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LESSON 5. THE MI-MI CLASS
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PART ONE 15 LESSON 5 THE MI - MI CLASS In this class we find names of trees, members of the human body, household articles, and some physical phenomena. Examples: Singular Plural mti, tree miti, trees mkono, hand, arm mikono, hands, arms mguu, leg, foot miguu, legs, feet mgongo, back migongo, backs mdomo, mouth, lip midomo, mouths, lips mwili, body miili, bodies moyo, heart mioyo hearts moto, fire mioto, fires moshi, smoke mioshi, smokes mto, 1. river 2. pillow mito,1.rivers 2.mito pillows mji, town, city miji towns,cities mkate, bread mikate, bread (loaves of) mstari, line mistari, lines mtende, palm tree mitende, palm trees mwaka, year miaka, years mwezi, moon, month miezi,months, mwanzo, beginning mianzo, beginnings mwisho, end miisho, ends 16 SWAHILI MADE EASY The adjectives which qualify these nouns take m and mi, thus: mti; mrefu. “a tall tree “, miti mirefu, “tall trees”; mwanzo mzuri, “a good beginning”, (pl) mianzo mizuri, “good beginnings” Using ni for is and are,we have: Mtende ni mti mrefu. “A palm tree is a tall tree.” Nairobi ni mji mkubwa, “Nairobi is a big city.” Mwanzo mzuri na mwisho mbaya,“A good beginning and a bad end”. Using ana for “he, she, has”, and wana8 for “they have” translate the following into Swahili (e.g. for No.1 the translation is: Mtoto mdogo ana mikono na miguu midogo.)9 EXERCISE 6 1. A small child has small hands and small legs. 2. Short men have short legs, and tall men have long legs. 3. She has a good heart and nice lips. 4. The beginning is difficult but the end is easy. 5. Teachers and doctors have kind hearts. 6. Patients are many but doctors are few. 7. Palm trees are very tall and have long roots 8. Light hearts are good but heavy hearts are also good. 9. Mashaka has long legs and a big mouth. 10. Long years are many but short years are few. 8 Ana means “he / she has”, but it is used even when the subject precedes it; e.g. Ana mtoto mdogo, “he/she has a small child”. So too Tatu ana mtoto mdogo, “Tatu has a small child”. Likewise. wana, “they have”: Wana watoto wengi, “they have many children”. Again, Wanawake wana watoto wengi. “Women have many children” 9 Lakini but ...