Questions & Answers about Urefu ni mita tano.
What does each word in Urefu ni mita tano mean?
- urefu = height or length
- ni = is / are
- mita = meter(s)
- tano = five
So the sentence literally comes out as Height is five meters, and in natural English that would usually be The height is five meters or It is five meters tall, depending on context.
Why is the word order different from English?
Swahili often puts things together in a more literal X is Y pattern.
So:
- Urefu = the height
- ni = is
- mita tano = five meters
Also, in Swahili, numbers normally come after the noun they describe:
- mita tano = meters five = five meters
That is why you do not say the equivalent of five meters with the number first.
What exactly does ni do here?