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?

Aina means kind, type, or sort.

So in this sentence, it refers to a category or variety of something. Depending on context, Ninataka aina hii could be understood as:

• I want this kind
• I want this type
• I want this sort

Often the full noun is understood from context, such as a type of fabric, phone, food, or product.

Why does the sentence end with hii?