Mimi sipendi mende jikoni.

Because sipendi already contains the subject information. In si-pend-i:

• si- = first person singular negative, so I do not
• -pend- = the verb root like/love
• -i = the negative present ending

So mimi is optional here. It is often used for emphasis, contrast, or extra clarity.

• Mimi sipendi mende jikoni = I don't like cockroaches in the kitchen.
• Sipendi mende jikoni = I don't like cockroaches in the kitchen.

The version with mimi sounds a bit more like as for me, I don't like...

Sipendi can be broken into three parts:

• si- = I do not
• -pend- = like / love
• -i = the final vowel used in this negative form

So the whole word means I do not like.

This is very common in Swahili: a lot of meaning is packed into the verb itself, instead of being spread across separate words the way it often is in English.

In the dictionary, the verb is kupenda = to like / to love. The basic positive form keeps -a:

• napenda = I like

But in the present negative, Swahili usually changes the final -a to -i:

• sipendi = I do not like

So this -i is a normal sign that the verb is in a negative present form.

It can mean either one or more than one, depending on context.

That is because mende belongs to a noun class where the singular and plural often look the same on the noun itself. So:

• mende can mean a cockroach
• mende can also mean cockroaches

If you want to make it clearly singular, you can add more words, for example:

• mende mmoja = one cockroach

Usually, context tells you whether singular or plural is intended.

Swahili usually does not use articles the way English does.

So mende can mean:

• a cockroach
• the cockroach
• cockroaches
• the cockroaches

The exact meaning depends on context.

This is very normal in Swahili. English learners often want to insert a separate word for the, but in most cases Swahili simply does not need one.

Jikoni means in the kitchen or at the kitchen area.

The important part is -ni, which is a locative ending. It often gives meanings like:

• in
• at
• to

So instead of using a separate word for in, Swahili often attaches location to the noun itself.

That is why jikoni already includes the idea of in the kitchen.

The sentence follows a very common pattern:

• Mimi = subject pronoun
• sipendi = verb
• mende = object
• jikoni = location

So the structure is basically:

subject + verb + object + location

This is a natural order in Swahili. But Swahili word order can be somewhat flexible, especially when you want to change emphasis.

For example:

• Sipendi mende jikoni = also perfectly natural
• Jikoni, sipendi mende = emphasizes in the kitchen

So the given order is normal, but not the only possible one.

Most naturally, it expresses a general opinion or dislike:

• I don't like cockroaches in the kitchen

It is not mainly about a single event happening this very moment. It sounds more like a general statement about preference, reaction, or attitude.

So sipendi here works much like English I don't like in a broad, usual sense.

Most naturally, it describes the cockroaches: cockroaches in the kitchen.

So the sentence is most likely understood as:

• I don't like cockroaches that are in the kitchen.

However, short sentences can sometimes leave a little room for interpretation. Context usually makes it clear.

If someone wanted to be more explicit, they could say more than this short sentence does. But as it stands, the most natural reading is that the mende are jikoni.

Yes, absolutely.

In fact, leaving out the subject pronoun is very common in Swahili, because the verb already tells you the subject.

So:

• Mimi sipendi mende jikoni
• Sipendi mende jikoni

are both correct.

The version with mimi is just a bit more emphatic or contrastive. It can sound like:

• Me, I don't like cockroaches in the kitchen.