Nisalimie familia.

give my regards to the family

Questions & Answers about Nisalimie familia.

Does ni- mean I in nisalimie?

No. Here ni- does not mean I as the subject. It is an object marker meaning me.

So the idea is:

• understood subject: you
• ni-: me
• salimie: greet

So the sentence is literally something like [You] greet the family for me.

Is there an implied subject in this sentence?

Yes. The subject you is understood but not spoken.

That is very normal in Swahili commands and requests. So Nisalimie familia is addressed to one person, even though the word you does not appear.

Why does the verb end in -e instead of -a?

Because this is a request/command form with an object marker attached.

In Swahili, when a command includes an object marker like ni- for me, the verb usually appears in the subjunctive form, which often ends in -e.

Compare:

• Salimia familia. = Greet the family.
• Nisalimie familia. = Greet the family for me.

So salimie is the expected form here.