Ni busara kupangusa vumbi kabla ya wageni kufika, ili nyumba ionekane safi.

to be

Breakdown of Ni busara kupangusa vumbi kabla ya wageni kufika, ili nyumba ionekane safi.

• nyumba: the house
• mgeni: the guest
• kabla ya: before
• ili: so that
• kufika: to arrive
• safi: clean
• kuonekana: to appear
• busara: wise
• vumbi: the dust

Questions & Answers about Ni busara kupangusa vumbi kabla ya wageni kufika, ili nyumba ionekane safi.

What does the phrase "Ni busara kupangusa vumbi" mean, and why is busara used in this context?

The phrase translates to "It is wise to dust". Here, busara means wisdom or good sense, emphasizing that the act of dusting is a prudent or sensible action. It acts as a quality descriptor in this proverbial statement.

How are the infinitive forms kupangusa and kufika used in this sentence?

In Swahili, it’s common to use the infinitive form of a verb in general statements or advice. In this sentence, kupangusa (to dust) follows the expression of wisdom, while kufika (to arrive) is used after the temporal phrase kabla ya wageni, meaning before guests arrive. Both verbs remain in the infinitive to indicate actions without specifying a subject or tense.

What is the function of the phrase "kabla ya wageni kufika"?

The phrase serves as a temporal clause that tells you when the dusting should take place—before guests arrive. Kabla ya means before, wageni translates as guests, and kufika (again in its infinitive form) means to arrive. This structure is typical in Swahili to set a time-related condition for an action.

How does the clause "ili nyumba ionekane safi" contribute to the overall meaning of the sentence?

This clause explains the purpose behind dusting. Ili translates as so that, introducing a desired result. Nyumba means house, ionekane comes from the verb kuonekana and is used in a form that expresses a desired or resultant state (here, appears), and safi means clean. Thus, the sentence informs you that dusting is done with the goal of making the house look clean.

Why isn’t there a clearly stated subject in this sentence, similar to the English “it” in “it is wise”?

Swahili frequently uses impersonal or general constructions that do not require an explicit subject. The construction "Ni busara" functions similarly to the English statement "It is wise", where it is a dummy subject. The emphasis is placed on the quality of the action (dusting) rather than on the doer, making the advice universally applicable.