Bibi ni mkarimu kwa wajukuu wake.

Grandmother is generous to her grandchildren.

Breakdown of Bibi ni mkarimu kwa wajukuu wake.

• kuwa: to be
• kwa: to
• wake: her
• bibi: grandmother

Questions & Answers about Bibi ni mkarimu kwa wajukuu wake.

What does each word in Bibi ni mkarimu kwa wajukuu wake mean?

A word-by-word breakdown is:

• Bibi = grandmother (it can also mean old lady in some contexts)
• ni = is / are
• mkarimu = kind, generous
• kwa = to, toward, for
• wajukuu = grandchildren
• wake = his/her (here, her)

So the structure is roughly:

Grandmother is kind to her grandchildren.

Why is ni used here?

Ni is the common Swahili linking word meaning is, am, or are in sentences like this.

So:

• Bibi ni mkarimu = Grandmother is kind

It connects the subject (Bibi) with a description (mkarimu).

Unlike English, Swahili does not change this word for I am, she is, they are, etc. In this type of sentence, ni stays the same.

Why is it mkarimu and not just karimu?

is the normal form used for a in this noun class.