Je, unanusa harufu ya chai kutoka sebuleni?

Are you smelling the scent of tea from the living room?

Breakdown of Je, unanusa harufu ya chai kutoka sebuleni?

• chai: the tea
• je: do
• sebule: the living room
• kutoka: from
• kunusa: to smell
• harufu: the scent

Questions & Answers about Je, unanusa harufu ya chai kutoka sebuleni?

What does Je at the beginning of the sentence indicate?

In Swahili, Je is a question marker used to transform a statement into a yes/no question. Placing it at the start signals that the speaker is posing a question, similar to adding a rising intonation in English.

How does the verb unanusa break down, and what does it mean?

Unanusa comes from the base verb kunusa (to smell). The prefix u- indicates that the subject is "you" (second person singular), and the verb is in the present tense. Thus, unanusa means "you smell" or "are smelling."

What role does harufu play in the sentence, especially in the phrase harufu ya chai?

Harufu means "smell" or "aroma." In the phrase harufu ya chai, the word ya is a possessive linker that connects harufu (aroma) with chai (tea), telling us that the smell in question is that of tea.

How is possession expressed in harufu ya chai?

Possession in Swahili is often indicated by inserting a linking word between two nouns. Here, ya shows that the aroma (harufu) belongs to or is characteristic of tea (chai). This construction is similar to saying "the aroma of tea" in English.

What does kutoka add to the meaning of the sentence?

Kutoka means "from" and is used to indicate the source or origin of something. In this sentence, it tells us that the aroma of tea comes from the location specified afterward.

What is the significance of the locative suffix -ni in sebuleni?

The suffix -ni is used to express location in Swahili. When it is added to a noun (in this case, sebule), it means "in" or "at" that place. Therefore, sebuleni means "in the sebu/le" (with the exact meaning of the noun sebule depending on context).

Is using Je mandatory for forming yes/no questions in Swahili?

While Je is the standard way to indicate a yes/no question in Swahili and is very common in both spoken and written forms, it isn’t the only method. Context, tone, and sometimes other question words can also signal a question, but starting with Je is typically the clearest way.