This “of” that: Belonging
The way you make sentences like “Said’s son” is a bit like the way you do it in French or Spanish, using a connector like “de” in those languages.
But this word changes depending on the first noun.
“Of” is -a. The possessive prefix attaches to it.
Rules
- Rearrange “Said’s son” to “the son of Said”
- Find out the class of “son” (mtoto, which is a/wa noun)
- Find possessive prefix (it’s w-)
- Answer: mtoto wa Said
These are the possessives you’re most likely to encounter. The other classes are less common.
| Class | A/Wa and people, animals | U/I | Li/Ya | Ki/Vi | I/Zi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Possessive | wa (for both) | wa/ya | la/ya | cha/vya | ya/za |
Examples of possessive w- in action:
| English | Noun | Class | Possessive | Swahili |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alan’s friend | rafiki (friend) | a/wa | wa | Rafiki wa Alan |
| Alan’s friends | marafiki (friends) | a/wa | wa | Marafiki wa Alan |
| Mo’s wallet | mkoba (wallet) | m/mi | wa | Mkoba wa Mo |
| Jo’s car | gari (car) | ji/ma | la | Gari la Jo |
| Jo’s bread(s) | mikate (breads) | m/mi | ya | Mikate ya Jo |
| Dana’s food | chakula (food) | ki/vi | cha | Chakula cha Dana |