View source for Appendix:Swahili noun classes

===M-wa class===
This class is also known as Class I (in the singular) and Class II (in the plural). It is used to refer to people almost solely; the two notable exceptions are {{m|sw|mnyama||animal}} and {{m|sw|mdudu||insect}}, which both serve to categorise animate objects. These prefixes may be added to adjective, noun, or verb stems to express the idea that a person has that characteristic, like {{m|sw|Kenya||Kenya}} → {{m|sw|Mkenya||Kenyan}}, or {{m|sw|gonjwa|-gonjwa|sick}} → {{m|sw|mgonjwa||sick person}}.

Adjectives agree with the same prefixes as the noun, but verbs agree with the prefix {{m|sw|a-}} in the singular and {{m|sw|wa-}} in the plural.

:Prefix: '''{{l|sw|m-}}''', '''mw-''', '''mu-'''
::'''{{l|sw|mtu}}''' — [[person]].
::'''{{l|sw|mtoto}}''' — [[child]].

:Plural prefix: '''{{l|sw|wa-}}''', '''w-'''
::'''{{l|sw|watu}}''' — [[people]].
::'''{{l|sw|watoto}}''' — [[children]].

For a list of Wiktionary entries for nouns in this class, see [[:Category:Swahili m-wa class nouns]].