Breakdown of Nilipokimbia asubuhi, nilipata kiu sana.
asubuhi
in the morning
sana
very
nilipokimbia
when I ran
kupata kiu
to become thirsty
Questions & Answers about Nilipokimbia asubuhi, nilipata kiu sana.
How is nilipokimbia built?
It breaks down like this:
- ni- = I
- -li- = past tense
- -po- = a relative marker here meaning when or at the time that
- -kimbia = run
So nilipokimbia literally means something like when I ran.
This is a very common Swahili pattern for making time clauses.
What is the difference between nilikimbia and nilipokimbia?
- nilikimbia = I ran
- nilipokimbia = when I ran
The extra -po- changes the verb from a simple statement into a clause connected to time.
So:
- Nilikimbia asubuhi. = I ran in the morning.
- Nilipokimbia asubuhi, ... = When I ran in the morning, ...
Why is there a full verb form in both parts of the sentence?