Learn Hardcore Swahili: Mama yangu alienda hospitali tena leo, na akaguswa na jitihada za madaktari kumsaidia. - My mother went to the hospital again today, and she was touched by the doctors’ efforts to help her.

The prefix ali- marks the past tense for third-person singular subjects. In this case, alienda translates as “she went,” indicating that the action occurred in the past.

How is the word hospitali treated in this sentence, and what should I know about its form?

Hospitali is a borrowed term from English that means “hospital.” Although it is a loanword, it takes on a Swahili noun form—with the -i ending—and integrates into the noun class system. Its usage shows that even loanwords are adapted to fit Swahili morphology.

What does tena mean, and where does it fit into the sentence?

Tena means “again.” It’s used to indicate repetition, so when the sentence says alienda hospitali tena leo, it informs us that she went to the hospital once more today, not for the first time.

Why is the passive form in the second clause rendered as akaguswa rather than the more expected akasaidiwa?

The phrase akaguswa expresses that she received help. Although one might expect the passive of kusaidia (to help) to be akasaidiwa, certain dialectal variations or informal contractions in Swahili can result in forms like akaguswa. This contracted passive form serves the same function—indicating that the subject was helped—while being influenced by common spoken usage.

How is the phrase jitihada za madaktari constructed, and what does it signify?

Jitihada means “effort” or “endeavor,” and the use of za marks possession or association. In this phrase, jitihada za madaktari translates as “the efforts of the doctors” (or “the doctors’ efforts”). The construction shows that these efforts are attributed to doctors and emphasizes that multiple initiatives were involved in helping her.

What function does kumsaidia serve at the end of the sentence?

Kumsaidia is the infinitive form of saidia (“to help”), with ku- marking the infinitive and m- serving as the object marker for “her.” This phrase clarifies the purpose behind the doctors’ endeavors in the passive clause—it indicates that the assistance was meant to help her.

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