Namba ya mita na namba ya mteja zimeandikwa hapa.

The meter and customer numbers are written here.

Breakdown of Namba ya mita na namba ya mteja zimeandikwa hapa.

• kuandika: to write
• na: and
• hapa: here
• namba ya mita: the meter number

Questions & Answers about Namba ya mita na namba ya mteja zimeandikwa hapa.

What does ya do in namba ya mita and namba ya mteja?

Ya is the linking word meaning "of" here.

• namba ya mita = number of the meter / meter number
• namba ya mteja = number of the customer / customer number

In Swahili, this -a linking pattern changes to match the noun class of the first noun. Since namba belongs to the N-class here, the linker is ya.

So:

• namba ya mita
• namba ya mteja

both mean the number belonging to / associated with something.

Why is namba repeated? Why not just say Namba ya mita na ya mteja?

Repeating namba makes the sentence very clear and natural:

• namba ya mita na namba ya mteja

This is like saying the meter number and the customer number.

You may sometimes hear shorter phrasing in context, but repeating the noun is very common and helps avoid ambiguity, especially in practical written language such as bills, forms, and instructions.

Why is it zimeandikwa and not imeandikwa?