Wewe unasoma nini sasa?

you

Breakdown of Wewe unasoma nini sasa?

• kusoma: to read
• sasa: now
• nini: what

Questions & Answers about Wewe unasoma nini sasa?

Why do we have both wewe and u- in unasoma? Don’t they both mean “you”?

Yes, both refer to “you (singular)”, but they play different roles.

• u- is a subject prefix attached to the verb: u-na-soma = you-PRES-read.
• wewe is the independent pronoun you.

In Swahili, the subject is normally shown just by the subject prefix on the verb, so you can say:

• Unasoma nini sasa? – perfectly correct and very common.

Adding wewe:

• Wewe unasoma nini sasa?

adds emphasis, like “And you, what are you reading now?” or “What are you reading now?” (perhaps contrasting with other people).

So wewe is optional and mainly for emphasis or clarity.

Can I say Unasoma nini sasa? without wewe?

Yes. That is actually the most natural everyday form.

• Unasoma nini sasa? – What are you reading now?

This is how you’d normally ask someone in conversation. Wewe is only necessary if you want extra emphasis on you, or if you are contrasting:

• Wao wanasikiliza, wewe unasoma nini sasa?
  They are listening; what are you reading now?