Breakdown of Tafadhali usioke keki bila kufunika sufuria, au itapoteza unyevu.
au
or
bila
without
tafadhali
please
kupoteza
to lose
kufunika
to cover
kuoka
to bake
keki
the cake
sufuria
the pot
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Questions & Answers about Tafadhali usioke keki bila kufunika sufuria, au itapoteza unyevu.
What does tafadhali mean in this sentence?
It means please. It’s placed at the beginning as a polite marker to soften the command.
Why is usioke used instead of oka for the verb “to bake”?
Usioke is the negative imperative form of oka. In Swahili, when giving a negative command to the second person singular, you add the prefix usi- to the verb stem; thus, “do not bake” becomes usioke.
What role does bila play in this sentence?
Bila translates as without. It links the action of baking with the condition of not covering the pan, meaning “do it without” the following action.
Why is the verb kufunika in its infinitive form after bila?
In Swahili, after the preposition bila, the verb must remain in its infinitive form. Therefore, instead of being conjugated, funika appears as kufunika (“to cover”).
How is the future consequence expressed in itapoteza unyevu?
The verb itapoteza uses the future tense marker ta added to the root poteza (to lose) along with the subject prefix i- (referring back to the cake). This construction means “it will lose,” so itapoteza unyevu translates to “it will lose its moisture.”
What does sufuria refer to in this context?
Sufuria means a cooking pot or saucepan. In the sentence, it specifies the container that should be covered while baking, to help prevent drying out.
Who is the implied subject in each part of the sentence?
In usioke keki, the implied subject is you (the person being instructed). In itapoteza unyevu, the verb’s prefix i- indicates that the subject is the cake, which is expected to lose moisture if not properly covered.
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