Niliichemsha chai ndani ya birika hilo, lakini nilikosa kupasha moto maziwa kwa wakati.

I boiled the tea in that teapot, but I failed to heat the milk in time.

Breakdown of Niliichemsha chai ndani ya birika hilo, lakini nilikosa kupasha moto maziwa kwa wakati.

• chai: the tea
• maziwa: the milk
• wakati: the time
• lakini: but
• kwa: in
• hilo: that
• moto: hot
• kuchemsha: to boil
• ndani ya: in
• kukosa: to fail

Questions & Answers about Niliichemsha chai ndani ya birika hilo, lakini nilikosa kupasha moto maziwa kwa wakati.

What does the verb form niliichemsha mean, and how is it constructed?

It breaks down into three parts. The prefix ni- indicates the subject “I,” the infix -li- is the past tense marker, and chemsha is the root meaning “to boil.” Together, niliichemsha means “I boiled.”

How does the phrase ndani ya birika hilo function in the sentence?

Ndani means “inside,” and when combined with ya (“of” or “inside that”) it links with birika (which means “kettle”). The word hilo is a demonstrative adjective meaning “that.” So, the phrase translates as “inside that kettle.”

What does the clause nilikosa kupasha moto maziwa kwa wakati express?

The clause tells us that “I failed to heat the milk on time.” Here, nilikosa uses the same subject (first-person singular) and indicates failure or missing the action. Kupasha moto is an infinitive phrase meaning “to heat (up) until it’s hot” (with moto meaning “hot”), and maziwa means “milk.” Finally, kwa wakati means “on time” or “at the right moment.”

What is the meaning and role of kupasha moto in this context?

Kupasha is the infinitive form of the verb meaning “to heat” (or “to warm up”), and moto means “hot.” Together, they describe the action of bringing something (in this case, milk) to a hot state. The structure shows that heating the milk was intended but not accomplished on schedule.

How does kwa wakati contribute to the sentence’s meaning?

Kwa wakati is a temporal phrase where kwa functions as a preposition meaning “at” or “on” and wakati means “time.” It specifies that the milk should have been heated at the proper time, emphasizing that the timing of the action was crucial.

Why is the conjunction lakini used here, and what does it indicate about the relationship between the two clauses?

Lakini means “but” and serves to contrast the two actions in the sentence. The first part tells us that the tea was boiled successfully, while the second part reveals that the milk was not heated on time. It highlights the different outcomes of the two intended actions.