Wewe unasoma nini sasa?

What are you reading now?

Breakdown of Wewe unasoma nini sasa?

• wewe: you
• 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?

What exactly does unasoma mean? Is it only “read”, or can it also mean “study”?

Kusoma is the base verb and it can mean:

• to read
• to study / to be in school / to be a student

So unasoma can mean:

• You are reading (a book, a message, etc.)
• You are studying (e.g., at school, at university)
• You study (as a general habit, depending on context)

In your sentence, context (and the object nini – what) usually makes learners interpret it as “What are you reading now?”, but in other contexts unasoma might be understood as “you study / you are studying”.

How is unasoma formed? What do the different parts mean?

Unasoma breaks down like this:

• u- = you (singular) subject prefix
• -na- = present tense marker (“am/is/are …ing”)
• -soma = read / study

So u-na-soma literally corresponds to “you are reading / you are studying.”

Why is nini at the end of the sentence? Could it go somewhere else?

In Swahili, question words like nini (what), nani (who), wapi (where) very often come at the end of the sentence, especially in everyday speech.

So:

• Unasoma nini sasa? – You-are-reading what now?

is the standard, natural order.

You will also hear:

• Unasoma nini? – What are you reading?
• Sasa unasoma nini? – So, what are you reading now? (emphasis on now)

But using nini in the middle (e.g. Unasoma nini sasa? vs. Nini unasoma sasa?) makes a difference:

• Nini unasoma sasa? is possible but much less common and can sound a bit marked or emphatic, somewhat like “Exactly what is it that you’re reading now?”

For a learner, it’s safest and most natural to keep nini at the end.

What does sasa mean exactly? Is it always “now”?

Sasa usually means “now”, but it also has some discourse/interaction uses:

1. Time meaning:

   • Soma sasa. – Read now.
   • Unasoma nini sasa? – What are you reading now?

2. Discourse marker (especially in spoken Swahili): At the beginning of a sentence, sasa can work like:

   • “so”, “well”, or even a mild “now then”:
   • Sasa, unauliza nini? – So, what are you asking?

In your sentence, sasa is clearly the time adverb: now / at this moment.

Is this asking “What do you read now?” or “What are you reading now?” Which tense is -na-?

The -na- tense marker in unasoma usually corresponds to the present progressive in English:

• you are reading / you are studying

So Unasoma nini sasa? is best translated as:

• “What are you reading now?”

In some contexts -na- can also have a general present meaning (like “you read / you study”), but with sasa (now), the meaning is clearly right now, at this moment.

Is this formal or informal? Is there a polite form of “you” here?

Wewe unasoma nini sasa? is informal / neutral and singular. You’d say this to:

• a friend
• a classmate
• a child
• a peer or someone of similar status

Swahili does not have a separate polite singular “you” like French vous or German Sie. Politeness is shown more through tone, titles, and choice of words.

To be more polite or respectful, you might:

• Add a polite phrase:
  • Samahani, unasoma nini sasa? – Excuse me, what are you reading now?
• Use a respectful title:
  • Mwalimu, unasoma nini sasa? – Teacher, what are you reading now?

Can I use wewe with a different verb form, like wasoma?

No. The subject prefix must agree with the subject:

• Wewe unasoma. – You (sg) are reading / you read.
• Wewe always takes the u- subject prefix on the verb.

Some correct subject–verb pairs:

• Mimi ninasoma. – I am reading.
• Wewe unasoma. – You (sg) are reading.
• Yeye anasoma. – He/She is reading.
• Sisi tunasoma. – We are reading.
• Ninyi mnasoma. – You (pl) are reading.
• Wao wanasoma. – They are reading.

Wasoma would match wao (they), not wewe.

Do I need an object marker for “what” here, like unakisoma nini?

No. When nini (what) is the direct object, you normally do not use an object marker, because nini itself shows what the object is.

So:

• Unasoma nini? – What are you reading? (correct, natural)

Object markers (like -ki-, -wa-, -ni-) are usually used when:

• The object is already known or specific, not a question word.
  • Unakisoma kitabu? – Are you reading the book (it)?
  • Ninakiona kiti. – I see the chair (it).

With nini, just use the plain verb:

• ✅ Unasoma nini sasa?
• ❌ Unakisoma nini sasa? (unnatural/wrong for “What are you reading now?”)