"Mna watoto chumbani"

Translation: There are kids in the room

[Mr.Quizzical]

Does Mna mean both "you have" and "there are"? For the latter, is the "M" a prefix for a noun class?

[likes2hike]

Correct. For "you have", "m" is the subject prefix for you (plural). For "there is/there are", "m" is from the mahali locative class implying specifically "inside of" something (here, inside the room). The other two ways to say "there is/there are," also from the locative class, are "kuna" (implying some indefinite location) and "pana" (implying a specific, definite location).

[manyofa]

Kuna watoto chumbani.

[KatrijnR]

better to use Watoto wapo chumbani

[KellyJenni10]

Would "Kuna watoto chumbani" also be correct here?

[philightentist]

So "you have children in the room" can be acceptable right? because I know I'm not crazy.

[BeelerFami]

i understand the m-na for "you have", but I've missed the lesson on locative m-na for there are/is...can someone point me to reference materials on that one, please?
thanks in advance!

[Catriona28475]

I just found this book chapter on locative agreement. It has examples of "mna" meaning "there is (inside)":
https://books.google.se/books?id=UAvEBAAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
(Swahili Grammar and Workbook by Fidèle Mpiranya) - See chapter 16, p.116.