Ninataka aina hii.

to want

Breakdown of Ninataka aina hii.

• hii: this
• aina: the type; kind

Questions & Answers about Ninataka aina hii.

What does ninataka break down into?

ninataka can be split into:

• ni- = I
• -na- = present tense marker
• -taka = want

So ninataka literally means I am wanting, but in natural English it is usually just I want.

Why is there no separate word for I?

In Swahili, the subject is often built into the verb itself. The ni- at the beginning of ninataka already means I.

That means Swahili does not need a separate subject word the way English does in I want.

For example:

• ninataka = I want
• unataka = you want
• anataka = he/she wants

What does aina mean here?