everyday version is:

• Sipendi utani darasani.

Moving elements usually changes emphasis, not the basic meaning.

How would the sentence change for “You / He / We / They don’t like jokes in class”?

Keep utani darasani the same and change only the verb (and pronoun if you want emphasis).

Negative present forms of kupenda:

• Mimi sipendi utani darasani. – I don’t like jokes in class.
• Wewe hupendi utani darasani. – You (sg.) don’t like jokes in class.
• Yeye hapendi utani darasani. – He/She doesn’t like jokes in class.
• Sisi hatupendi utani darasani. – We don’t like jokes in class.
• Ninyi hampendi utani darasani. – You (pl.) don’t like jokes in class.
• Wao hawapendi utani darasani. – They don’t like jokes in class.

You can also drop the pronouns (wewe, yeye, etc.) whenever the meaning is clear.

How do you pronounce sipendi and darasani? Where is the stress?

Swahili words are normally stressed on the second-to-last (penultimate) syllable:

• sipendi → si-PE-ndi
• darasani → da-ra-SA-ni

Every vowel is clearly pronounced (no silent vowels), and consonants are generally pronounced as written. The r in darasani is a tapped/trilled r, similar to the Spanish r.