Hatutaki mabishano nyumbani.

We do not want arguments at home.

Breakdown of Hatutaki mabishano nyumbani.

• sisi: we
• kutaka: to want
• nyumba: the home
• kwenye: at

Questions & Answers about Hatutaki mabishano nyumbani.

What does hatutaki break down into?

Hatutaki is made of several parts:

• ha- = negative marker
• -tu- = we
• tak- = the verb root want
• -i = the final vowel used in this negative present form

So hatutaki means we do not want.

A useful comparison:

• tunataka = we want
• hatutaki = we do not want

Why does the verb end in -i instead of -a?

In Swahili, many verbs change their final -a to -i in the negative present.

So:

• kutaka = to want
• tunataka = we want
• hatutaki = we do not want

This is a very common pattern, so it is worth memorizing early.

Do I need to say sisi for we?

No. You do not need sisi here, because the -tu- inside hatutaki already means we.

So:

• Hatutaki mabishano nyumbani. = We do not want arguments at home.

If you add sisi, it usually gives :