Je, unajua kuogelea baharini wakati wa mchana, au unaogopa maji mengi?

Do you know how to swim in the ocean during the afternoon, or are you afraid of a lot of water?

Breakdown of Je, unajua kuogelea baharini wakati wa mchana, au unaogopa maji mengi?

• wewe: you
• je: do
• katika: in
• wakati: the time
• au: or
• wa: of
• mchana: the afternoon
• bahari: the ocean
• kuogelea: to swim
• kujua: to know
• kuogopa: to be afraid
• maji: the water
• mengi: a lot

Questions & Answers about Je, unajua kuogelea baharini wakati wa mchana, au unaogopa maji mengi?

What does Je mean at the start of this sentence?

In Swahili, Je is often used to introduce a question. It doesn’t have a direct English equivalent, but it signals that what follows is a query, similar to starting a sentence with “Do you…?” in English.

How can I distinguish between kuogelea (to swim) and kuogopa (to fear) in this sentence?

The word unajua kuogelea means “do you know how to swim,” emphasizing the skill of swimming. The word unaogopa comes from kuogopa, meaning “to fear” or “to be afraid.” So the sentence contrasts having the ability to swim with being afraid of the water.

What does baharini mean exactly?

Baharini comes from the root bahari, meaning “sea” or “ocean.” The suffix -ni indicates location, so baharini means “in the sea” or “at the sea.”

Why is wakati wa mchana used to indicate daylight?

Wakati means “time,” wa is a possessive connector meaning “of,” and mchana is “daytime” or “afternoon.” So wakati wa mchana literally translates to “the time of daytime,” but in casual usage it just means “during the day.”

How does au work in this sentence?

Au is a simple conjunction meaning “or,” used to present two options: one regarding knowing how to swim and another about being afraid of the water.