Nina shughuli; tunahitaji kubadilisha mipango.

I am busy; we need to change the plans.

Breakdown of Nina shughuli; tunahitaji kubadilisha mipango.

• kuhitaji: to need
• nina shughuli: I am busy
• kubadilisha mipango: to change the plans

Questions & Answers about Nina shughuli; tunahitaji kubadilisha mipango.

What does nina shughuli literally mean?

Literally, nina means I have, and shughuli means activity, business, work, or things to do. So nina shughuli literally means I have things to do. In natural English, it often comes across as I’m busy.

Why does Swahili use nina shughuli instead of something like I am busy?

Swahili does not always express ideas in the same way English does. A very natural Swahili way to say someone is busy is to say they have business / activities / things to do. So nina shughuli is not a word-for-word match for English grammar, but it is a normal Swahili expression.

How is nina built?

Nina can be understood as:

• ni- = I
• na = have / with

So nina means I have.

You will see the same pattern with other subjects:

• una = you have
• ana = he/she has
• tuna = we have