Hoteli hii inauza kahawa na mkate, lakini haikuhudumia vitafunio jana usiku.

This hotel sells coffee and bread, but it did not serve snacks last night.

Breakdown of Hoteli hii inauza kahawa na mkate, lakini haikuhudumia vitafunio jana usiku.

• usiku: the night
• jana: yesterday
• na: and
• lakini: but
• kahawa: the coffee
• mkate: the bread
• kuhudumia: to serve
• hoteli: the hotel
• hii: this
• kuuza: to sell

Questions & Answers about Hoteli hii inauza kahawa na mkate, lakini haikuhudumia vitafunio jana usiku.

What does "hii" in "Hoteli hii" indicate, and how does it function in the sentence?

"Hii" is a demonstrative that means "this". When attached to "hoteli" (hotel), it specifies which hotel is being discussed—similar to saying "this hotel" in English.

How is the present tense shown in the verb "inauza", and what does its structure tell us about Swahili grammar?

"Inauza" means "sells" or "is selling". It is formed by combining the subject prefix "ina-" (agreeing with "hoteli") with the verb root "uza" (to sell). This structure illustrates that in Swahili, the subject marker is attached directly to the verb to indicate tense and agreement.

How is the negative past tense constructed in the verb "haikuhudumia"?

"Haikuhudumia" translates to "did not serve." It is built by:
• Using "hai-", which combines a negative marker with the subject marker (referring to "hoteli"),
• Adding "ku-" as a past tense marker, and
• Following with the verb root "hudumia" (to serve).
Together, they form the negative past tense of the verb.

Why are "kahawa" and "mkate" used without any articles, and how does Swahili handle definiteness?

Swahili does not have articles like "the" or "a/an". Instead, definiteness is typically inferred from context or indicated by demonstratives (as with "hii" in "Hoteli hii"). Therefore, "kahawa" means "coffee" and "mkate" means "bread," with their specificity understood from the context in which they are used.

What role does "lakini" play in the sentence?

"Lakini" means "but." It functions as a coordinating conjunction that contrasts the two parts of the sentence: while the hotel sells coffee and bread, it did not serve refreshments last night.

What does "vitafunio" refer to, and how is its plural form formed in Swahili?

"Vitafunio" refers to "refreshments" or "snacks." The word is in its plural form, which is marked by the "vi-" prefix—a typical indicator for plurals in a specific Swahili noun class. This shows that Swahili uses noun class prefixes to denote number rather than articles or separate plural markers as in English.