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Mtoto huyu ni mwerevu.

Mtoto huyu ni mwerevu.
This child is clever.

Breakdown of Mtoto huyu ni mwerevu.

ni
to be
mtoto
the child
huyu
this
mwerevu
clever
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Questions & Answers about Mtoto huyu ni mwerevu.

What does each word in Mtoto huyu ni mwerevu literally mean?

Word by word, it breaks down like this:

  • mtoto – child
  • huyu – this (referring to a person/thing near the speaker, noun class 1)
  • ni – is (copula verb “to be” in the present tense)
  • mwerevu – clever, intelligent (a person who is clever)

So the whole sentence is literally: “Child this is clever.”
Natural English: “This child is clever.”

Why is the demonstrative placed after the noun (mtoto huyu) instead of before it, like in English “this child”?

In Swahili, the normal word order is noun + demonstrative, not demonstrative + noun.

So:

  • mtoto huyu = this child
  • kitabu hiki = this book
  • mwalimu yule = that teacher (over there)

You can sometimes hear huyu mtoto, but mtoto huyu is the standard and most common order in neutral speech. Putting huyu first can sound a bit more emphatic or marked, like stressing “THIS child…” in contrast to other children.

What exactly does huyu mean, and when do I use it instead of other words for “this”?

Huyu means “this (person/thing, close to me)” for noun class 1 (mostly people in the singular).

Common “this” forms by noun class:

  • huyu – this (Class 1, singular: mtoto huyu, mwalimu huyu)
  • hii – this (Class 9/10 & Class 7: meza hii – this table, chumba hiki – this room)
  • hiki – this (Class 7: kitabu hiki – this book)
  • hili – this (Class 5: jambo hili – this matter)

So you choose the form of “this” according to the noun class. Since mtoto is Class 1 (person, singular), you use huyu.

What is ni doing in the sentence? Is it a verb?

Yes, ni is the Swahili present-tense copula, equivalent to “is/are/am” in English.

Some key points:

  • It doesn’t change with person or number:

    • mimi ni… – I am…
    • wewe ni… – you are…
    • mtoto huyu ni… – this child is…
    • watoto hawa ni… – these children are…

  • It’s used to link a subject with:

    • a noun: Mtoto huyu ni mwanafunzi. – This child is a student.
    • an adjective: Mtoto huyu ni mwerevu. – This child is clever.

So ni is the “is” connecting mtoto huyu and mwerevu.

Is mwerevu an adjective or a noun? Why does it have m- at the beginning?

Mwerevu is an adjective meaning “clever / intelligent”, but it’s also commonly used as a noun: “a clever person, a smart one.”

The m- at the beginning is an agreement prefix for noun class 1 (singular), matching mtoto. The root is -erevu, and with class 1 agreement it becomes:

  • m- + -erevu → mwerevu

When describing plural class 2 nouns (people):

  • wa- + -erevu → werevu
    • Watoto hawa ni werevu. – These children are clever.

So the m- is there to agree with the singular person noun (mtoto).

Why does mwerevu start with mw- instead of just m-?

Phonetically, mwerevu starts with mw- because the consonant m comes before the vowel e, and in Swahili this often forms a [mwe] sound, written mwe-.

You can think of it like:

  • prefix m-
    • stem -erevu → written/joined as m-erevu, but pronounced and spelled mwe-revu.

This is a common pattern, e.g.:

  • m + -ingi → wengi (from wengi, many)
  • m + -engine → wengine (others)

So it’s still the same class 1 m- prefix, just realized as mwe- in this word.

Could I say Huyu mtoto ni mwerevu instead? Is there any difference?

Yes, Huyu mtoto ni mwerevu is grammatically correct and understandable.

Differences:

  • Mtoto huyu ni mwerevu – more neutral, standard word order (noun + demonstrative).
  • Huyu mtoto ni mwerevu – can sound a bit more contrastive or emphatic, like:
    • “THIS child is clever (as opposed to the others).”

In many everyday contexts, they’ll feel almost the same, but if you’re aiming for the default pattern, go with mtoto huyu.

How would I say “These children are clever” using the same structure?

You need to change everything to plural (class 2):

  • mtoto → watoto (child → children)
  • huyu → hawa (this → these, for class 2)
  • mwerevu → werevu (clever, agreeing with plural people)

So:

  • Watoto hawa ni werevu. – These children are clever.
Why isn’t there a word for “is” that changes like in English (“am/is/are”)? Is ni always the same?

In Swahili, ni does not change with person or number. It’s always ni:

  • Mimi ni mwerevu. – I am clever.
  • Wewe ni mwerevu. – You are clever.
  • Yeye ni mwerevu. – He/She is clever.
  • Sisi ni werevu. – We are clever.
  • Wao ni werevu. – They are clever.

So you don’t need to memorize different forms like am / is / are; ni covers them all in equational sentences like this.

Can mwerevu have a negative or positive nuance, like “smart” vs “sly”?

Mwerevu is generally positive: clever, intelligent, bright.

A few related words and nuance:

  • mwerevu – intelligent, bright (mostly positive, like “clever child” in school)
  • mjanja – street-smart, cunning, sharp; can be positive (“savvy”) or negative (“sly, scheming”) depending on context.
  • akili – intelligence (noun), e.g. Ana akili nyingi. – He/She is very intelligent.

So Mtoto huyu ni mwerevu usually implies a good kind of clever, especially in school or problem-solving.

How do you pronounce Mtoto huyu ni mwerevu?

Roughly, syllable by syllable:

  • Mtoto – m-to-to (the m is lightly pronounced before t, not a full separate syllable)
  • huyu – hu-yu (both u’s like the oo in “food” but shorter)
  • ni – nee (like “knee” but shorter)
  • mwerevu – mwe-re-vu
    • mwe like “mweh”
    • re like “reh”
    • vu like “voo” (but short)

So the rhythm is: m-to-to hu-yu ni m-we-re-vu, with each syllable clear and evenly stressed.