Word
Nina shughuli sasa.
Meaning
I am busy now.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
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Questions & Answers about Nina shughuli sasa.
What does nina mean, exactly?
Nina means I have.
It can be broken down like this:
- ni- = I
- -na = have / with
So nina shughuli is literally I have activities/work/things to do.
This is why the whole sentence can naturally mean I’m busy now.
Why does Swahili use I have work/activities instead of directly saying I am busy?
That is just a very natural Swahili way to express the idea.
Instead of describing yourself with an adjective like English does in I am busy, Swahili often expresses it as having work / having things to do:
- Nina shughuli = I have work / I have things to do
- Natural meaning: I’m busy
This is common in many languages: the literal wording may differ from English, but the everyday meaning is the same.
What does shughuli mean in this sentence?