Bajeti ya mwezi ina mapato ya mwezi na lengo la akiba.

The monthly budget has monthly income and a savings goal.

Breakdown of Bajeti ya mwezi ina mapato ya mwezi na lengo la akiba.

• kuwa na: to have
• na: and
• bajeti ya mwezi: the monthly budget
• mapato ya mwezi: the monthly income

Questions & Answers about Bajeti ya mwezi ina mapato ya mwezi na lengo la akiba.

Why does the sentence use ya in bajeti ya mwezi and mapato ya mwezi?

Ya is the linking word often used for of or for, but in Swahili it must agree with the noun class of the noun before it.

So:

• bajeti ya mwezi = budget of the month / monthly budget
• mapato ya mwezi = income of the month / monthly income

Here, bajeti and mapato both take the connector ya in this structure.

A key point for learners: Swahili does not use one single word for of in all situations. The connector changes depending on the noun class.

Why is it ina for has?

In Swahili, to have is usually expressed with -na plus a subject prefix.

So:

• i- = the subject prefix that agrees with bajeti
• -na = have / with

Together, ina means it has.

So:

• Bajeti ... ina ... = The budget ... has ...

This is more natural in Swahili than trying to translate English has word-for-word.

Why does bajeti take in ?