Mwalimu anafundisha watoto kila siku.

the teacher

Breakdown of Mwalimu anafundisha watoto kila siku.

• kufundisha: to teach
• mtoto: the child
• kila: every
• siku: the day

Questions & Answers about Mwalimu anafundisha watoto kila siku.

Why is the verb anafundisha formed this way, and what does each part mean?

The verb anafundisha can be broken down as follows:
• a- is the subject prefix referring to a third-person singular (he/she).
• na- indicates the present tense (something that is happening habitually or right now).
• fundisha is the verb to teach.
So, anafundisha literally translates to he/she teaches or he/she is teaching.

Can mwalimu refer to both male and female teachers?

Yes, the word mwalimu can be used for both male and female teachers in Swahili. It does not change form based on gender.

Why is there no word for the before children in the sentence?

In Swahili, there is typically no direct equivalent of the English article the. Nouns in Swahili often stand alone without articles. Context usually makes it clear whether it’s the children or children in general.

What is the role of kila siku at the end of the sentence?

kila siku means every day. Placing it at the end emphasizes the frequency of the action. In Swahili, time expressions often appear either at the beginning or the end of a sentence. Here, its position at the end reads quite naturally, describing how often the teacher teaches.

How would you change anafundisha to refer to the past tense?

To refer to the past tense in Swahili, you replace the na with li for simple past. So, anafundisha becomes alifundisha, meaning he/she taught.