Watoto watatumia pikipiki ndogo kwenda shule, kwani barabara ni salama sasa.

to be

Breakdown of Watoto watatumia pikipiki ndogo kwenda shule, kwani barabara ni salama sasa.

• mtoto: the child
• sasa: now
• shule: the school
• pikipiki: the motorcycle
• ndogo: small
• kutumia: to use
• salama: safe
• kuenda: to go
• barabara: the road

Questions & Answers about Watoto watatumia pikipiki ndogo kwenda shule, kwani barabara ni salama sasa.

What does watatumia mean, and how is it constructed grammatically?

Watatumia translates as "will use" (or "will be using") in English. It is formed by combining the subject prefix wa- (referring to children in watoto), the future marker -ta-, and the verb root -umia (from tumia, meaning "to use"). This construction indicates that the children will perform the action in the future.

How does the phrase pikipiki ndogo work in terms of noun and adjective order?

In Swahili, adjectives typically follow the noun they modify. In pikipiki ndogo, pikipiki means "motorbike" and ndogo means "small." So while English uses the order "small motorbike," Swahili follows the order "motorbike small."

Why is the infinitive kwenda used in the sentence instead of a conjugated verb?

The verb kwenda means "to go." In this sentence, it is used in its infinitive form to indicate the purpose or destination of the main action. Rather than conjugating kwenda, Swahili uses the uninflected form after another verb phrase (children will use motorbikes) to express that the motorbikes are for going to school (kwenda shule).

What is the role of the conjunction kwani in the sentence?

Kwani functions as a conjunction meaning "because." It connects the main clause (children will use small motorbikes to go to school) with the reason provided in the second clause (the road is now safe). This structure clearly shows the cause-and-effect relationship between the two parts of the sentence.

What does sasa mean in this context, and why is it placed at the end of the sentence?

Sasa means "now." Positioned at the end of the clause "barabara ni salama sasa," it emphasizes that the road is safe at the current time. This placement is typical in Swahili, where temporal adverbs like sasa often come at the end to highlight the immediate status or timing of an action.