Sipendi kuvaa shati lenye unyevu.

In Swahili, the subject is usually built into the verb.

Sipendi can be broken down like this:

• si- = I
• -pend- = like / love
• -i = negative ending in the present tense

So sipendi literally means I do not like.

This is why Swahili often does not need a separate word for I such as mimi, unless you want extra emphasis.

After verbs like like, want, prefer, or hate, Swahili often uses the infinitive form of the next verb.

• kuvaa = to wear

So the structure is:

• sipendi kuvaa ... = I do not like to wear ...

This is similar to English I do not like to wear...

The ku- at the beginning marks the infinitive, like English to in to wear.

This is a noun plus a descriptive phrase:

• shati = shirt
• lenye unyevu = having moisture / damp

So lenye unyevu describes the shirt.

A useful way to understand it is:

• shati lenye unyevu = a shirt that has moisture
• more naturally in English: a damp shirt

So instead of using a simple adjective exactly like English, Swahili often uses a structure meaning having something.

Because lenye has to agree with the noun class of shati.

In Swahili, descriptive words often change form to match the noun they describe.
Shati belongs to the ji/ma noun class, and for this class the agreeing form here is lenye.

Compare:

• nyumba yenye dirisha = a house that has a window
• shati lenye unyevu = a shirt that has moisture

So -enye is the core idea of having, but the first part changes to match the noun class:

• yenye
• lenye
• zenye
• wenye etc.

-enye means something like having, with, or that has.

It is very common in Swahili.

Examples:

• mtu mwenye pesa = a person with money
• kitabu chenye picha = a book with pictures
• shati lenye unyevu = a shirt with moisture / a damp shirt

So in your sentence, lenye unyevu literally means having moisture.

Unyevu is a noun meaning moisture, dampness, or humidity, depending on context.

Swahili often expresses qualities using nouns rather than direct adjectives.
So instead of saying something exactly like a moist shirt, Swahili can say:

• shirt having moisture

That is why unyevu appears with lenye.

This kind of structure is very normal in Swahili.

It is grammatical and understandable, but it can sound a little literal or formal depending on context.

Shati lenye unyevu literally means a shirt with moisture, which is correct, but in everyday speech some speakers might prefer a more direct way to say the shirt is wet or damp, depending on exactly what is meant.

For example, if the shirt is actually wet, speakers may use wording that more directly means wet or soaked.

So this sentence is fine for learning grammar, especially the -enye structure, but it may not always be the most everyday phrasing.

Swahili does not have articles like English a, an, and the.

So shati can mean:

• a shirt
• the shirt

The exact meaning depends on context.

That is very normal in Swahili, and learners often need time to get used to it because English requires articles much more often.

The basic order here is very natural:

• Sipendi = I do not like
• kuvaa = to wear
• shati = shirt
• lenye unyevu = having moisture / damp

So the sentence follows a common pattern:

[verb] + [infinitive] + [object] + [description of the object]

You generally would not want to separate shati from lenye unyevu, because lenye unyevu directly describes shati.

Yes, you could say Mimi sipendi kuvaa shati lenye unyevu.

That would still be correct, but mimi adds emphasis, something like:

• I do not like wearing a damp shirt.

Without emphasis, sipendi by itself is usually enough, because the si- already tells you the subject is I.

The positive version is:

Napenda kuvaa shati lenye unyevu.

Breakdown:

• na- = I
• -penda = like

So:

• napenda = I like
• sipendi = I do not like

This is a useful contrast:

• Napenda kuvaa ... = I like to wear ...
• Sipendi kuvaa ... = I do not like to wear ...