Wewe kweli unafikiri tutafagia chumba hiki haraka, au tutachelewa kumaliza?

Do you really think we will sweep this room quickly, or will we be late to finish?

Breakdown of Wewe kweli unafikiri tutafagia chumba hiki haraka, au tutachelewa kumaliza?

• wewe: you
• sisi: we
• je: do
• au: or
• kufagia: to sweep
• chumba: the room
• hiki: this
• kweli: really
• kufikiri: to think
• haraka: quickly
• kuchelewa: to be late
• kumaliza: to finish

Questions & Answers about Wewe kweli unafikiri tutafagia chumba hiki haraka, au tutachelewa kumaliza?

Why is wewe used at the beginning even though unafikiri already indicates “you think”?

In Swahili, verbs use subject prefixes (like u- for “you”), so technically you don’t need wewe to identify the subject. However, adding wewe can add emphasis or clarity—it makes the sentence sound more direct, almost like you’re specifically addressing the person.

What does kweli add to the sentence?

The word kweli literally means “really” or “truly.” It serves as an intensifier, hinting that you’re questioning someone’s genuine belief. So, wewe kweli unafikiri can be taken as “Do you really think...?”

Why is the future tense marker tuta- used in tutafagia and tutachelewa?

In Swahili, the future tense is shown by -ta-. When combined with the subject prefix tu- (for “we”), you get tuta-, meaning “we will.” So tutafagia is “we will sweep” and tutachelewa is “we will be late.”

Can haraka function as both an adverb and an adjective in Swahili?

In most everyday contexts, haraka is used as an adverb meaning “quickly” or “in a hurry.” While it can have adjective-like uses in some contexts, you’ll typically see it modifying verbs rather than nouns.

What is the role of kumaliza at the end, and why is it in the infinitive form?

Kumaliza means “to finish,” and having it in the infinitive form (with the ku- prefix) allows it to follow tutachelewa (“we will be late”). In other words, it completes the idea of being late to do something—in this case, “finishing.”