Tangu nimepata pesa, sasa ninaweza kununua shati.

the money

Breakdown of Tangu nimepata pesa, sasa ninaweza kununua shati.

• sasa: now
• kununua: to buy
• shati: the shirt
• kupata: to get
• kuweza: to be able to
• tangu: since

Questions & Answers about Tangu nimepata pesa, sasa ninaweza kununua shati.

What does the word tangu mean in this sentence?

Tangu translates to "since" or "from" in English. It introduces the idea that something started when the action mentioned later (obtaining money) occurred.

How is the present perfect formed in nimepata?

In Swahili, the present perfect is constructed by using the subject prefix plus the marker -me- and the root of the verb. In nimepata, "ni-" signifies "I", "-me-" is the perfect marker indicating a completed action, and "pata" is the verb meaning "obtain". Thus, nimepata means "I have obtained" or "I have got."

Why does the modal construction ninaweza kununua use an infinitive form for kununua?

Similar to English modal verbs like "can" which are followed by the base form of the main verb, ninaweza means "I can" or "I am able to." In Swahili, after a modal verb you use the infinitive form of the main verb. Therefore, kununua (meaning "to buy") remains unchanged following ninaweza.

What role does sasa play in the sentence?

Sasa means "now" and it provides a temporal context to the second clause. It indicates that the ability or possibility to buy the shirt is applicable at the present moment.

Can you break the sentence into its two main clauses and explain their functions?

Certainly. The sentence has two main clauses:

1. "Tangu nimepata pesa" – This clause means "Since I got money" and serves as the cause or condition.
2. "sasa ninaweza kununua shati" – This clause means "now I can buy a shirt" and expresses the resulting possibility that arises because of the condition mentioned in the first clause.

What do pesa and shati mean, and how do they function in their respective clauses?

Pesa means "money" and is the object of the verb pata in the first clause. Shati means "shirt" and is the object of the verb kununua in the second clause. Both nouns complete the ideas of their respective verbs by specifying what was obtained and what can be bought.