Grammar Pop Up Lesson: Using -enye

To say with something Swahili speakers use -enye (inamaanisha “with”)

-enya follows the noun class agreement rules (Katika kiswahili hutumia enye kuligana ngeli iliyotumika katika sentensi).

The following chart offers the noun class agreements (Hutumia charti kujua ngeli zote.)

Here are some examples of -enye in context.

(Hapa ni mifano ya -enye katika sentensi.)

• Mtu mwenye gari | The person with the car.
• Watu wenye magari. | The people with the cars.
• Magari yenye madirisha | The cars with the windows.
• Gari lenye madirisha. | The car with the window.
• Kitabu chenye rangi ya bluu. | The blue book. (directly translates to the books with the color blue)
• Vitabu vyenye rangi ya bluu. | The blue books.
• Mti wenye majani. | The tree with the leaves.
• Mifuku yenye matunda. | The fruit tree with fruit
• Kalamu yenye rangi ya kijani. | The green pen.
• Kalamu zenye rangi ya kijani. | The green pens.
• Nywele zenye rangi ya kijivu zimekatika..
• Unywele wenye rangi ya kijevu umekatika.
• Mahali kwenye wageni. | The place over there with the guests.
• Mahali penye wageni. | The place here with the guests.
• Mahali mwenye wageni. | The place in there with the guests.
• Chakula chenye chumvi. | The food with salt.
• Chai yenye sukari. | The tea with sugar.
• Picha yenye rangi | The picture in color. (Directly translates to the picture with color.)

Now you can practice! Take the quiz below — as many times as you’d like!